Ascend Staff Applications Due Today!!

Today is the last day to have your Ascend Staff Application postmarked! Download it HERE and please either mail them to:
OYYAM
Attn: Ascend Staff Application
710 - Ninth Ave
Seattle, WA 98104

or fax them to: 206.903.4627
We hope you will consider applying to join in staffing this awesome retreat! God bless you!

New Heights Campaign!

This is a reminder that there are only 19 days left to donate to the New Heights Campaign! Please consider helping us reach our goal. Find out more about and donate to the New Heights Campaign!

Reaching New Heights Campaign April 15th-June 15th
Camp Hamilton's old high ropes course, which is a vital part of our programming, will not be useable this summer. We are in need of your help to fundraise $20,000 to replace it with a new Vertical Playpen Element and to update our challenge equipment. Over 500 campers will experience the new element this summer alone. This element will help teach campers cooperation, goal setting, and problem solving. The highest fundraising team or page will get to name the new element. Anyone who donates over $100 will get recognized on a plaque at the course.

Ascend Participant's Registrations Due Soon

Just a reminder that the Ascend Participant Registrations are due on Monday, June 2nd, 2009. You can mail them into:
OYYAM
Attn: Ascend Registration
710 - Ninth Ave
Seattle, WA 98104

or fax them to: 206.903.4627
Dont miss out on this wonderful leadership development retreat for High School youth at sunny Camp Hamilton on June 29 - July 3!

For more information about Ascend, email Bridget Harris, or download a Registration Form.

Ascension of the Lord

Today's Psalm Verse is:
"God mounts his throne to shouts of joy: a blare of trumpets for the Lord."
Ps 47:2-3, 6-7, 8-9

Saint Christopher Magallanes and Companions (d. 1915-1928)
Saint Christopher Magallanes, a priest, and his 24 companions, martyrs, who, persecuted in diverse jurisdictions of Mexico out of hatred for the name of Christian and the Catholic Church, attained the crown of martyrdom. All of these martyrs belonged to the Cristero movement, pledging their allegiance to Christ and to the Church that he established to spread the Good News in society — even if Mexico's leaders once made it a crime to receive Baptism or celebrate the Mass.

Wednesday, the Sixth Week of Easter

Today's Psalm Verse is:
"Heaven and earth are full of your glory"
Ps 148:1-2, 11-12, 13, 14

Saint Bernardine of Siena (1380-1444)
Today the Church celebrates the feast of Saint Bernardine of Siena, a priest of the Order of Friars Minor, who by word and example evangelized throngs throughout the towns and cities of Italy and spread devotion to the Most Holy Name of Jesus, indefatigably exercising the office of preaching with great profit to souls until his last day at Aquila in Abruzzi, Italy.

Tuesday, Sixth Week of Easter

Today's Psalm Verse is:
"Your right hand saves me, O Lord"
Ps 138:1-2ab, 2cde-3, 7c-8

St. Theophilus of Corte (1676-1740)
Theophilus was born in Corsica of rich and noble parents. As a young man he entered the Franciscans and soon showed his love for solitude and prayer. After admirably completing his studies, he was ordained and assigned to a retreat house near Subiaco. Inspired by the austere life of the Franciscans there, he founded other such houses in Corsica and Tuscany. Over the years, he became famous for his preaching as well as his missionary efforts.

Though he was always somewhat sickly, Theophilus generously served the needs of God's people in the confessional, in the sickroom and at the graveside. Worn out by his labors, he died on June 17, 1740. He was canonized in 1930.

Ascend Staff Applications!

ASCEND Staff Applications are now up and ready! As both a previous Ascend-er and Ascend Staffer myself, I can highly encourage you to apply and participate in this wonderful retreat that aims at forming Catholic leadership skills for High School Youth. Being a participant at Ascend as a high school student was one of my most cherished memories, the highlite of my summers, and they were experiences that formed me in a multitude of important ways. I never thought I could top those experiences until I came back to Ascend in college to be a Staff member. Helping your fellow staff members and your participants to see Christ in leadership was a huge joy for me, a joy that I was especially able to appreciate so much due to my formation as a participant. I guarantee that you will see fruits of your labor in the whole experience through witnessing the growth of friendships, confidence and faith of your campers. For more information, check out the new posting on how to apply in the Retreat Ministry blog or download the ASCEND Staff Application here. I hope that you will consider giving of your time and talent to help the youth of our Church!

