Gather4Good - New Ulm

Catholic Aid's Gather4Good event was a great success in New Ulm. Check out our pictures here.

Gather4Good

Learn more at www.catholicaid.org/links/gather4good

Salute to Youth 2010

Congratulations to our Salute to Youth award winners! Salute to Youth is a national recognition program to honor high school seniors who give of their time, energy and talents to serve others and to improve themselves. The high school senior should be a member of the Catholic Aid Association, lead a balanced life, pay back to the community, and keep at least a 2.75 grade point average. Congratulations to John Kimlinger, Tony LeClair, Brooke Matuska and Buddy Schaust!

Learn more about each Salute to Youth winner here.

The Results are In...

The 2009 Catholic Aid Membership Drive results are in!

Catholic Aid's 'Nuts for New Members' contest offered prizes and incentives for councils and members who help Catholic Aid generate new member growth. With our member's help and their positive word-of-mouth, we worked together to add new members and make an even greater impact on the Catholic community! Click here for more information!

Salute to Youth

If you know a high school senior (including a student in your family) who has a balanced life, pays back the community, and keeps at least 2.75 grade point average, the student can be nominated for Salute to Youth, a national recognition program to honor high school seniors who give of their time, energy and talents to serve others and to improve themselves.

While Degree of Honor is the official host of Salute to Youth, Catholic Aid partners with them on this effort. Both Catholic Aid and Degree of Honor are fraternal benefit societies, societies that conduct fraternal programs, are not for profit, have a representative form of government, have a system of local lodges (Catholic Aid’s are called councils) and provide insurance, along with other member benefits.

Nomination forms should be submitted to Catholic Aid Association by March 12, 2010 at 3499 Lexington Avenue North, Saint Paul, MN 55126. Heather Vargo, the Youth Fraternal Liaison is available for questions or comments regarding this program. You can reach Heather by phone at 800.568.6670 ext 187 or by email, hvargo@catholicaid.org.

To download a nomination form, please click here. Please note that this link takes you to issuu.com.

Youth Volunteer of the Year Award Nominations

Youth Volunteer of the Year Award Nominations are due June 1, 2010.

The Youth Volunteer of the Year Award is an honor presented by Catholic Aid Association to recognize a young adult, between ages 16-30, within the Catholic Aid Association who, through example and accomplishment, provided outstanding volunteer service to his or her community and/or council during the past year. Please contact Heather Vargo for more information or to receive a nomination form.

Click here for a nomination form. (Please note: This link takes you to issuu.com)

Name Update: Your Submissions

In the last 2009 issue of CA Journey magazine, we asked for your ideas. The Board of Directors has decided to update the name of our Association, and you are helping us do it!

We received 97 name ideas from 32 contributors. The list will be narrowed down by vetting names for availability, and comparing them to our criteria for our updated identity (some points listed below, full criteria available online.) After the list has been narrowed, members and non-members will be surveyed to give the Board direction in selecting a final candidate.

The Board has followed your guidance and decided that an updated name is vital to the future growth of our company. Our new identity will have to meet the following requirements. It will eliminate name confusion with similar organizations (Catholic Charities); will better reflect and describe who we are and what we do; will be distinctive and original; and will reflect our Catholic tradition and our vision for the future.

Updating our identity is something we’ve done before, but we need your support for such an effort to be successful. We’re doing everything we can to keep you informed and involve you in the decision.

List of Submitted Names:
Catholic American Financial
Family Tithes Catholic Financial
Catholic Financial Services
Catholic Modern Life
Catholic Virtues Finance
Catholic Financial Life
Catholic Financial Partners
Catholic Fraternal Life & Financial
Catholic Family Financial
Catholic United Financial
Catholic Family Life
Kingdom Life for Catholics
All Saints Catholic Life Insurance

Once again, we’re asking for you to talk to us. Visit www.catholicaid.org/links/nameupdate to register your feedback, let us know your favorite new option, and keep tabs on our progress. Thank you for your submissions!

Who Reigns? Christ Reigns at NCYC 2009

There’s a palpable energy when a sports team fills its arena to capacity, but when it’s God who’s drawing the crowds, Catholic Aid members who attended the National Catholic Youth Conference will tell you it’s a whole new ballgame.

