Mustard SeedG R O W I N G T O S U S T A I N A B I L I T Y

Youth in Theology and Ministry Annual Report 2015

T H E

Mustard Seed Society(Pledged $1,000 or more for 5 years)

Morris and Elizabeth HundJeffrey J. and Lynn KasterGeralyn A. Nathe-Evans and †David EvansKen and Janice Noyes Carrie and Curtis ParkerBruce E. Walkley†John W. Zapp

Individual Donors$500+Sandra and David BaldwinAmy DegnimGarth Gideon and Jean DuffyRon HoffartJessie I. Johnson

$100 - $499 Melissa Andrie-HerLinda ArnoldJoe and Jackie BeckerMartha and Stan BueltKathleen CahalanChristopher CarlsonShaun CrumbWynn and Jean CurtissRobert G. and Elizabeth HarperNicole HessigJeff HilsgenLarry HundPaul and Karen ImholteDaniel JohnsonTammy JohnsonRev. Bernard W. KahlhammerMargaret J. and Michael KelseyVictor KlimoskiDebbie KoopKyle B. LambMargaret Lengas and Cindy SmithPeter NordRoss V. PurdyAmanda RademacherKate RitgerDeb RudolphVincent M. and Ingrid SmilesJulie TaylorSarah and Christopher ThompsonPatricia Weishaar

$1 - $99Tam Agosti-GislerEmily AmmentorpErin BarthTroy BauerBrenda BergsrudQuinn BerryCharles BobertzLinda Ann BrancaChris and Susan BrixiusRobert BrueningWilliam CaseyMarlen CervantesBonita ClerRebekah CrowleySteve and Brenda DemorettKathleen DierbergerRoisin Duffy-GideonJames DunnJessica EllingsonMargaret EllisLisa FeracoDeborah A. ForstnerScott FrielerCarol J. GonzalezCraig GouldRegina HeaterKaitlin HellieDiane HuckMelissa Hund-CernaBeth KaiserDavid and Meg KasterElizabeth Kaster and Peter StanleyKathy KerstingAnna KlonowskiSandee KremersChristopher LabadieEllen MahliAllan ManciniKateri Mancini and Michael GallagherWilliam MascariLindsay and Christopher McCleadMorgan NovakRoger Pieper

Christine PintoBridgette PowersKatie ProkoshCarliene QuistMegan RodriguezTeresa RoesslerKen and Cherie RoshauMolly SagerhornJonathan SeldatPatrick SmalleyMichael and Judy StarrJenna SurprenantBarbara SuttonAngela TateRuthann TimmermeyerStephen TinguelyBrian R. Vander HeidenKatelyn VickersHannah VossEllen WallgrenErin WendtAmber WilfahrtEmily Wyatt

Vocation Partners

Benedictine Sisters of ErieFranciscan Sisters of Little FallsLeadership Conference of Women Religious – Region 11Mother of God MonasteryNational Religious Vocation Conference – Region 8Sacred Heart MonasterySisters of Saint BenedictUnion of Sisters of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, FargoVisitation Monastery of Minneapolis

Open Eyes, Open HeartsDr. Je f f rey K a s ter, Y TM Direc tor

Dear Friends,I’m pleased to report that our evaluation data suggests that the 2015 YTM Summer Institute was one of the best, if not the best, in sixteen years. For example, 83% of youth said the theology component was “Excellent.” And while I could share many similar statistics, numbers don’t really express how good YTM was this summer. Instead, I’d like to tell you a story.Each year, our Summer II youth travel to the State Capitol in St. Paul to talk with legislators about policies related to Catholic Social Teaching. This year, the Minnesota Catholic Conference arranged a meeting with a state representative who shared about her work to reduce the number of abortions in Minnesota.A youth asked the representative about minimum wage, to which she gave a pretty standard party answer about why she would not support minimum wage increases. But she also made disparaging remarks about minimum wage workers, particularly non-English speakers.Over dinner, we processed our experience at the Capitol. Several youth shared about the kindness of the representative for taking the time to talk with us.Then Mina, a Samoan immigrant from Alaska, spoke up. “I’m so mad. She spoke so condescendingly about my family and me when she was talking about minimum wage.” Mina burst into tears.

A few minutes later, a young woman from North Dakota named Caitlyn shared. “Until just now, I thought the representative was really nice. I had no idea how condescending she was until I heard and saw Mina’s tears and anger. I guess Mina opened my eyes to a new reality…one I never considered before.”I was simply amazed. The love that young people develop for each other at YTM allows them to see perspectives that they otherwise may not see.Stories like this make me so proud to be associated with YTM. I hope you know how personally grateful I am to each of you for your support. May God continue to richly bless you and your family.

One of the things that YTM has taught me is to seize every opportunity given as a chance to learn, to explore, and to grow in faith. So when I received an email from my school’s campus ministry a few weeks before classes started, asking

any interested new students to consider joining a pilgrimage to Philadelphia for the Festival of Families and Pope Francis’ visit, my instinct was, “Yes! Of course!” A month and a half later, I was on a bus with forty other students and leaders, headed to the 2015 World Meeting of Families.We were encouraged to keep a specific family in our prayers throughout the weekend, to help us meditate on the theme of the festival and center our spiritual focus. As I tried to think of one, I was amazed when I realized how many families I

now have: my own biological family, godparents, friends from school, and so many more. But I decided to focus my prayers that weekend on one particular group of youth and adults who I’ve come to consider one of the many families that God has blessed me with: my YTM family.So in the midst of seeing and hearing Pope Francis and attending Mass with hundreds of thousands of other Catholics, I prayed for my fellow youth, counselors, adult mentors, and staff. All of these people inspire me to keep my heart open to God on every step of my journey. They encourage me to make my faith an important part of my adult life, and continue to bless me with their gifts, talents, and love of God, which have made YTM an experience I will never forget.I had a fantastic weekend in Philadelphia. I came back renewed and refreshed, but most of all, thankful.Natalie Nation is a 2015 YTM Summer II Youth. She is currently a first-year at St. Catherine University in St. Paul, Minnesota, and intends to major in Dietetics with a minor in American Sign Language.

YTM is Grateful to our 2014-2015 Donors

YTM Family Ties

Nata l ie Nat ion

Did you know? 95% of youth rated the 2015 YTM Summer Institute as “Excellent.”

“YTM is one of the best things that has happened to me in my life.” – Jose M.

Youth in Theology and M

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Help YTM raise $15,000 for the 2016 Summer Institute!Campaign runs from November 2-16, 2015

For more info or to donate, visit www.ytm-sju.org

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“The young church is alive and thriving, and I’m so excited to be a part of it.” –Maura Kate F.

$1,000 Kickoff Match

$3,000Match Day

Annual Crowdfunding Campaign

MarriagesKatie Vogl (Youth ’08-’09, Counselor ’10-’13) to Justin Prokosh, March 2014Heather Hoy (Youth ’08-09) to Dylan Richardson, September 2013Stephanie Noyes (Youth '08-'09) to Sean Pickthorn (Youth '08-'09, Counselor ’11), August 2015

BirthsKatie Vogl (Youth ’08-’09, Counselor ’10-’13) and Justin Prokosh, boy, Leo, April 2015Nicole Hessig (MA Cohort ’11-’14) and Devlin Hessig, girl, Ruth Marie, May 2015

GraduationsMickel Goepferich (Youth ’10-’11) graduated from University of South Dakota with a degree in Communication Studies, and began working with the Fellowship of Catholic University Students (FOCUS) in summer of 2015.

Share Your Milestones... Submit them on the Alumni page at www.ytm-sju.org or email ytm@csbsju.edu

Alumni Milestones