So this past weekend we had the Dream of Peace and Justice event on Friday for just over 100 teens and then Sunday we had Youthfest for over 400.

It was a busy weekend... Tony Melendez and his band coming in Friday night, set ups all day Saturday, sound checks, practices, etc but in the end the one thing that made the weekend for me wasn't the great turnouts. It wasnt meeting all the new people. It wasn't me acting like a proud poppa watching my kids from our Youth Group on stage teaching other teens songs with the house band.. no the one thing that made the weekend was quiet and very simple.

See this weekend I stayed at the Retreat Center . The Retreat Center has a chapel downstairs and on Friday night and Saturday night after all the hustle and bustle I went down there around 1:30am each night.. and just sat there. And prayed and talked to God.

I've been a little lax on my prayer life the past few weeks, and having that chance to just sit there and relax in his presence.. was awesome!

Until next time...

Hey Everyone...

Hopefully you and your programs are off and running in the New Year.

We've got a TON of things upcoming here at the Retreat Center and I hope you and your programs/ Schools jump on board.

First off.. on a kinda bummer note.. we have had to CANCEL our Jr. High Youth Rally.. CHAOS that was set for March 1st. (Trust me. I HATE having to cancel anything) But I had to for two main reasons.. we haven't had anyone volunteer to offer workshops for the day, and we haven't gotten anyone that has shown interest this year, or called us to register! YIKES.. oh well. you offer.. and hope!

However we do have the Dream of Peace and Justice Day(Fri Feb 29th), and Youthfest (Sun March 2nd) coming up in three weeks. You can download registration forms for these events on our website. We are still looking for one or two people that might want to offer a workshop for Youthfest.. so if you are interested let me know!

Youthfest is gonna be good.. GREAT music by our House Band, Tony Melendez and his Toe Jam speaking and talking for the day.. and mass capped off with Fr Joe Mancini! PRICELESS!

We also have upcoming...

Tracey has a Crossroads retreat for any 9th and 10th graders that might want to make a retreat. Good retreat.. well worth sending your members on it! Plus there is another Search Retreat coming up too!

Sister has lined up a great workshop on the Bible for March 8th.. check it out on the Website!

REJOICE is just around the corner.. you can call Judy in the Office get more info..or get it off our website!

I'm looking forward to Archdiocesan Ski Trip in two weeks.. almost 200 people this year! Woo hoo!

Finally we also have all the stuff up on the website for the Cotillion (the Youth Ministry Semi Formal/ Awards Night) and the NJ State Youth Rally set for Great Adventure in May!

Oh well.. thats about all for now.. let me get back to watching the Devils game - we're beatin up on the Hurricanes :-)

Until next time!

Its been awhile since I've posted here... I'm sure everyones been a little busy lately with the holidays and all.

Wanted to take a moment and wish everyone the Merriest of Christmas's. I hope however it is that you celebrate the birth of our Saviour - be it with family, friends, a big party a small simple afternoon dinner after going to mass, that it is a good time for you.

I wanted to see if you could help us out. We are presently looking and recruiting Youth Ministers and Youth Workers that might be interested in offering a workshop at either our CHAOS middle school Rally on March 1st, or YOUTHFEST, our High School Rally on March 2nd. If you might be interested PLEASE shoot me an email, or leave a comment here so I can get in contact with you.

We are also looking to try and update our email rosters for the Office. We have taken care of Union County already.. and are now trying to update Bergen, Hudson and Essex counties. If by chance you are a Youth Minister, or the Youth Leader of a parish there could you email us your name, email address, telephone number and the Parish you work with. THANK YOU !

Well, again - Merry Christmas! Hope its a relaxing, and rewarding time for all of you.

Until next time...

You ever have to make a decision, and before you did it you dwelt upon it for a long time?
I'm not talking a decision like ... "soft" or "hard" taco from Taco Bell. I'm talking more the type that once you make the decision you know it may not be the popular choice, but its what needs to be done.

This is what I have been praying about the last few days. I've been looking to the Lord as a model, on how he always seemed to go away from the flock, the apostles, the crowds and just sit and pray for a bit before making a decsion.

I've been listening alot to the new CD I got from Chris Padgett while I was out in NCYC. Now if you don't know or have ever met Chris he is quite the clown. His funny and zany antics really connnect with the people he minisiters to. But he also has a great voice and the lyrics to his songs truly come from the heart.

On this CD the last song is called "Surrender". For me its been a song that has been repeating in my head over and over again, and I wanted to share it with you all ....
"I want to see you, I want to see you
I want to see more of you Jesus.
I want to see you, I want to see you
I want to see more of you Jesus
Jesus I surrrender. Jesus I surrender
And I surrender all, and I surrender all."

