Last week, Viatorian campus ministers undertook an ongoing formation experience with peers at Thriveanooga, a professional gathering organized by ProjectYM in Tennessee.
Associate Ann Perez, Vice President of Mission and Identity for Saint Viator High School, made plans to attend, and she happened to bump into Mrs. Rosie Rinaldo, Director of Campus Ministry for Cristo Rey St. Viator College Prep, who attended, too. “It was really providential that we were there together! We just ran into each other on the day we all arrived,” Rosie said.
Ann, Rosie, and the group enjoyed some time out in nature in beautiful Tennessee.
ProjectYM is a Catholic youth ministry organization focused on serving and forming teenagers and supporting youth ministers. Founder Michael Marchand prepared Thriveanooga to minimize the dry parts of conferences and maximize the interactive, generative parts. To add another Viatorian connection, his wife Crystal, ProjectYM Director of Engagement, happens to be a Saint Viator High School alumna!
After focusing Thriveanooga solely on parish youth ministers for many years, it expanded this year to include a new track for campus ministers – a novel venue for those in this unique pastoral role to connect, trade ideas, and find ways to grow and become more effective. By renting a large house away from town and bringing hospitality staff on site, they offered a unique environment, too. “With the bunk rooms and shared living space, it was almost like a grown-up retreat. It worked great for us campus ministers to engage together,” Ann said.
“It was so nice to learn from each other and ask specific questions of peers. It was a good hybrid of socializing and learning,” Rosie said. “Think of conferences: the times when you’re out to a meal or talking between sessions are when you really connect with people. This format consisted heavily of that social aspect. We were working as a team, sharing ideas, and having fun and laughing together.”
Ann said the atmosphere was lively and high-energy. “We were doing team-building, activity competitions, a trivia game based on a fun survey we did beforehand – it was outstanding,” Ann said.
And unlike some conference experiences that may or may not impact participants’ subsequent work, Rosie and Ann were invited to get concrete about that. “We were challenged to think logistically about how to bring these ideas home – who we’ll need to talk to and how to make improvements, what to do in the first week and first month and first 100 days of next year,” Rosie said. “As he facilitated, Michael Marchand acknowledged that, having never worked in campus ministry, we were the real experts, and we just needed space and structure to work with each other.”
In addition to the professional growth and networking, campus ministers got to talking about their schools, their students, and their home communities. Rosie and Ann were thrilled to talk about Viatorian life. “It was great to share the Viatorians with everybody, and many people didn’t know much about us or our mission before we got to speak with them,” Rosie said.
Of course, Viatorian campus ministers couldn’t go to a gathering organized by youth ministry leaders and not think of Associate Rosy Hartz. So, Ann and Rosie grabbed Pre-Associate Dianne Marshall – a veteran campus and youth minister who was also at the conference – for a quick selfie. “We had to send Rosy a picture since she’s had so much involvement in these youth ministry organizations and projects!” Rosie Rinaldo said.
The picture that Ann, Rosie, and Dianne sent over to Rosy!