By Robert Metzinger
The Texas Catholic Staff

IRVING — Holding his infant son close to him, Paul Bianchi looked out at 60 students attending the Youth Leader Camp at Holy Family of Nazareth Church in Irving and flashed a confident smile.

“If it’s not for this program,” the youth director at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Richardson said, “the youth ministry at my parish doesn’t exist.”

For the past three years, Bianchi brought a new group of students to the five-day conference, which prepares youth to be leaders in various ministries.

“Nothing would be possible without these young people,” he said. “Their communication with each other has been amazing, and they’ve done nothing but lead in example and word.”

Communication was the reason Karl Migacz, a senior at Bishop Dunne Catholic High School, attended the camp, which is sponsored by the diocesan Office of Youth and Young Adults.

“The one-on-one and group interactions are all coordinated and facilitated so you know what you’re doing,” he said.  “Coming out of my shell, getting more experience with my speaking has been great. I’m not too knowledgeable about speaking in front of crowds, but everyone has been welcoming.”

Loren Kelly, a senior at Rockwall High School, said she also benefited from the opportunity to speak up.

“I want to be able to spread the gospel to people that are coming into our youth group and get them to have a positive experience,” said Loren, a parishioner at Our Lady of the Lake. “I just feel so comfortable here because we all have the same strive. We can all say what we want to say here.”

For Sister Eileen McCann, the Youth Leader camp is just one of the many programs she has seen flourish in the diocese.

“This group is unusual,” Sister McCann said. “The (Diocesan) youth ministry office has great vision and you see the fruits of this in this event.”

Sister McCann, who is with the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, knows that the struggle of overcoming immediate and often inaccurate sources of information is one thing teenagers must overcome.

“We want these kids to develop critical thinking skills and to develop solid sources,” she said. “We don’t want them believing everything they see on the Internet.”

Bianchi is confident that when his son is involved in youth programs at St. Joseph that one of these students will be able to lead youth programs with zeal.

“There’s always going to be a time where the passion and the ability to minister to these kids needs to be passed on,” he said.  “Knowing that someone in this room will pick up the torch gives me a great deal of joy, pride and serenity.”

While the campers and team leaders lunched on hot dogs and macaroni and cheese on one day of the conference, group leader Tuan Pham of St. Joseph Vietnamese Catholic Church in Grand Prairie summarized the effect the camp has had on his parish.

“This is one of the most active groups I’ve seen here,” he said. “What is touching for me is that we aren’t just training them to be leaders, but leaders for the church.”

rmetzinger@cathdal.org