Salt Lake Deanery Youth Night set for Feb. 29

Diocese of Salt Lake City Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministry

+ Enlarge

SALT LAKE CITY — In response to the needs expressed by the youth and young adults who participated in the first diocesan Youth and Young Adult Leadership Summit, held last fall, a youth night has been planned for the Salt Lake Deanery.

“One of the things that the participants at the summit asked was to approach all the youth [with  opportunities] for the Eucharist, for prayer, for a Holy Hour, and that’s what we are trying to do with this event,” said Junuee Castro, director of the diocesan Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministry, which is presenting the youth night.

The purpose of the summit was to hear about the needs of the various parishes and missions around the diocese. Clergy, ministry leaders and their core teams, campus ministers and volunteers participated in the event.

The youth night is also a result of the diocesan Pastoral Plan, Castro said. “This is one of the key points of it — the Eucharist.”

Bishop Oscar A. Solis released the Pastoral Plan in September 2018. It has five priorities: faith formation, vocations, stewardship, the Eucharist and Catholic identity, and dignity of the human person. Each of the priorities has its own goals, objectives and strategies. The plan also set the course for the diocese for the next five years.

At the deanery youth night, the goal of the Eucharist “will be done through a Holy Hour/ Adoration,” Castro said.

All youth in middle school and high school from all parishes in the Salt Lake Deanery are invited to attend the night, which will be presented in English. The parishes in the deanery are those in Salt Lake City as well as Our Lady of Lourdes in Magna, Saint Marguerite in Tooele, St. Mary of the Assumption in Park City, St. Olaf in Bountiful and San Felipe in Wendover. St. Lawrence Mission in Heber and Our Lady of Guadalupe Chapel at the Dugway Proving Grounds also are included.

During the youth night, “We are going to have two talks about what prayer and Adoration are,” Castro said. “The night will conclude with Adoration.”

The talks will be led by Fr. Joshua Santos and Fr. Joseph Delka, who are the spiritual consultors for the Diocesan Youth and Young Adults Council.

“This is the first event we are doing specifically for a deanery,” said Castro adding that her office and the DYYAC are finalizing the details for the upcoming youth nights for the other deaneries.

“We are going to visit each deanery, and this gives us the opportunity to visit the youth in their specific deaneries, and it is also a way to learn more about their needs and what they want for their future,” Castro said.

Space for the youth night is limited, so Castro suggests those interested RSVP as soon as possible.