There were 140 youth and adults from Aroostook County that attended the annual Catholic Youth Ministry Convention in Portland recently. This Diocesan event gathers approximately 550 youth and adults who have been active in their spiritual growth. It included community builders, prayer experiences, keynotes ending with a Friday night celebration, parish prayer and sharing.
Saturday began with Liturgy and the day continued with a variety of activities and workshops, where participants choose which they wanted to attend. There was free time in the afternoon and it was followed by dinner and a dance. The convention concluded Sunday morning with Liturgy presided by Bishop Richard Malone.
During the convention weekend, Diocesan director of Youth and Young Adult Ministry, Michael Lavigne awarded four adults with the prestigious Companions on the Journey Award, because of their outstanding service, ministerial gifts, teaching ability and generosity.
In order to receive this award, potential recipients must demonstrate excellence in youth ministry. They must be committed to ongoing education and formation and be committed to teenagers. They must demonstrate outstanding leadership on the parish or diocesan level and must have been in ministry for a minimum of eight years.
Three of the four recipients were from Aroostook County, they were Carolyn Bouchard from St. John Vianney parish in Fort Kent, Arthur Sloat from St. Mary’s parish in Houlton and Maggie Smith from St. Mary’s parish in Presque Isle.