The experience of singing and celebrating the Lord among 21,000 other proud, young Catholics was a singular opportunity that youth members of the Catholic Aid Association took part in Nov. 19 – 21 at the 9th Biennial National Catholic Youth Conference (NCYC) in Kansas City, Mo.

The theme of this year’s conference was the ways in which Christ reigns this world: in, among, and through us. Each session explored aspects of this theme while workshops helped participants explore the concept further between sessions.

“NCYC changes lives,” wrote David Bursack of Canby, Minn. “No different with me. On this trip I came closer to God just knowing I can pray and be religious around these people freely…The effect on my life is that I will be willing to show my faith around my friends and if they look at me differently, I now know that at least 25,000 other people have my own same beliefs!”

Catholic Aid’s Fraternal Youth Liaison Heather Vargo and Fraternal Director Kathleen Moriarty worked through 2009 to make these scholarships a fraternal benefit available to eligible members.

“Like World Youth Day, we felt this was a unique opportunity for our young members to get out and meet others like them,” Moriarty says. “You can’t practice your faith in a vacuum, so we wanted to provide chances for our young Catholics to see they’re not alone out there.”

The National Catholic Youth Conference is orchestrated by the National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry (NFCYM) and according to that body, the conference is the single largest gathering of Catholic young people in the United States.


With special emphasis on the general sessions that addressed the entire multitude, the conference ran for three days. Between the general sessions, the participants broke out into group leader briefings, daily liturgies, concurrent sessions and workshops. Between sessions and workshops, youth could attend Eucharistic Adoration, the thematic park, confession or just hang out with other young Catholics from around the country.

Shawn Polman of Cottonwood, Minn., says, “I realized that when I go home, I know there is that girl way over in California that is praying to the same God…After NCYC, I will know that the Catholic Church isn’t just here in Minnesota, but all over the U.S. and the world too…When I face an obstacle, it will give me the strength that I am not alone. God is with me.”

In addition to the sessions and breakouts, hundreds of displays, interactive and experiential exhibits populated the “Reign Forest” thematic park in the Kansas City Conference Center. Youth were able to talk with Catholic colleges and universities, learn about service projects, play games, check out the technology lounge and learn about vocations. The Reign Forest was open prior to and throughout the conference, but even with three days to work with, pilgrims had difficulty making it to all the booths in the 200,000-square-foot space.

The general sessions were held in the cavernous and state-of-the-art Sprint Center and filled every seat with more than 21,000 exuberant youth spilling into overflow seating. Following the general sessions, a mass exodus of youth poured out of the Sprint Center, engulfing entire streets in downtown Kansas City.

The number of participants and their enthusiasm left a lasting impression on the 17 scholarship winners from Catholic Aid.

Andrea Mayer of Stacyville, Iowa, wrote, “They helped me understand better what it means to be Catholic. They all knew we were there to strengthen our faith and that made it so much fun, that they all wanted to be there and explore their faith.”

The Catholic Aid participants are already looking forward to NCYC 2011 in Indianapolis and until then, they’ll try to hold on to that feeling of community and kinship they described, and the pride they felt among the multitude.

“The most memorable moment was when everyone left the general session and walked together while praising God,” Rachel Kollar of Canby, Minn., says.

“It had a huge impact on me, personally, to be among so many youth open to praising Him for everyone to see. It opened my eyes to see that it’s okay to let your faith show in all aspects of life, not just while at church.”

Copyright 2010 Catholic Aid Association. Content and photos in this story may not be republished in any medium without the express, written consent of Catholic Aid Association.

Fraternal Advisory Meeting Highlights

The Fraternal Advisory Committee met on Oct. 15, 2009 for its last meeting of 2009. These topics were discussed:

**Deborah Gephart, Assistant Sr. Vice-President, reviewed the 2009 Convention and asked committee members for feedback. She gave an overview of the 2010 Convention schedule.

**Steve Wendorf, Marketing Director, gave an update on the Membership Drive and the School Raffle. The group also watched a video on the proposed name update for Catholic Aid and provided feedback.

