Divine Mercy youth ministry leaders stay in touch

Oh, thank goodness, somebody brought me toilet paper! Did someone read my mind? What is this?
    

In the case of youth ministry members of Divine Mercy Parish’s Life Teen, Edge, religious education and confirmation programs, the tag had a decidedly different explanation.
    

“You’ve been TP’d (taken to prayer)” was the tag on a bag filled with toilet paper to remind the teenage recipients that God will clean up any mess they make (Isaiah 43:25); a piece of gum to remind them that God will always “stick” with them (Hebrews 10:23); a chocolate kiss to remind them of God’s love (1 John 4-7); a Starburst candy to give them a burst of energy to continue their walk with God (Colossians 1:29); and the phone number of the parish office if their family needed anything. 
    

“It was to show the families of these teens that they are being covered in prayer – or should I say ‘Taken to Prayer,’” said Ryan Foulon, youth minister of Divine Mercy in Kenner for the last six years. 
    

Foulon, his family and core team members from each of the youth ministries assembled and dropped off the small bags to program participants’ doors, maintaining safety when assembling and social distancing when dropping off. The thought of including toilet paper was due to it being in short supply early on during the crisis. 
 

Idea to serve families in need
    

Foulon said the idea to reach out to youth materialized after youth ministry core leaders at Divine Mercy noticed how everyone was honoring and helping first responders. While that was extremely important, they knew others were equally suffering from a job loss, sickness or worrying about elderly relatives at home alone or in nursing homes or hospitals because of the pandemic. Team member Becky Delatte first began making masks.
    

“The high school ministry core team brainstormed,” during a virtual happy hour, and Delatte and Tracy Passantino devised the idea and made it happen. “That turned into what we settled on – toilet paper,” Foulon said.” 
    

To identify those in need, the team started with families they minister to in order to make sure they were doing OK and to inform them that resources were available through the parish if needed.
    

“The goal was to invite people with an invitation that if they needed anything to contact the parish office,” Foulon said. “(Divine Mercy Parish is) in a position of helping people with utility bills.”
    

He said within a few days, more than 100 deliveries were made by leaders of the junior high and high school youth team and confirmation team. 
    

“If the folks were home, we waved,” Foulon said, but they didn’t want to be near anybody  as they dropped off the packages.
    

As of now, it was a one-time delivery, Foulon said, but he may reach out again.     

“Depending on how things shake out, something may be born again,” he said.
 

Reaching out to youth
    

In addition to the care packages, Foulon said the youth ministries have been holding their weekly meetings virtually; all youth receive the same communications of what’s available to them. The teens hold daily Instagram Live sessions: on Mondays, there’s some form of Catholic prayer (rosary, meditation, lectio divina); on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, at a 7:30 p.m. check in on Instagram Live,  two core members or college students speak about something pertinent, and a licensed counselor in the parish has discussed anxiety and other teen challenges during the stay-at-home mandate; on Wednesdays, the Divine Mercy chaplet is recited (usually by Foulon) at 3 p.m. on Instagram Live, and Bible study by a college student is held at 7:30 p.m; on Fridays at 4:30 p.m., there’s a worship and praise session with songs “to encourage folks to praise the Lord.” A Zoom conference for adult fellowship is held on Fridays at 7:30 p.m.
    

“It’s open to all who follow, and it’s available for 24 hours,” Foulon said. “People are looking at it.”
    

Teens also are invited to engage with Father Paul Clark and Deacon Luis Duarte during the parish’s virtual Happy Hour Monday through Thursday from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m., and with Father Clark on his morning “Second Cup of Coffee” on Facebook Live.     
    

“It’s the best ministry going on in our parish,” Foulon said about Second Cup. “It is for young children and so engaging.”
    

Foulon said even though ministry is being conducted virtually, core leaders are staying connected with the youth at Divine Mercy, whether it be their regular youth ministry meeting or through other parish ministries. He said what they are missing is being together weekly and sharing food, prayer, worship and catechesis.
    

“It’s the togetherness that is at a deficit,” he said. “They are never at a deficit to access praise and worship. Because of the internet …  they can access the world’s best, preachers, the world’s best music and worship services. It exists, and they can go get it whenever they want it. …  I am not confident they are really struggling regarding the ministries they are not getting. … because they had access to it before. They are struggling in the things that they were looking forward to that are not happening (college visits, taking ACTs, going on a date, getting a license). Because of technology, they are able to make do.”
    

Foulon said youth need to look at this as an opportunity to grow spiritually or to stay stagnant. It’s the message he is putting out there during this time.
    

“You can view this time as a time to draw near,” he said. “You’ve got to let go of some of this stuff, but you also have to be open to receive and change so you can get closer to God and receive what he has for you and go with it or you can just stay stagnant and allow yourself to be upset. … It’s important to stay in contact and offer something.”
    

Christine Bordelon can be reached at [email protected].