MikeLigalig.com

More than 10 years ago, Karren Tarrillion had become part of a weekly ritual.

Each week, Tarrillion and several other adults would come to the National Shrine of the Miraculous Medal, located in Perryville, to pray for something that would help teens in southeast Missouri to further grow in their faith.

"We were just wanting a youth ministry, something -- with the support of a priest and the laity -- just to help the kids in the area," said the member of St. Vincent de Paul Parish in Perryville. It was a time when youth groups were just starting to take off in the parishes and the Catholic schools. They were looking for something that would help youth ministry to become more embraced and supported by the Church.

By the fall of 2003, the group's prayers were answered. Vincentian Marian Youth -- an international youth association founded by the Vincentians in the 19th century -- was introduced as a way to provide outreach to youth groups in southeast Missouri. The goal wasn't simply to provide activities for the teens, but to assist existing youth groups and empower teens with leadership skills through a life of service to others through Christ.

Vincentian Father Ron Hoye, who was associate pastor at St. Vincent at the time, was the one who suggested Vincentian Marian Youth, which was founded in France in 1830. The ministry originally was called the Association of the Children of Mary, after the Blessed Mother appeared to St. Catherine Laboure and asked her to bring together young people in her name. The ministry eventually became known as Vincentian Marian Youth. Ten years later, the group in southeast Missouri is clearly thriving. In the past decade, more than 1,000 teens have gone on VMY-sponsored mission trips, and each year draws about 50 to 75 actively participating high school teens for monthly Masses at the Perryville shrine and other activities.

The ministry also has received national attention. In January 2011, the U.S. headquarters for Vincentian Marian Youth was moved to Perryville and now shares space with the Association of the Miraculous Medal. That designation happened primarily because Perryville was the first Vincentian settlement in the United States -- back in 1816.

Shirley Klump, who with friend Cathy Peirick were the original co-directors of the regional ministry, was named national director. "What caught the fire was that this was a time when youth ministry was really getting started," Klump said at an anniversary celebration last weekend. "But the fire hadn't spread quite yet. We were coming out here every week praying. The Church needs her young people, so we needed to do something for them. People tell us, 'The programs VMY offers have given me some opportunities I never would have had.'"

Community minded

Samantha Kertz was a sophomore when Shirley Klump first introduced her to VMY. The shy teenager was hesitant at first, self-conscious that she wouldn't know anybody outside of her parish, Ste. Genevieve in Ste. Genevieve. Her boyfriend, now husband, Eric, convinced her to come along to one of the monthly Masses at the shrine church.

Beyond the sacraments, VMY teens take part in mission trips and retreats throughout the year. They've helped post-Hurricane Katrina victims in New Orleans, the poor and indigent communities in West Virginia and those in need in urban Chicago. Many teens are first introduced to VMY through a Confirmation retreat the organization sponsors for eighth-graders -- but just like Kertz, they can join at any time in high school and come from any community.

That's what makes the ministry unique, said Kertz, 24, who now serves as VMY's South Central regional director, which includes Illinois, Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana, Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas. The ministry draws teens from all over southeast Missouri, and not necessarily all Catholic, either.

"We are very family oriented," said Shirley Klump. "Last year we had a (conversion and) baptism. We've had kids who have pulled their parents into this and vice versa." Kids will bring their non-Catholic, Christian friends along on service projects or trips. All of that is a common thread that is considered a normal part of life in the area.

The ministry also has fostered religious vocations. Klump estimates that there are about a dozen young people from VMY currently in the process of religious formation or have recently been ordained or made vows. Several years ago, the group did a rough survey of parishes in the southeast Missouri area and found that there were more than 100 priestly and religious vocations.

"Bishop (Robert) Hermann once said that this is God's country," Klump noted. "But I thought it was just because he thought the scenery was pretty."

VMY also plays a part in helping the local community, too. Besides service projects, the ministry opened a resale shop last March called Laboure Exchange, with proceeds from the shop going back to VMY programming. Former VMY member Alina Seib, 21, was hired to manage the shop, located on Highway 61 in Ste. Genevieve. The majority of the store's volunteers are teens. "This Christmas, we really saw what it was doing for the community," said Seib, a member of St. Joseph Parish in Apple Creek, who joined VMY when she was 14. "We had a lady who came in that had found out she was going to be fostering three girls. We helped her pick out stuff for them -- and she got a great deal. She was so appreciative. She was doing the right thing, but she just needed a little help."

Youth empowerment

Rachael Naeger is considered a "graduate" of VMY, but she still maintains ties with the group, to share with other teens how her involvement helped her to grow in her faith.

The 22-year-old, who graduated last month from Missouri University of Science and Technology in Rolla, Mo., said VMY helped her to stay active in her faith well into college -- a time when faith can fall flat for many young adults.

It was the service projects that were the real "eye-opener," including a trip to West Virginia to help the poor, rural communities. "It not only made me realize how much I had, but I was also able to share my faith with the people we were working with," said the parishioner of Sacred Heart in Ozora.

Service went on to became a big part of what she did in college, too. She joined Gamma Alpha Lambda, a Christian sorority, and became involved in campus ministry at the Catholic Newman Center. On her weekend trips home, Naeger would make time to come to Mass with teens at the shrine and connect with them in other ways to show the importance of serving others.

"I noticed on my first mission trip there were so many things I took for granted," she said. "What was important was the love we showed them."

Vincentian Marian Youth places college students like Naeger into leadership roles as a way to not only keep them involved, but also to empower then with further leadership skills. Young adults serve as core team members and help plan service trips and other activities.

Samantha Kertz said she wants to instill in teens exactly what she received as a teen herself. "I want to pass on to other kids a love for their faith and the knowledge," she said. "I see what a difference it makes in the teens. They learn to love one another more and establish these great friendships -- relationships you never would have guessed could happen in the high school setting."

Building trust

Morgan Mueller, a 16-year-old junior at Valle Catholic High School in Ste Genevieve, joined VMY in high school after learning about the group at her grade school Confirmation retreat. One of the highlights of her involvement has been learning more about her faith through topics like Theology of the Body -- which explains God's plan for human beings and sexuality -- during retreats and other activities.

"I never realized faith could be so much fun," she said.

Her friend, Katie Grither, a 17-year-old junior also at Valle Catholic, said VMY has helped her to connect with other teens in ways she never could have imagined.

"I have found trusted friends -- and adults -- I can talk to," she said."It's taught me to stay true to myself and to not be embarrassed about your faith."


http://stlouisreview.com/article/2013-01-09/vincentian-marian

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