**The committee discussed the area membership meetings for members and non-members to be held in 2010. The committee made suggestions about locations, timing, content and publicity for the meetings.

**Heather Vargo, Youth Fraternal Liaison, updated the group on current youth initiatives, such as the “Youth Financial Workshop,” the start of a Young Adult Advisory Team and the results from the NCYC (National Catholic Youth Conference) Member Benefit for high school-aged members.

CAA Management and the Fraternal Department thanked committee members Geraldine Poppler from Waconia, Leonard Seidl from Sleepy Eye and Boni Westberg from Mahtomedi as they completed a three-year term on the committee.

The Director’s View - Kathleen Moriarty’s Column

From the November/December Issue of the Fraternal Dispatch. Written by Kathleen Moriarty.

Delegates to the CAA Convention last August had the opportunity to view CAA’s newest video, “What’s in a Name?” The video includes interviews with a variety of people close to CAA and is now available on DVD to councils through the Fraternal Department or your Field Representative.

It is encouraged for members to discuss the updating of the CAA name with your councils. Catholic Aid's goal is to present a proposed name for approval by two-thirds majority of delegates at Annual Convention in August 2010.

Here are some key points and a time line for the process ahead as our Board of Directors, management and members move forward with name selection in 2010.

**An updated name places us in a position of strength against stiff competition from commercial and mutual companies.

**We need to eliminate the name confusion with similar organizations. In a recent survey of non-member Catholics, exactly 70 percent thought CAA was a charitable organization or a disaster relief group.

**Our name must describe who we are and what we do. It must have “Catholic” in the name, and must reflect that we are a financial services organization.

What are our next steps? Catholic Aid is gathering name suggestions from members and non-members through Jan. 1, 2010. Send your ideas to President Mike McGovern or to Kathleen Moriarty. Name options will be discussed at the Board and Constitution Committee meetings during the first quarter of 2010. We will continue to publish updates on this process via video, CAA Journey magazine, Fraternal Dispatch newsletter and at council events.

Kathleen welcomes your thoughts on this important issue. Feel free to call or send an email. Our member's support is essential to this process.

Catholic Aid Member Drive Needs Your Help!

The 2009 Membership drive started at the Annual Convention in August and there’s still more time before the deadline. Here’s an update to remind you of details that will help you and your council. So far, 30 CAA members like you have referred 111 people to become new members.

Your participation in this effort is vital! Plus, your council could add $1,000 to spend on helping others in your community if your council refers the most people that become members! Second place and third place councils receive $750 and $500! Every council that meets the 10 new-member goal gets $200 from CAA.

Members who refer the most people who become new members can win individual prizes. 1st place is $500; 2nd place is $250; 3rd place wins $100. Just referring one new member earns a member a $20 CAA merchandise credit to our Catholic Aid online store. It’s not too late to get a Member Drive Kit if you need more promotional supplies. Contact the Fraternal Staff.

There are several ways you can help your council reach the “10 by 2010” goal. Contact Catholic Aid to learn more.

Scholarships for World Youth Day 2011!

Catholic Aid will be offering scholarships for World Youth Day 2011!

Catholic Aid Association encourages young people in their Catholic spirituality and volunteerism. World Youth Day encourages these same values. Since groups are already forming for World Youth Day 2011, Catholic Aid wanted to announce that there will be 60 scholarships in the amount of $500.00 each for pilgrims. The scholarship recipients will be chosen randomly in a lottery style drawing. All Catholic Aid young people are encouraged to apply for this scholarship between now and November 2010. Please email Heather Vargo at hvargo@catholicaid.org if you would like a copy of the application and guidelines for this scholarship.

Catholic Aid is pleased to offer this benefit to our members. Please feel free to contact Heather Vargo if you have any questions about this scholarship opportunity. You can reach Heather by email at hvargo@catholicaid.org or by phone at 1.800.568.6670 ext 187.

Catholic Aid School Raffle Drawing is Friday, October 30 at 11 a.m.

ST. PAUL, MINN. – The public is invited to a live ceremony where one Catholic school supporter will walk away with the grand prize of a new 2010 Ford Edge SUV or $20,000!

