Welcome! We are pleased to welcome you to the Catholic Youth Ministry community of the Archdiocese of New Orleans, and are excited that you have committed to serving the young people of your parish community through youth ministry.
The first question we are often asked is "What does a youth minister do?" However, perhaps the real question is “Who should a youth minister be?" The first answer to this question is that a youth minister should be a disciple of Jesus Christ. Before a youth minister can or should do anything else, they must be intentional about their relationship with Jesus Christ. This includes a full, active, and conscious participation in the life of the Catholic Church, particularly through the sacraments, sacred Scripture, and daily prayer, as well the realization of their own need for ongoing conversion. Does this mean youth ministers are or must be perfect models of Catholicism? Of course not. We are all broken, imperfect people in need of God's mercy. What youth ministers should have is a belief in and desire to live out the moral teachings of the Catholic Church in their own daily life, even as works in progress.
Youth ministers must also have a love for young people, and a real desire to serve them by helping them to experience God's love, and His desire to invite them into relationship with Himself, and into the life and mission of the Church. Youth ministers are evangelizers who live and preach the Gospel with joy and conviction through their words, but even more, through the witness of how they live their lives. They serve, in the spirit of the Gospels, as a mentor, guide, example, teacher, friend, and companion on the journey. They know how to set and respect boundaries, have a good sense of self, and are not afraid to speak the challenging words of truth that young people sometimes need to hear. They are passionate about justice and peace, as well as fostering Church teaching on respecting life at all its stages and circumstances, from conception to natural death.