June 22, 2016 – Excerpted from Put Out Into the Deep, Bishop DiMarzio’s column in The Tablet:

My dear brothers and sisters in the Lord,

Every survey that is taken in the parishes regarding the priorities of the parishioners always results in youth ministry being the top priority of all polled. Instinctively, we all understand that if we do not transmit the faith to our coming generation there will be no recognizable Church.

Youth ministry has many aspects and certainly is not simply entertainment for our young people so that they will somehow see their church as their social gathering place. Rather, it is an experience of evangelization and catechesis so that we can give our youth the inner strength and understanding of what their faith is truly about.

Last year, our Diocese in Brooklyn and Queens was fortunate to receive a contribution of $1 million from an anonymous donor so we could get our youth ministry program off the ground. These funds are distributed through the Catholic Foundation for Brooklyn and Queens. We have begun the training and placing of youth ministers in parishes, or shared between parishes, which will prepare us for the reception and distribution of $10 million as a result of the Generations of Faith Capital Campaign.

Read the full text of the Bishop’s column on The Tablet website.