Monday, Sixth Week of Easter

Today's Psalm Verse is:
"The Lord takes delight in his people"
Ps 149:1b-2, 3-4, 5-6a and 9b

St. John I (d. 526)
Pope John I inherited the Arian heresy, which denied the divinity of Christ. Italy had been ruled for 30 years by an emperor who espoused the heresy, though he treated the empire’s Catholics with toleration. His policy changed at about the time the young John was elected pope.

When the eastern emperor began imposing severe measures on the Arians of his area, the western emperor forced John to head a delegation to the East to soften the measures against the heretics. Little is known of the manner or outcome of the negotiations—designed to secure continued toleration of Catholics in the West. When John returned to Rome, he found that the emperor had begun to suspect his friendship with his eastern rival. On his way home, John was imprisoned when he reached Ravenna because the emperor suspected a conspiracy against his throne. Shortly after his imprisonment, John died, apparently from the treatment he had received.

We cannot choose the issues for which we have to suffer and perhaps die. John I suffered because of a power-conscious emperor. Jesus suffered because of the suspicions of those who were threatened by his freedom, openness and powerlessness. “If you find that the world hates you, know it has hated me before you.”

Pope's Hope for Peace in the Holy Land

2 for 1 Registration for the YA Conference!!

We are very excited to welcome you to Mary Gates Hall on Saturday May 16, 2009 for the Archdiocesan Young Adult ROOTED 2009 Conference: Saints in the Making. Because we are so excited about this event and want to make sure that everyone who wants to be there can be there, we are running a pre-registration special: 2 for 1 at any payment tier! That’s right - even if you have already registered for the Conference, you can now bring a friend for free! Please note that we will still need you or your guest to fill out a registration form and submit it to our registrar, Debbie Fisher, prior to noon on Friday. People who register at the door are not eligible for this special – this is a pre-registration special only. Also, please consider the spirit of this offer – we want you to encourage people who might not otherwise have come to be able to be a part of this great opportunity and experience the Catholic young adult community of Western Washington!

Also, please remember to arrive well in advance of the start of Conference (9:30 am is opening prayer). Registration opens at 8:30 and we strongly recommend that everyone try to arrive as early as possible, as Saturday is also the University Street Fair and parking and traffic will be more challenging than usual. The earlier you arrive, the better, as the street fair festivities draw more crowds the later it gets. Also, we strongly recommend carpooling and please do not park at the Newman Center. Parking instructions are found on the YA Conference Brochure.

Thank you again for your support of this event and we look forward to seeing all of you (and your friends!) at the Conference on Saturday.

Peace,
Frances

YA Conference on Saturday!

The Young Adult Conference is right around the corner! The Young Adult Ministry staff members are busily preparing for a great conference and are very excited. There is still time to register and we hope that we will see YOU there. Please keep in mind that we strongly urge you to call our office if you need help in paying for the conference, even if you cant pay the lowest tier listed. We have scholarships available and would hate for anyone to miss the conference or think they cant come due to lack of funds available. That being said, please call 206.382.4562 and ask for Frances Farrell to work out a scholarship!

Frederic Ozanam House - Open House Today

On June 11th, Archbishop Brunett will bless Frederic Ozanam House, a 56-unit project located at 801 9th Ave. on Seattle’s First Hill. He invited the Chancery staff to join him today, May 8th to visit the facility and learn about the program. A few of the OYYAM staff were able to make it over to view the wonderful new facility. Megan Raymond (Outdoor Ministry) said that it is a really nice facility with amazing programs, support and resources to aid the residents. The living units reminded her of "cool dorm rooms!"

Archbishop Brunett made the land available to AHA for the facility. Ozanam House will serve chronically homeless men over 55 years of age, many of whom struggle with addiction, mental illness, and physical disability. Case management, 24-hour staffing, and meal services are available to the residents, each of whom has a private unit furnished with a bed, refrigerator, sink, and toilet. Showers are available on each floor. Residents will also have access to a common area furnished with computers and a pool table. The program is based on AHA’s St. Martin’s on Westlake, a nationally acclaimed model for permanent homeless housing.

