When I was in high school, the youth ministry programming for the Belleville Diocese (where I lived) was organized as the Catholic Youth Organization or C.Y.O. Our diocese did a great job of offering faith-building opportunities for high school students.
One of the things that made our diocese great was that each deanery had it’s own youth ministry organizational structure as well. It’s like a state and its counties. These deaneries provided additional youth ministry events to help us get closer to God and connect with the life of the Church.
The lay person in charge of our deanery was Mary Hirl. Mary was a lively woman who cared deeply for the teens and their faith. She worked very hard and is partly responsible for my entry into the world of youth ministry.
Mary Hirl passed away on Tuesday. I don’t have many more details than that, but the news makes me very sad. She will be greatly missed.
Please keep Mary and her family in your prayers this week.
-Shannon