Bishop Iffert commissions and blesses five youth ministry teams

Bella Bailey

Multimedia Correspondent

The Diocese of Covington Office of Youth Ministry hosted a commissioning of the new youth ministry teams which will be active in the Diocese. All blessed by Bishop John Iffert, there are four total teams: the Youth Commission Evangelization Team (YCET), the CONNECT Team for middle school ministry, the Service and Mission Team, the Teens Encounter Christ (TEC) Team and the Event Teams. Each of these five teams has a dedicated ministry to the youth of the Diocese to help build a faith-filled community.

“Not only do you do one ministry,” said Angie Poat, diocesan youth minister, “you are apostles, or ambassadors, to all of our youth ministries.”

YCET is the largest of the four teams with 20 members and two leaders. The 20 members are high schoolers who have been trained as missionary disciples, serving in parishes, schools and communities. Each present member of the YCET team received a t-shirt bearing the new YCET logo. The t-shirts were blessed by Bishop Iffert and subsequently presented to the team members.

The new logo is a tracing of the large rose window in the Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption, Covington. Mrs. Poat explained the meaning behind the new YCET logo.

“You represent the Church, you represent the Bishop, and you are the window of God’s mercy, compassion and grace. You are the window through which some people will see God,” Mrs. Poat said.

The middle school ministry team, CONNECT, provides middle school youth with retreat days, also known as CONNECT Retreats. The goal of which is to, “connect junior high, sixth, seventh and eighth graders, give them fun, community-building encounters with each other, with the Church, to come alive and draw them into relationship with each other,” said Mrs. Poat.

The Service and Mission Team focuses on providing opportunities for youth to live the mission of the Church through the corporal works of mercy. Last year, the team hosted a Holy Week, Mission of Mercy retreat for students where they took part in door-to-door evangelization, street evangelization and grew their relationship with Christ.

New to the Diocese of Covington is the Teens Encounter Christ Team. TEC is an international organization which focuses on helping late teens and young adults foster an authentic encounter with Jesus and his paschal mystery.

“It is a three-day, beautiful retreat where the community rallies around young people and walks, and mentors with them and provides a transformative experience,” said Mrs. Poat.

The Event Team offers retreats and experiences for high school students to experience Christian community, grow in faith, spend time with Jesus and learn how to bring his message to others. It is this team that organizes the SUMMIT retreats and is organizing the trip to the National Catholic Youth Conference in Indianapolis this November.

In a recent study, Bishop Iffert said, out of the McGrath Institute, it was found that what helps young people most in maintaining their faith as they move into adulthood is a strong faith community.

“That’s what this seems to me, is we are today commissioning that community,” said Bishop Iffert. “When we come together in that kind of community, we are in a concrete way, the body of Christ.”