Sponsored by the Catholic Aid Association, the 2009 Catholic Schools Raffle involves 26 Catholic schools in Minnesota and South Dakota. Students, parents and educators have been selling $5 tickets since Sept. 14, every penny of which goes back to the participating school. Catholic Aid is covering the costs of organizing, printing, and prizes for the raffle program to maximize each school’s final earnings. The raffle officially ends on Oct. 29 at midnight.

The ceremony will begin at 11 a.m. Along with the grand prize, Catholic Aid will be drawing winners for vacations at Breezy Point Resort in Breezy Point, Minn., iPod Shuffles, and 32-inch Samsung LCD TVs. CAA President Michael McGovern will be present at the ceremony along with Catholic school students, educators, CAA Spiritual Director Monsignor James Habiger and other special guests. Refreshments will be provided. A complete list of all raffle winners will be posted to CAA’s website, www.catholicaid.org/links/raffle.

About The Catholic Aid Association. The Catholic Aid Association helps every generation of the Catholic community thrive and grow. By striving to be the provider of choice for life insurance and retirement preparation for its 73,000 members and by giving back to the local communities through its 160 local councils, Catholic Aid has built a relationship with its members stretching back 131 years. Programs that provide matching grants to schools and churches, assistance to members in need, and education scholarships for young members have given millions of dollars to communities throughout Minnesota, South Dakota, Wisconsin, Iowa and North Dakota. Based in St. Paul, Minn., Catholic Aid is a professional friend, helping its members to plan for the future, for every step of every journey, for life.

For more information about The Catholic Aid Association or its Foundation or Credit Union, call 651-490-0170, 1-800-568-6670 or visit online at www.catholicaid.org.

Catholic Aid & the National Catholic Youth Conference

Catholic Aid offered scholarships for the National Catholic Youth Conference (NCYC). NCYC is the single largest event organized by the Catholic Church in the US. Sponsored by the National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry (NFCYM), this bi-annual conference will bring together over 20,000 Catholic teenagers from throughout the United States to a wonderful venue in Kansas City November 19-21, 2009.

Catholic Aid is pleased to announce that the following young people have received scholarships to NCYC 2009 (listed according to council):

Holy Family Catholic Aid Council #017, Mankato
Taylor Clements, Blake Matuska, Brooke Matuska, Rachel Wendlandt

St. Leo Catholic Aid Council #099, St. Leo
Ben Bossuyt, David Bursack, Rachel Kollar, Shawn Polman

St. Theresa Catholic Aid Council #146, Johnsburg
Jordyn Bissen

St. Willibrord Catholic Aid Council #275, Gibbon
Brady Forst, Heather Horning, Ryan Horning

St. Philip Catholic Aid Council #312, Litchfield
Kate Carlson, Jon Carlson

Our Lady of the Lakes Catholic Aid Council #337, Spicer
Leah Salisbury, Shannon Salisbury

Visitation Catholic Aid Council #371, Stacyville
Andrea Mayer, Tyler Thome

What's In a Name? :: Catholic Aid Association

What’s in a name? For many established members, the Catholic Aid Association stands for tradition and strong Catholic values.

This is the story of our company taking the next step forward to update its image and name to remain relevant for the next 100 years. But in order to move forward with strength and conviction, we must look to our fraternal history to guide our decisions for the next generation.

As Catholic Aid Association embarks on taking the next step forward, we first talked with F.L. “Flip” Spanier, retired past president and CEO of Catholic Aid, to give us an historical perspective on how the organization started and how it evolved.

“When you go back to the 1850s to 1914, that span of time saw the largest influx of European immigrants ever, and they were recently arrived foreigners in this country. They tried to then buy insurance from the commercial companies in this country and they were not able to because they couldn’t speak the language. And so they got the notion that, gee, let’s start our own organization. Then what they did is they formed in 1878…the German Catholic Aid Association of Minnesota...that then evolved into what later on became our organization ever since.”

Is it time to take the next step forward and update our name? It’s clear we have been down this road before and each time we’ve responded. We asked people from presidents and CEOs, to average Catholics on the street, what they thought of Catholic Aid’s name and the possibility of a name update. The message is clear. Together we have an opportunity to ensure the growth and vitality of our organization for the next generation of members.

