Henrietta O'Meara (Provincial Delegate for Youth Ministry)
I live in Ballinhassig, Co. Cork and am married to D.J. We have four grown up children. I joined the Redemptorist Scala team in Cork in 1998, as a full-time paid lay co-worker and over the years my roles have included the delivery of school retreats and leadership training programmes, coordinating Scala youth ministry, working part-time in parishes with the Redemptorist Mission team and coordinating the Scala project. In 2008, I was asked to take on my current role as youth ministry delegate. As youth delegate, I have overall responsibility for the youth ministry that is taking place in the many different Redemptorist settings around the country, encouraging and supporting what is currently happening and working with those on the ground in exploring other possibilities.
We have three dedicated Redemptorist youth ministry teams: Esker (Athenry), Clonard (Belfast) and Scala (Cork). We also have three Redemptorist parishes; Saint Gerard’s (Belfast), Saint Joseph’s (Dundalk) and Cherry Orchard (Dublin). Saint Clement’s College is a state-of-the-art Redemptorist secondary school in Limerick and nearby Mount Saint Alphonsus is a place of welcome and worship for young people. SERVE is a development education programme offering young people the opportunity to work in solidarity with the poor. As well as engaging in "hands on" ministry in these settings, we also offer youth ministry training. The Youth Ministry Studies Programme, supported by the Redemptorists has been up and running in Ireland for a number of years. It is a comprehensive accredited training programme for those who wish to work with young people in a school, parish or third level setting. How to engage with young people and how to encourage adult leaders to work with them are two issues that many parishes struggle with. I look forward in the coming months, to working with Ciarán O'Callaghan CSsR and the Mission Teams, in exploring what possibilities we can offer to address the very important question: "what can we do for our young people?"
Contact Information:
Email: youth.delegate@gmail.com
Redemptorist Youth Ministry (Reality, April 2009) Henrietta O'Meara outlines how youth ministry is an urgent pastoral priority for the Redemptorists.
Clonard Youth Ministry Team
The Clonard Youth Ministry Team: (back row - left to right: Christopher Smith and Patrice Henderson; front row - left to right: Brendan Dineen and Benedict Drasch). The Youth Ministry Team works with young people in a faith context, mainly through school retreats and youth missions. They are also involved in other projects such as personal development for young adults and outreach to teenagers. The pastoral aim of the team is to travel with young people as they journey through their teenage years which at times can prove difficult. While the Youth Ministry Team has a very full ministry working in and from Clonard, it is also available to work with the Belfast Mission Team on parish missions. If you are thinking about having a parish mission, particularly in the north of Ireland, and are interested in a creative outreach to young people, Kevin Browne CSsR (Mission Team Leader) or Brendan Dineen (Youth Ministry Team Leader) will be happy to hear from you. For further information check out the Youth Ministry Team's website.
Contact Information:
Phone: +44 28 9044 5950
Email: youthministry@clonard.com
Scala Youth Ministry Team
The Scala Redemptorist Youth Ministry Team: The team takes its name Scala from the Italian village where Saint Alphonsus founded the Redemptorists in 1732. The Scala Team consists of Redemptorists and lay people who have been working with young people in Cork since 1988. In 1997, the team moved to Bessboro in Blackrock, from where retreats and leadership programs such as Meitheal are facilitated. There is also a resident Redemptorist community on site. The team consists of of five Redemptorists, three full-time lay ministers and two volunteers. The Scala Team members are also involved in conducting parish missions, retreats and solemn novenas, in counselling and in hospital chaplaincy. If you are thinking about having a parish mission, particularly in Munster, and are interested in a creative outreach to young people, Noel Kehoe CSsR (Scala Co-ordinator) or Tadhg Herbert CSsR (Limerick Mission Team Leader) will be happy to hear from you. For further information check out the Scala website.
Contact Information:
Phone: +353 21 435 8800
Email: scalacork@gmail.com