Grant Impact Story
As the Diocese of Erie seeks to continually improve and modernize the faith formation approach for youth, parishes must adapt to new programs to best serve their communities. Saint George Parish, Erie, was ready to tackle this change head-on by learning all they could about the Life Teen program.
Roxanne Kleckner, Office and Faith Formation Assistant at Saint George Parish, turned to the Catholic Foundation for a grant to send four individuals to the Life Teen Youth Ministry Convention. “We at Saint George want to equip ourselves and our faith formation team with all the tools and training we can get to make us better ministers to the youth under our charge,” she wrote in her grant application. “We hope to more fully immerse ourselves in the thinking and ministry of Life Teen so we can take those insights and tools gained from the conference and apply them to effectively offer faith formation here at Saint George.”
The Catholic Foundation awarded Saint George Parish a Faith Formation grant supporting conference attendance for their pastor, director of faith formation, and two faith formation team members. Their expectations for what they would gain from the conference were exceeded. “We expected to gain a richer understanding of how to engage our youth in their faith journeys, foster a more vibrant youth community at Saint George, and equip our team with updated teaching methods,” Roxanne shared in her grant report. “The impact on the youth we serve has been profound and noticed by many around the parish. We've witnessed increased participation and enthusiasm in our newly revamped youth ministry program.”
They also anticipate positive long-term effects as they move forward, not just for the youth but for the leaders as well. “Our leadership team will feel more confident and inspired, equipped with new ideas and methods to engage our youth. This empowerment will lead to more meaningful interactions and stronger relationships with the kids that we serve, fostering a church community that is nurturing and supportive for them.”
The effects have extended beyond just the faith formation environment. “The Saint George community as a whole has also benefited from these improvements. We have noticed a more cohesive and supportive environment develop among our families that we serve. This grant has truly been a catalyst for positive change, allowing us to better fulfill our mission and nurture the spiritual growth of our youth.”
Roxanne shared, “It is with many blessings that my team and I say thank you to those that made our trip to the Life Teen Youth Ministry Convention possible. It was a jam-packed week with so many like-minded leaders and a lot of praising Jesus! What a wonderful experience!”
This project was supported by a grant from the Faith Formation Endowment of the Catholic Foundation. Your gift to the Foundation in any amount designated for this endowment increases our capacity to award grants for innovative projects and programs throughout northwest Pennsylvania.
“It is with many blessings that my team and I say thank you to those that made our trip to the Life Teen Youth Ministry Convention possible. It was a jam-packed week with so many like-minded leaders and a lot of praising Jesus! What a wonderful experience!”