The housing is named for Blessed Frederic Ozanam, who founded the St. Vincent de Paul Society in the slums of Paris in 1833. Envisioning a worldwide network of charity, his society grew into an outreach of compassion that now serves people in need in 142 countries. Funding sources are Homestead Capital, the Washington State Housing Finance Commission, the Washington State Department of Community, Trade and Economic Development, the City of Seattle, and King County. What a wonderful blessing this housing facility is going to be! Thank you Archbishop Brunett for your overwhelming care and concern for others!

Friday of the Fourth Week of Easter

Today's Psalm Verse is:
"You are my Son; this day I have begotten you."
Ps 2:6-7, 8-9, 10-11ab

On this 8th day of May...
Today the Roman Martyrology commemorates at Milan, the birthday of St. Victor, martyr. He was by nationality a Moor, but was a Christian from his early years. While he was a soldier in the imperial camp, he was required by Maximian to sacrifice to the idols, but remained steadfast in the faith. For that reason, he was first severely beaten with clubs, but through the protection of God he received no injury; molten lead was then poured over him, and again he suffered no harm; at last, he completed a glorious martyrdom by being beheaded.

The Gift of the Spirit!

Last night I was honored to join Bishop Tyson, Fr. Haydock and the community of Holy Rosary Parish in Edmonds for the celebration of the Sacrament of Confirmation. While it is always a joy to be present for such a celebration, this was an especially wonderful evening. I was honored to be present with my niece Katherine whom I have been walking with these last few months as her Confirmation sponsor. An added blessing to the evening was the opportunity to join in worship with the community of Holy Rosary - the parish where I was youth minister for five years in the early 1990's. What a beautiful church and community. Finally, it was amazing to witness Bishop Tyson in action! The Bishop's ministry brought meaning and humor to a significant event in the lives of the young people at Holy Rosary.
Congratulations to all the newly confirmed at Holy Rosary and throughout the Archdiocese!

A Letter from Bishop Elizondo about traveling to Mexico

Here is a newly released letter that Bishop Elizondo has released in regards to new information about the risks of traveling to Mexico this summer for ministry or mission work:
Bishop Eusebio Elizondo's foreign travel letter

Here is the newly revised foreign travel parent/guardian consent and liability waiver form:
Foreign Travel Waiver Form

Thank you for your attention in this matter and above all else, may we continue to pray for the circumstances of our world today.

Wednesday of the Fourth Week of Easter

Today's Psalm Verse is:
"O God, let all the nations praise you!"
Ps 67:2-3, 5, 6 and 8

On the 6th day of May
Today the Roman Martyrology commemorates the Apostle and Evangelist St. John, before the Latin Gate. By order of Domitian, he was brought in chains from Ephesus to Rome, and by decree of the Senate was cast into a cauldron of boiling oil before the Latin Gate. He came forth from it more healthy and more vigorous than when he had entered it.

Volunteers Needed for CYO Track & Field!

Today's Psalm Verse is:
"All you nations, praise the Lord."
Ps 87:1b-3, 4-5, 6-7

Track and Field Volunteers are needed for CYO from now on, especially this Saturday! Help record results, time events and assist the CYO Athletics Staff to make sure that all the events to run smoothly and on time! CYO needs your help, so if you are interested, check out the BLOG or email/call Ross at 206.654.4643 or Scott at 206.274.3128! Thank you for your potential help!

YA Spring Marriage Prep Retreat Now Full

Today's Psalm Verse is:
"Go out to all the world and tell the Good News."
Ps 117:1bc, 2

Our Good News for the day is that we have filled the last spots for our Young Adult Marriage Preparation Retreat! We receieved the last registrations today. We do apologize for the bad news however for those of you that havent turned in your registration on time. We have reached our capacity and cannot accept any more :( Feel free to check out the YA Ministry Blog for more information. Also, if needed, please call the main Chancery Office at 206.382.4560 to inquire about additional resources to fulfill your Pre-Marriage requirements and be sure to contact your parish office who can assist you as well. Thank you again for your support of our ministry and everyone here at OYYAM hopes that you have a blessed and beautiful weekend! God bless!