Joe Schirmers, past Board Member, St. Augusta Council, St. Cloud, Minn.
“Young people are now online with doing different things so it’s hard to get the young people to get involved…There’s a gap there. You’ve always got to change to invite the young people to come in. You’re not going to be there forever. They’ll have to take over.”

Michael McGovern, President and Chairman of CAA
“We aren’t necessarily looking at a total name change. We’re looking at an update, really. The issue becomes that we need to be more descriptive not for our members but for people who would want to join Catholic Aid...Many of the fraternals today are shrinking in membership size. We’re not growing, but we’re not shrinking either. We’re staying about the same size all the time.”

Joseph Annotti, President and CEO, National Fraternal Congress of America
“That’s really up to the individual fraternals whether they are going to be relevant or not. I think there might be 90 total fraternal benefits societies in the United States. The other 25 that are not members of NFCA are extremely small, on their last legs as far as I can tell... The fraternal system could stick around for another 50 years on its own. If it’s going to stick around for another 100 years, we’ve got to figure out ways to grow... We’ve got to be out there in those arenas or we’re going to miss attracting the next generation of members. And if you don’t get the next generation in, you can write the end of the closing chapters of that book.”

Dr. Diane Hinds, professional researcher, Employers Association, Inc. speaks on a study of 2,400 non-member Catholics in Minnesota who were asked what they thought of CAA’s name.
“They told us some interesting things. They mentioned that Catholic Aid Association was a word or phrase that they had heard, but only about 10 percent of the entire group were able to accurately describe what it was. More than 50 percent thought that is was a charitable organization.

“What this says is that a large percentage of people that you would be marketing to when they first hear the term Catholic Aid are going to assume that you are a charitable organization and are not going to understand that you have insurance products....you’re going to have to educate them. You’re going to have to take an additional step to educate them as to what the organization is all about.”

Peter Ryan, FIC, Catholic Aid Field Representative for seven years
“If [our purpose] is part of our name, it’s a lot less to explain, a lot less to go over. From my perspective people would see it in our name and go, ‘Wow, I didn’t know Catholic Aid did that.’ My opinion would be that we need to have something added or changed in our name to make it crystal clear.”

Kathleen Moriarty, Director of Fraternal, CAA
“I think Catholic Aid like any business organization has to change and adapt to reflect the different audiences and the lifestyles of our members...We’re very conscious that young people today have access to many, many different activities beyond Catholic Aid. In order for Catholic Aid to be something that makes it onto their list, it has to be something that will include their friends, and fit well into their schedule and be meaningful to them.”

How about you? What do you think of a name update? This is your time, your company and your future. Please let us know your opinion on the name update process. Call 651-765-6555 or email news@catholicaid.org.

CAA scholarship program reaches $2 million

by Susan F. Detlefsen, Staff Writer

In a legacy spanning 54 years, Catholic Aid Association’s scholarship program reached a special milestone this year. The program awarded $164,500 in scholarships to members in 2009, bringing the program’s cumulative award total to more than $2 million.

“We’re proud of our membership for having the vision to start this program five decades ago, and for supporting it for so many years,” said President and Chairman Michael McGovern. “This is truly a milestone worth celebrating.”

Establishing a scholarship legacy

The front page of the June 22, 1955, issue of the Catholic Aid News announced the first appeal ever for scholarship applicants. “Boys and girls” who were members of the Association and were high school graduates were invited to apply for teaching scholarships to any Catholic college in the Midwest.

Applicants had to demonstrate financial need, an interest in the teaching profession and have an academic record that proved they could succeed at college study.

The scholarships were renewable for all fours years a student was enrolled in teacher’s college, provided that their “scholastic record was satisfactory.” Demonstrating a need of the times, the program’s purpose was “to increase the number of properly qualified Catholic lay teachers for the elementary and secondary schools of this area.”

