Vocations

“The place where your deep gladness meets the world’s deep need.”

-  Frederick Buechner

YTM Story

During a YTM Summer Institute evening session, when youth are invited to share insight they have gained, James, a high school youth, stood up and said: “I want to tell you something that is very important to me, but is hard to say. I think I really want to become a priest. I couldn’t say this in my school because I think people would laugh at me or make fun of me, but I feel that I can tell all of you guys.” As James sat down all the youth started clapping. A smile formed on James’ face.

A little while later, Jeremy stood up and said: “In my school I’m considered a geek. Here at YTM I’m still a geek; I know that. But there is one big difference. Here, I am accepted. Thank-you for accepting me.”

As James and Jeremy spoke, you could have heard a pin drop in the room. I believe that not only did these two young men experience a level of trust with their peers that enabled them to share themselves in a vulnerable way, but their sharing also added to the level of trust in the peer group. This network of trust is one of the keys to an authentic search for God’s call.

Promoting Vocations

A goal of Saint John’s School of Theology’s Youth In Theology and Ministry Program is to encourage a new generation of young Christians to consider vocations in Christian Ministry. YTM does this by engaging youth for thirteen months of theological study, community service, fun, and prayer within a significant experience of Christian Community. In this beautiful rural Benedictine monastic location, we create space for young people to ponder the question: “How is God calling me?” We surround the young people with adults who have answered God’s call in a variety of ways. We help young Catholic leaders imagine the possibility of a call to Christian ministry.

Our results after four years are impressive. 57% of our youth participants in the YTM Summer Institutes evaluated the theology classes and theological lectures as “excellent.” 97% rated this component as “good” or “excellent.”

Approximately 75 YTM youth have graduated from high school. About 30% of these youth are attending Catholic colleges, universities, and college seminaries. We currently have four who are either in college seminary or are seriously considering ordained ministry. I would estimate that 10-15 of the 75 participants will either major or minor in theology, but because many of these students are in their first or second year of college, they have not officially declared their major. This gives an estimate of 20% of the YTM Youth population will continue to be seriously engaged in theological study after YTM. These numbers are preliminary numbers. This summer we will be conducting a 5-year study of youth who participated in YTM in 2000 and 2001. This information will be posted on the research section of this vocations website.

All 13 YTM Counselors who have graduated from the College of St. Benedict or Saint John’s University are all either in parish, campus, or catholic school ministry, in graduate theological education, or in volunteer service programs around the world. The YTM vocation efforts focus on the high school youth, but the counselors have also been deeply impacted vocationally through their leadership at YTM.

Vocation Banquet and Partnerships

The Youth in Theology and Ministry Program has collaborated with the vocation offices of religious communities and dioceses of the province.  Each summer YTM has a vocation banquet where vocation directors are invited to meet the youth at YTM.

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Youth in Theology and Ministry Program
Saint John's School of Theology·Seminary
Box 7288, Collegeville, Minnesota 56321