• Welcome, Beth Ashby!
      I am pleased to announce that Beth Ashby has accepted an appointment to be the summer CYC 2012 Executive Director for the St. Thomas More Center.  Beth grew up in Des Moines and graduated from Dowling Catholic High School in 2004.  She studied Religious Studies at Loras College, where she also worked in Campus Ministry for a year after graduation.  Beth moved to the Washington, DC area in 2009, where she currently works with the Religious Education Department at Holy Trinity Catholic Church.  She has been involved with CYC and the St. Thomas More Center since 4th grade: as a camper, counselor, two years as a summer staff employee, week director, and retreat volunteer.  She met her fiancé, Scott Fuscher, at camp and they are getting married in November.

      Beth will be arriving in Des Moines in May, but will be working on CYC projects in preparation of her time with us in the diocese. Beginning on March 19, you will be able to email Beth at beth@stmcenter.com. As the interim director, I am looking forward to working with Beth and learning from her experience, as well as the entire group of volunteers, the wonderful opportunities afforded our youth at CYC. Please join me in welcoming Beth in her new summer role.

       
      Peace of Christ,
      John Gaffney
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      • January 13, 2012 | by Mark Hart (aka The Bible Geek)
        The "Why I Hate Religion, But Love Jesus" video has gone viral with many of your high school youth and young adults. Mark Hart (Life Teen’s Bible Geek) gives an effective pastoral strategy to help those you serve to unpack the profound message of in this video from the mistakes it also makes about religion.
      • January 12, 2012 | by Marc Barnes
        A response to the viral youtube video: "Why I Hate Religion But Love Jesus." The teachings on God's grace in this video are actually pretty awesome, but his arguments against religion (Catholicism in particular) are seriously theologically flawed. Don't let the emotional sensationalism of this video sweep you away from religion. Christ himself said he came not to abolish religion, but to fulfill it. And he established the Catholic religion, from which came the Bible this man clings to so dearly.
      • December 8, 2011
        Youth and Young Adults of the Des Moines region have the opportunity to gather, sing and pray at the Wednesday, January 18 concert, Canticle of Life. It will also be an opportunity to joyfully send our area pilgrims to the March for Life.
      • October 25, 2011 | by Tessa Schealler
        Inculturation is one of my favorite things about being Catholic. Incultur-what? Inculturation. It's the three-fold response that the Church has to secular culture and holidays like Halloween. If you want to be ready for Halloween, keep reading to understand what the Church has to say about the festivities you might participate in or encounter this time of year.
      • July 30, 2011
        "Bye-bye church. We're busy." That's the message teens are giving churches today. by Cathy Lynn Grossman and Stephanie Steinberg- USA Today
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