Dr. Gordon T. Tierney, president of the Men’s Council, recommended establishing a scholarship program at the 1954 annual convention. The original motion states that the program would award 10 to 15 scholarships to students graduating from high school in June of 1955. The motion was seconded and unanimously approved. Tierney also served as the chairman of the first scholarship committee, advised by Archbishop R. J. Connolle, superintendent of schools of the then Archdiocese of St. Paul.
Eight scholarships were awarded in August of that year to three men and five women: Francis Brawn of Glencoe, Minn.; Pamela Douglas of Cannon Falls, Minn.; Robert W. Skillings of St. Paul, Minn.; Bernetta Lieser of St. Martin, Minn.; Patricia Schwab of Comfrey, Minn.; Loretta Sieben of Hastings, Minn.; Dennis Wagener of Glencoe, Minn.; and Dolores Wagner of New Market, Minn. Photos of the winners were published on page seven of the August 22 edition of CA News, a tradition that continues 54 years later as you’ll see on pages 11 through 19 of this magazine.

The unanimous passing of the program at the 1954 convention demonstrated its popularity among Catholic Aid members, who then took active steps to make sure the program succeeded. Just two months after the first scholarships were awarded, the Catholic Women’s Union gave a donation of $1,000 to the fund, roughly equivalent to nearly $8,000 in adjusted dollars today. In the years to come, the scholarship fund continued to receive regular donations from members.

Marie Schwantes, scholarship chairman and executive board member of the Catholic Women’s Union, wrote in the Dec. 22, 1955 issue of Catholic Aid News that “Catholics have a right to take pride in our schools and an obligation to demonstrate a desire and capacity to meet the major problems facing Catholic education. Therefore, the Scholarship Program, which we undertook at our Convention in September, is most worthy and necessary.”

Ten years later, in an appeal for donations in the April 22, 1965 issue of Catholic Aid News, President Tierney described the thriving program as “one of the most important projects to engage the attention of the members of our organization.”

Changing to fit into a changing world

Change is inevitable, and the scholarship program has changed over time to reflect the cultural, religious and education movements prevalent in Catholic and American society. The scholarship is no longer restricted to students intending to enter the teaching profession. Also, the scholarship has changed to a one-time only award, rather than a renewable scholarship.

One thing that has stayed the same for the last few decades is the scholarship amount. While the total giving amounts for the entire program have continued to go up steadily in the past 20 years [see graph below] the actual amount of awards has stayed consistent: $500 for students attending Catholic colleges and universities, $300 for those attending non-Catholic institutions. Considering the skyrocketing cost of post-secondary education these days, the amount of the awards has been revisited several times by the Fraternal department and Catholic Aid’s officers. Each time the amount has been reviewed, CAA has decided to keep the awards the same. Why?

“There are two reasons,” explained Kathleen Moriarty, director of the Fraternal Department. “First, we want to help as many members as we can through this program. We consider the scholarship program to be a member benefit, which means if you are a Catholic Aid member and you meet the basic criteria of the program, then you receive the benefit.

“Second, the program continues to grow almost every year. While the amount of the individual awards hasn’t gone up, the total amount of awards we give out has increased every year in the last 10 years. In 1999, we awarded 154 scholarships. This year we awarded 491, for a total of $164,500 awards given in 2009. That is an amazing number of lives impacted by this program.”
In the last 54 years, more than 5,700 Catholics have received a CAA scholarship to defray tuition costs.

Little-known facts about the program

There are aspects to the program that aren’t as well known. The average scholarship recipient is 18-years of age and has recently graduated from high school. While this is typical, scholarships aren’t limited to this type of student. There is no age limit in the application guidelines, which means a student of any age can apply and potentially receive a scholarship, just as long as they are enrolled for their first or second year in an accredited program with the intention of earning an undergraduate degree or certification.

Typically, most scholarship recipients are planning to attend a four-year school, such as a college or university. But again, the scholarship guidelines aren’t limited to just the big institutions. Students who choose to attend community colleges, vocational-technical institutions or job training are also eligible for a scholarship, as long as the program is accredited and the student is on track for a certification or undergraduate degree.