So.. I surrender all to you Lord.. I just hope you know what we're doing here! LOL!

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you!

Until Next Time...

So, just got back from the National Catholic Youth Conference in Columbus, Ohio. It was a good time for all that went. I am especially proud of the 14 kids in our program that went. Let me explain. I am by no stretch of the mind the type of guy that likes to jump and dance around - singing and doing hand motions in songs. Thats just me. I love to sing all the classic Christian and Catholic songs.. but ask me to dance to them.. UGLY!

But our kids in our youth Ministry Program are the complete opposite of me.. and I am happy of that. They were dancing, clapping, swaying and really getting into it. It was great to sit back and watch them have such a great time.. someone even joked to me.. "those are your kids?".

I am grateful to the power of the Holy Spirit.. becasue someone had to move them to get involved.. and there is NO WAY AT ALL I can take credit for this one! :-)


Well....I'm sure for all of us its going to be a pretty busy next few weeks.. Thanksgiving, Service Projects, Christmas, and New Years.., for me I realized I have something at the Parish every weekend now till New Years weekend! Its really easy to kinda lose sight of who we are, and why we do what we do.. and to get so caught up in "stuff" that we kinda lose our connection with our God.

I want to invite you to join me in a challenge. Start each day in prayer. If you do already.. GREAT! If not.. join me.. I made a promise to myself last night that I need to start getting my life and priorities in order.. and if my Prayer life is not in order.. Nothing else will be!

So I committ to start everyday in prayer .. listening to God's voice and just trying to offer that day up to him so that whatever I do on my "To Do List" (lol) for that day will be really for HIS glory.. and not for my Parish or the Archdiocese.

Until Next Time....
Rich +

Well Camp is over! It was a good time. This year we have close to 450 4 to 12 years come through the doors during the 8 weeks! Not too shabby!

This past week we had a special treat in that Bruce Driver (NJ Devils Alumni) and the Devils Mascot "NJ Devil" came to camp and spent time with the kids. They loved it - they received jerseys, mugs, and autographed pictures. It was a good time!

Now with Camp over I am ready to jump head first into everything else. At the Parish we have have the Firemans Carnival going on this week, I have my Leadership and Planning Retreat next weeked for the Youth Ministry Program, and there is SO MUCH stuff for clean up and put away here!

For the Archdiocese I can now start turing my focus onto the events of the year.. NCYC , Ski Trip the Youth Rallies and more. I want to try and get info out to YM's early! Plus, there is always this website to keep making better.

Well.. thats about all for now.. this weekend is "Operation Paint House" Part II going on at Casa De Donovan.. so let me get moving.

Until Next Time...

Well we are at the 1/2 way point with the Archdiocesan Summer Camp. Four weeks down.. four weeks to go! It's been a very successful summer for us at the Camp.. we have averaged about 210 children ages 4 to 12. We topped out at close to 240.. YIKES!

This week Archbishop Myers comes to visit Camp and take some photos with the Campers.

Camp is alot of fun... always something to do... we joke its like a being in a different battle everyday! No two days of camp are ever alike. For me being a micro manager its kills me. I can NEVER get my things done on my "To Do List" LOL . Its a long, stressful day, but at the end of the day I know the kids and parents appreciate everything we do.

I'm starting to look forward to getting back into the swing of things here at the parish.. so much to do... but it kinda gets put on the back burner during the summer! The story of my life.. never enough time!

I have been talking with AL and Tracey in the Office about how we need to do more for new Youth Ministers. I know sometimes how it seems that Youth Ministers are "in it alone" .. but we need to try and connect to all of the Youth Ministers more. I hope this all comes to fruition! We'll have to see!

If all that is going on between CYO, my Parish and Camp isn't enough I have been asked to wear a new hat for at least a month now. I currently am the Assistant Director of the Marching Band at Cranford High School were I graduated from. On Monday the Band Director resigned to take a new job in Central PA. I was called and asked if I could be the "stand in" Director for a month and get the 100 kids through the month of August (consisting of 3 weeks of night practices, and a fourth week of a week long band camp! Good Times! This one is gonna be interesting!

Anyway - that's about all for now.. I'm going to try and update this thing a bit more , but for now I have to get back to some work for the Summer Camp, then maybe some food shopping for "Casa de Donovan" - Abby wants Tacos tonight :-)

Until next time...

Well .. its tough to believe that another school year is almost over! My Parish Youth Ministry Program is ending up this weekend.. we have our Annual Year End dinner and Awards night.

This time of the year is always sad in a way.. but then energizing in another!

Sad in that its always upsetting to see the Senior members in our Program graduate. Last year our program took a HUGE hit in that we had 45 members graduate! That was the most ever in my 12 years in the program . Many of those kids were with our program from 6th grade and up. This year we are only losing about 25.

