Category: friends

Colette and Shannon

Colette Kennett passed away yesterday. She was a great friend and mentor for me, especially as a professional youth minister. As I have said to many other people, there is no way that I become a youth minister (or at least a good one, hopefully) without first crossing paths with Colette.  She was a giant in youth ministry, but she was much more than that.  She was also a giant in kindness, friendship, compassion, encouragement, empowerment, and joy.  When she told you to “make it a great day”, she truly believed that you had the capability to do that.  She believed in people so much, that it often made her seem naïve and gullible.  While those things might have been true to some extent, all of it stemmed from this ability she had to see the very best in everyone and give them the benefit of the doubt.  She beat back cynicism and hatred with light and love.  Additionally, she was always laser focused on the people she was with, to the point that you felt somehow like you were part of her inner circle. It sounds silly, but that’s really how it felt. The truth is, she made everyone feel that way.  Personally, for me, I can’t tell you how often she encouraged me as a youth minister, musician, husband, and father. She believed in my potential, and made me feel like I could do anything.

As for youth ministry, speaking as former CYO teen, she and her teams created a youth ministry world that helped us live out the ideals and challenges she embodied.  I challenge you to find a more active, committed, and enthusiastic diocesan youth ministry than the one she set up.  For instance: because the biggest venue in our rural diocese could only handle around 600 people, the attendance at our annual Diocesan CYO Convention had to be regulated.  Parishes could only bring six teens, since nearly every diocesan parish brought a group.  There was so much anticipation about these events that arguments broke out in many of these parishes each year when, inevitably, some teens that wanted to go, could not.  The attendance at these conventions could have easily doubled.  It was pretty remarkable for our rural diocese.  In addition to a great convention, she encouraged and facilitated hundreds of service projects, sporting events, dances, social gatherings, prayer services, and concerts.  She facilitated a diocesan-level teen leadership council that rivaled none.  Those teens worked hard, facilitated and planned events, and would have done anything for Colette.

I could say much more, but I’ll simply say this: I miss you, Colette, and promise to now work even harder to carry your spirit and joy with me everywhere I go.

Well done, good and faithful servant.

-Shannon