The future of the scholarship program

Moriarty says the scholarship program is going strong, and, like all Catholic Aid Fraternal programs, is under constant scrutiny to maintain the program’s effectiveness and continuity. In the future, Fraternal may add scholarships that will be awarded to students based on merit and Catholic service. Also, the Fraternal staff intend to keep in contact with scholarship winners and offer them guidance on several topics, including thriving in a college environment, maintaining a faith life through college and serving as a young leader to their Catholic communities.

“There is an enormous link between educational success and financial success,” Moriarty said. “We are proud to help provide some of the means to help our members get the tools that will help them be successful in their careers, which translates to a stronger Catholic community and a stronger Catholic Aid Association.”

This story may not be reproduced in part or in full without the express written consent of Catholic Aid Association.

Youth Volunteer of the Year is Outstanding Student & Servant

Youth Volunteer of the Year winner Kayla Yarusso is involved in so many volunteer activities that her accomplishments filled the entire award nomination form!

An active member of St. Jude’s Council in Mahtomedi, Minn., Miss Yarusso has been a volunteer for Habitat for Humanity, Feed My Starving Children, JOIN HANDS DAY as well as many Catholic Aid fund-raising events at her parish. During the past year, she traveled to Guatemala to volunteer at a children’s mission, and she is a regular youth ministry and children’s ministry worker at St. Jude’s parish. An outstanding student and athlete, Kayla has been on the ‘A’ Honor Roll for the past four years.

Youth Volunteer of the Year Award is an honor presented by Catholic Aid Association to recognize a young adult member who, through example and accomplishment, provided outstanding volunteer service during the past year.

Recent News

Congratulations to Kayla Yarusso, Youth Volunteer of the Year award winner. Kayla was presented with this award by CAA to recognize her outstanding volunteer service to her community and council during the past year. More information about Kayla is on the way.

Scholarships applications are in for the National Catholic Youth Conference 2009. More information is on the way!

Event: College Information Session

Meet other college students who are going to college for the first time! We’ll take a look at the basics of what to expect when you are going away to college. College students will be at the session to answer your questions and offer advice to first time students.

The workshop will address the following questions:

:: What Can I Expect the First Year? ::
How Will the Relationships With My Parents and Friends Change?
Lisa Schulte, Assistant Director of Housing Programs at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

:: Who Am I and What Do I Believe? ::
Building a Catholic Identity.
Fr. Tim Biren, Director of the St. Thomas More Newman Center at Minnesota State University - Mankato

:: Who will I Surround Myself With? ::
Surrounding Yourself with Good Friends and Connecting with Other Catholics.
Father Peter Williams, Pastor of Maternity of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Vocation Director

:: Student Panel on the Practics ::
Important Advice from Other College Students!

$10 registration includes materials and lunch, payable to Catholic Aid Association. Online registration available June 15 at www.catholicaid.org.

Date: Saturday, August 8, 2009
Time: 8:45am - 12:00pm
Location: The University of St. Thomas
Street: 2115 Summit Avenue
City/Town: Saint Paul, MN

Theology on a Stick Fundraising Gala

Theology on a Stick is returning to the State Fair this summer with a series of presentations, music and the popular “Grill the Priest” question-and-answer forum. Events will be held Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays of the fair. Theology on a Stick is presented by the Cathedral Young Adults (CYA) together with the Archdiocese of Saint Paul-Minneapolis, hosted by St. Bernard’s Bulldog Lodge and sponsored by Catholic Aid Association.

CYA is very pleased to announce our first annual...

LATIN NIGHTS: A Theology on a Stick Fundraising Gala. Please come for an evening of food, music and dance!!!

When: Saturday, May 30, 2009
Where: Galtier Plaza, 380 Jackson Street, 10th floor, Saint Paul, MN.

- KEYNOTE SPEAKER: Archbishop Emeritus Harry J. Flynn
- Marshall, radio personality from Cities 97, will be the MC for the evening!
- Catered by Boca Chica!
- LIVE salsa dance music by SALSA del SOUL!
- Dinner & Dance: $50 includes drink. ~ 5:30pm to Midnight.
- Dance: $20 (in advance) includes refreshments/ $25 (door). ~ 8:30pm to Midnight.

Ticket purchases can now be made online for the Gala! Go to www.cathedralyoungadults.org.

Questions? tos@cathedralsaintpaul.org.