Energizing in a way because new members and leaders emerge.. I get excited about next year and the new things we can do, try and hopefully accomplish with the kids.

Thus is the cycle of Youth Ministry!


On the personal side.. my daughter Abby had her first Dance Recital 2 weeks ago. I will admit .. watching my 4 year as I took her to the school and signed her in.. then letting her head off and get ready.. it brought a tear to my eye! I remember holding her the day she was born!


On the Diocesan Youth Ministry front .. the NJ Rally was good times.. minus the absolute downpour that came down during the mass.. Now we can say that the Archbishop and the late John Paul II share something in common .. masses in stadiums and rain!

We are gearing up for Summer Camp - should be some good times.. I love these kids.. they are alot of fun... some might think its craziness.. 200 plus 4 to 12 year olds.. but I really enjoy them!

Well.. let me get going. .Studio 60 (one of the few show s I actually watch) is about to come on!

Until Next time...

Mothers Day is one of those days that tends to make me sad.

My mom died 2 years ago.. cancer. Its tough realizing that she's not at my parents home.. that I can't just pick the phone up and call her..or stop on over the house and visit her.

I still can picture in my head my mom rocking Abby to sleep as a baby, and all the joy she got of spending time with her granddaughter. I think she woulda loved to see the outgoing girl Abby has turned into and would have loved to have the chance to spoil granddaughter # 2, Emily.

It amazes me that Abby was just about two when my mom died.. but she still remembers and can identify "Ga Ga" (she couldn't say grandma back then)when she sees a picture of her.

When we drive by the cemetery Abby still reminds me that "thats where Ga Ga is sleeping". It always brings a tear to my eyes.

ANYWAY.. I wanted to share a story I heard a few years ago about mothers...

When the good Lord was creating Mothers, he was into his sixth day of overtime.
When the Angel appeared and said "You’re doing a lot of fiddling around on this one, aren't you?"

And the Lord said "Have you read the specs on this order?"
- She has to be completely washable, and not plastic.
- Have 180 removable parts .. all replaceable.
- Run on black coffee and leftovers
- A lap that can disappear when she stands up.
- A kiss that can cure anything from a broken leg to a disappointed love affair.
- And six pairs of hands.

The Angel shook his head slowly and said "six hands.. no way!"

The Lord replied.. "its not the hands that's the problem, it's the 3 sets of eyes that a mother must have."

"That's on the standard model?" asked the Angel

The Lord nodded. "One pair that sees through closed doors when she asks "what are you kids doing in there?", when she already knows! Another here in the back of her head that lets her see what she shouldn’t , but what she has to know. And one of course in the front that can look at a child and say "I understand and I love you" without as so much uttering a word.

"Lord" said the Angel gently touching his sleeve. "Come to bed, you can finish it tomorrow."

"I can't" said the Lord, "I'm so close to creating something so close to myself. Already I have one that can heal herself when she is sick, can feed a family of six on one pound of hamburger, and can get a nine year old to stand under a shower."

The Angel circled the model of the mother very slowly. "Its too soft" the Angel sighed.

"But tough!" said the Lord excitedly. "You can't imagine what this mother can do or endure."

"Can it think?" asked the Angel

"Not only think... It can reason and compromise" said the Creator.

Then Angel bent over and ran his finger across the models cheek. "Look it sprung a leak" the Angel pronounced. "I told you that you were trying to put in too much into this model"

"Its not a leak" said the Lord. "It's a tear."

"What's it for?" asked the Angel.

The Lord said "its for joy, sadness, disappointment, pain, loneliness and pride."

"You're a genius!" said the Angel.

The Lord looked somber and said to the Angel... "I didn't put it there."


Happy Mothers Day to All... and Mom... I miss you!

Ever Seen that show on TV called "Flip This House".

Its where they buy a house and then completely redo it and make it look incredible?

Well.. for the past two nights I've been playing "Flip That Gym" up at the Retreat Center in Kearny with some friends.

See the Cotillion, the Archdiocesan Semi Formal, is in the gym tomorrow night.. we have tried our hardest to try and make the gym.. NOT look like a gym for the event. Years ago the event was held off site at a Hotel , or a catering facility. Gotta be honest.. the event was becoming TOO Pricey for the average teen to afford. I'm glad they moved to to the Retreat Center.

But.. how do you make a Gym.. NOT look like a Gym!

Lots of Tulle, lights, artificial trees, plastic coverings for the bleachers, lighting and more.. after two nights I think we've got it done!

Now... just like they do in the show.. its time to sit back. and see what the people think!

Off to beddie bye.. its been a long day!

Until next time!
Rich +

HEY.... are you going to the NJ State Youth Rally at Great Adventure... don't forget its coming up QUICK!! Get info on the WEBSITE for it!