Next Generation Catholic Archives - The Bishop's Bulletin

Diocese casts missionary NET over its parishes

May 2021, Next Generation Catholic

May 01, 2021 by rkranz

By Dana Hess The Sioux Falls diocese is in the midst of discerning how evangelization fits into the bishop’s vision for missionary discipleship. Catholics in parishes across the diocese have had a firsthand look at the methods for spreading God’s word. [caption id="attachment_5836" align="alignright" width="300"] The NET Team of four men and four women traveled the diocese over the past year.[/caption] Those Catholics learned about those methods through interacting with National Evangelization Teams Ministries (NET). Based in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, NET has been holding retreats in the Sioux Falls diocese since its inception in 1981. However, this trip to South Dakota was unique. According to Tessa Bernousek, a NET missionary from Holdredge, Nebraska, mission trips typically take two forms: a team roams from state to state…

Living your faith doesn’t have to mean having no friends

April 2021, Next Generation Catholic

Apr 01, 2021 by rkranz

By Makenzee Gooley If I’m serious about my faith, will I fit in? This is one of the biggest questions young people seem to be facing today. It’s a common fear that many have as they go through high school, and even college. Students and young people are afraid they will lose friends. They want to have connections as they get older and be part of a bigger picture. They want to feel loved and accepted by the world around them. Chris Uhler, campus minister at Roncalli High School in Aberdeen, says this question of being serious about faith and what will happen is a lived reality of some of his students. “That fear is quite real,” Chris said. “I’ve seen it quite a bit in my three years here…

Better entertainment choices bring lasting benefits

March 2021, Next Generation Catholic

Mar 01, 2021 by rkranz

By Laura Melius From the moment we open our eyes each morning, countless sources of entertainment vie for our attention. We may awake to a favorite song. Our cell phones report how many social media notifications have appeared overnight. News, music or talk fills the background of our morning routines and as we drive to school or work. A wait at the doctor’s office is an opportunity to catch up on texts or news feeds. A free Saturday afternoon provides uninterrupted hours to conquer a new video game or binge-watch a new TV series. We no longer need to leave our homes to seek out entertainment—it constantly surrounds us. This is not all bad. When healthy entertainment options are consumed in moderation, the benefits can bring us closer to friends…

Retreats bear fruit as young people go deeper into their faith

February 2021, Next Generation Catholic

Feb 23, 2021 by rkranz

By Matthew Chicoine Total abandonment to God seems like an odd phrase, a difficult concept to grasp. Whether we’re cradle Catholics or brand new Catholics, attending Sunday Mass, praying the rosary, and being able to name the seven sacraments may not be enough to help us form a deep relationship with Jesus. A loose routine of prayer isn’t always enough to sustain us through the storms of life. God is calling us to a deeper relationship with Him. Going deeper in the faith [caption id="attachment_5524" align="alignright" width="300"] Elaina Lubeck[/caption] Two seniors at O’Gorman High School, Allison Kassing and Elaina Lubeck, lived at a surface level of their faith. They were both born and raised Catholic, and both teens said their parents never forced the Catholic faith on them. The faith…

Thoughts from a college student: It’s not enough to just be nice

January 2021, Next Generation Catholic

Jan 01, 2021 by rkranz

By Meghan Vogel As modern-day Americans, we live in a very busy and often self-centered culture. This culture lacks the value of pausing and taking silent time to reflect on life and the real gravity and sacredness of what it means to be a human person created in the image and likeness of God. Our culture maintains some slight sense of Christian values which become more apparent during the Christmas and New Year seasons as we give gifts and share time with family and friends. We also see this as we make resolutions to try to improve ourselves or our lives in a meaningful way. We feel a sense of longing for something better, for something more, but many people do not seek that in the person of Jesus who…