Dear Parishioners,

I would like to talk about the Diocesan Youth Conference (DYC) today. According to their promotional material, The Diocesan Youth Conference is, “our yearly gathering for the youth of the Diocese of Trenton. It is an opportunity for teens in grades 812 to encounter Jesus through the joyful celebration of our Catholic Faith, dynamic presentations, and the opportunity to connect with other young Catholics beyond their parish or school. They will also encounter Jesus in Adoration, Confession and the Closing Liturgy with Bishop David O’Connell, C.M. We would like to personally invite you to witness this beautiful day whether you come alone or bring a group of students.”

The Diocesan Youth Conference this year is at Holy Cross Academy in Delran, NJ on February 9th from 10 am-6 pm. Details and promotional materials can be found at: https://dioceseoftrenton.org/dycpromoandprep I have been to two different DYCs in order to hear confessions and I can tell that it’s a moving experience for the youth who attend. I unfortunately won’t be able to make it this year because I have to be on call for the hospital.

Also, getting to DYC should be easy this year if you act soon. The diocese is sending a bus to pick up people from our area and one of the designated pick up locations is the Holy Innocents Parish parking lot. So, if you register for the bus before January 23rd (this Wednesday), you can easily catch a bus here. (Keep in mind, though, all youth need to be accompanied by an appropriate chaperone.)

As always, even if you can’t make DYC this year, all youth are always invited to our Youth Mass the first Sunday of every month. This Mass is always followed by a Youth Group meeting in the cafeteria.

So, if you are a youth, feel free to come by! If you know someone grades 8-12, feel free to encourage them to come. After all, it is the Year of the Youth and we should all work to promote and sustain the faith in our young people.

God bless!

Father Carter