Dear Priests and Youth Ministers,
On behalf of Bishop Michael Driscoll and the Diocese of Boise, we are honored to invite you and the teens of your parish to the Idaho Catholic Youth Convention where Jesus is at the heart and center of the weekend.
This year’s theme, “Turn Around” is taken from a powerful story in the fifteenth chapter of the Gospel of Luke in which a son returns to his father after leaving him. It is a powerful story of rejection and reconciliation.
After coming to his senses, the son realizes that he needs to, “turn around” and go back to his father. When the father sees his son far off in the distance the father is filled with compassion and he runs out to greet his son and orders that a celebration takes place in honor of his son’s return.
The ICYC planning committee chose to this scripture passage because it is a message that all of us need to hear, especially our youth. It is a powerful reminder of the limitless love that God has for us. It’s our hope that at ICYC 2013 we remember this and therefore are unable to refuse God’s outrageous love for us.
As priests and youth ministers, you are in the trenches every day of the week ministering to the hearts of the young people that God has called you to serve. We know that ICYC is just one weekend of the year and yet, it is our deepest prayer that this convention will support the important work that you are doing and will be life-giving to you, your teens, and your youth ministry programs.
As the months and days countdown to March 8, 2013 please know that you and your young people will be in our prayers daily and may God bless you in all that you do to build up His Kingdom!
In Christ,
The ICYC Planning Committee
Lorissa Horn, Johnny Horn, Chris Kreslins, Brian Kraut, David O’Neill, Nicole Stoker, and Pat Thomas
