All posts by Andrea Perry

8:45 am | Best Practices for Writing Editorials

CMC Fri 18

ROOM: GRAND F

Session-Editorial Panel

Best Practices for Writing Editorials

It seems that fewer Catholic newspapers are publishing editorials on a regular basis. Why is this happening? Why should Catholic newspapers consider publishing editorials on local and national/international issues? How do editors determine topics to consider? On this panel, editors who have won Catholic Press Awards for editorial writing will talk about why they write editorials and how they decide what their editorials will address. We will show copies of some award-winning editorials and talk about why these pieces are good examples of editorial writing. We will encourage discussion among the session attendees about editorial writing and how to encourage it in the Catholic press.

Patricia Kasten is currently associate editor of The Compass in Green Bay, Wis.  She has been writing for The Compass since 1985. She won her first CPA editorial award in 1997 and has won over 10 awards since then.

She has authored four books – on the Rosary, on how saints become saints in the Church, and on the Magi, as well as a co-authored puzzle book. She is also the author of “Scripture Search” and “Cross Word” puzzles, which are printed in several Catholic papers and many parish bulletins around the country.

Mike Krokos has been editor of The Criterion, the award-winning newspaper of the Archdiocese of Indianapolis, since 2006. During that time, he has been honored with a number of best editorial writing awards.

His experience with the Catholic Press Association goes back 22 years. He began his career in the Catholic press as editor of The Catholic News & Herald, newspaper of the Diocese of Charlotte and then was editor of The Catholic Spirit, newspaper of the Archdiocese of St. Paul Minneapolis.

He is a former member of the Catholic Press Association’s board of directors and also served as the chairman of the Catholic Press Association’s Awards Committee.

He is a graduate of Indiana University in Bloomington with a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism and minor in Spanish.

He is married and has two children.

Mary Uhler has been editor of the Catholic Herald-Diocese of Madison in Wisconsin since 1986. She joined the diocesan newspaper’s staff in 1973 and was the news editor and associate editor before assuming the position of editor. The Madison paper is part of the Wisconsin Catholic Media Apostolate, which also publishes diocesan newspapers in Milwaukee and Superior.

During her years at the Catholic Herald, Mary has won numerous awards from the Catholic Press Association, including awards for editorials she has written on local and national/international issues. She is especially proud of earning several General Excellence awards for the paper. She has been involved in a number of CPA committees over the years, including serving on the CPA-CNS Liaison Committee, Awards Committee, External Communications Committee, Bylaws Committee, and the CPA National Planning Committee.

She received the Cross Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice from St. John Paul II and is a member of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem. Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Madison presented her with a Leadership Award in 2015 for her involvement in church and community activities.

She holds a master’s degree in English from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She is married and has two children and three grandchildren.

Prayer Ministry

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The First Line of Defense

Thank you for your yes to care for and minister to the youth at the Steubenville Youth Conference!

The group leader and adult chaperones are the primary ministers to the youth on the weekend. Please be sure to share all of this information with all adult chaperones and religious in your group.

The Team of Prayer Ministers

Prayer ministers will be wearing red shirts and will be available on Friday and Saturday night, and Sunday morning. They may approach you to ask if you need assistance. Feel free to approach a prayer minister for help.

Role of Prayer Ministry

The role of prayer ministry is to serve and support you and your chaperones by offering spiritual assistance to the youth in your group. Prayer ministry is an extension of the ministry done by the ministry team from the stage and by you as the group leader and chaperones. They can assist you if there are several youth that need attention or if there is a particular situation that you and your chaperones are unsure how to handle.

Remaining Present

If a prayer minister does assist your youth, it is ideal to have an adult chaperone from your group present to watch over and pray with them also. It is good for the youth to have a familiar person present. In addition, it is the adult chaperone who will be going home with the youth. Therefore, he or she can continue to pray for and with the youth at home if needed. If this is not possible, know that the prayer minister will encourage the youth and let them know that group leaders and chaperones are there for them, if need be.

Leading Small Groups

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If you are leading a Small Group for the first time, here are a few tips to help you out!

  • Remember to keep your questions open ended (avoid yes or no questions).
  • Silence is okay in a small group. Sometimes the youth need time to think and process before answering.
  • As the leader of the small group, avoid talking too much. This is a time for the youth to process their thoughts. If they have questions or need mentoring, give a shorter answer and let them know you can talk more together after the small group.
  • The Small Group Questions are meant to be a springboard for you to ask further questions and facilitate conversation among your group. Feel free to ask follow-up questions as they process. You can ask even more specific questions from the keynote content. 

For the Small Group Questions click the “Small Group Questions” icon on the main menu. 

Sean Forrest

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Sean Forrest is a missionary, author, singer/songwriter, and evangelist. He co-founded Haiti18, for which he serves as president. Haiti180 serves the poorest of the poor through its orphanage, school, nursing home/elderly care, and a state-of-the-art medical clinic. To come on a mission or to help, please visit haiti180.com

Oscar Rivera

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Oscar Rivera Jr. (“Two Ten”) lives in Virginia, with his wife, Pamela. He serves as the director of Religious Education and Youth Ministry at his parish in Virginia Beach. Raised in the inner city of Waterbury, Connecticut, Oscar’s method of avoiding the streets became God and hip-hop. For over a decade he has been an international speaker and performer. Oscar’s life is devoted to the new evangelization and his upbeat urban approach has made his message entertaining and easy to understand. Our faith is not boring and neither is Oscar.

Chris Padgett – Host

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Chris Padgett has been doing ministry for over 20 years. He is an author, musician, teacher, and motivational speaker. Padgett has been married to his high school sweetheart for over 25 years and has nine children. He has also appeared on television and radio and has been a regular speaker and entertainer at Steubenville youth conferences. For the last several years, Chris was an adjunct professor of theology at Franciscan University and currently teaches at Catholic Distance University. The Padgett family currently lives in Central New York. Check out chrispadgett.com for more.

Jackie Francois Angel

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Jackie Francois Angel is a speaker, worship leader, and author from Orange County, California. In 2006, she was signed to SpiritandSong.com, a division of OCP, and debuted her first album, Your Kingdom is Glorious, in 2008. Along with being a blogger and webcast host, Jackie travels around the world preaching, singing, sampling the local cuisine, and attempting to make people laugh. Her sophomore album, Divine Comedy, was released in 2012. In 2013, Jackie married Bobby Angel, who shares her passion for Jesus, coffee, and superhero movies. They reside in Anaheim with their three young children.

Fr. Mike Schmitz

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Father Michael Schmitz, director of Youth and Young Adult Ministry for the Diocese of Duluth and chaplain for the Newman Center at the University of Minnesota-Duluth, inspires and educates through his priesthood and preaching. He also works with Ascension Presents’ online platform to share the Gospel. Ordained in 2003 at St. Paul Seminary, he has preached across the country about the love of God and the call of Jesus Christ for saints to be raised up in the Church. Father Mike’s hope is that these saints will redeem the entire world for Christ.