Dioceses urged to help young people from Gulf Coast get to conference

Published: 2005-09-23

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- All dioceses and parishes planning to participate in the 2005 National Catholic Youth Conference in Atlanta in October are being asked to help young people from the Gulf Coast who now find they cannot attend because of economic hardship brought on by Hurricane Katrina. The Catholic Youth Foundation, which works in conjunction with the National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry, made the plea Sept. 22. A news release issued by the U.S. bishops' conference in Washington said that originally about 600 participants from the region were slated to attend the Oct. 27-30 conference, but now only a fraction of that number can attend. About 18,500 participants are expected at the conference. The foundation is working through the federation to ask dioceses and parishes to sponsor at least one person from the Gulf Coast. "We all want to help people whose lives have been turned upside down by Hurricane Katrina," said Bishop Dennis M. Schnurr of Duluth, Minn, chairman of the U.S. bishops' Subcommittee on Youth and Young Adults, who praised the sponsorship effort.

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