What is the Diocesan Youth Council? The DYC is an advisory body to the Diocesan Office for Youth & Young Adults (OYYA). It is a group of High School teens who represent the parishes and Catholic high schools in the Catholic Diocese of Gary. The members of this body advise the Office in two ways. First, they act as a spokesperson for the needs of youth in their parishes and schools. Second, are an integral part of the planning and implementation of youth activities that encourage and support total youth ministry in the diocese.

How often does the DYC meet?  Roughly once a month. Most often the 2nd-to-last Sunday of the month, but not always.

Where will you meet?  The Diocese of Gary Pastoral Center in Merrillville is the “home base” for DYC. We may hold meetings at other locations throughout the year, but this location will be utilized most often. Transportation is an integral part of the requirements for serving on DYC! (FOR GOOGLE MAPS DIRECTIONS, CLICK HERE)

What happens at the DYC meetings?  Each month is a little different, but generally each meeting includes: prayer, introductions and ministry updates, updates on diocesan & other programs open to anyone, leadership skills development/exercises, etc. Guest speakers present various approaches to Christian Catholic leadership development. Teens will also be empowered to use their leadership & ministry skills at various youth ministry activities and back in their home parishes.

How should parish leaders select DYC reps?   I leave that up to the parishes! I encourage adult youth leaders to read the DYC bylaws to get a feel for the expectations of DYC reps. OYYA does not select your two reps- parish/local youth leaders do! I encourage prospective reps to submit the Information Sheet to OYYA when reps have been selected. These Information Sheets are not “applications,” per se, but may be used as a tool for parish youth leaders if you have more than two youth interested in “applying” to serve on DYC.

How many reps can we send?   Each parish can select up to two reps. It’s important to remember that the representative represents the entire parish/school, not just the youth/campus ministry, so if your youth program draws from multiple parishes, the rep should focus first on the one (s)he represents. The representative should be registered to that parish as well.

How long is the DYC term?  We will accept newcomers at anytime, and we will honor our outgoing seniors in May of any given year. However, it is up to parish leaders to determine how long their reps serve. My recommendation is that parishes select reps to serve one or two year terms, starting in September. You may also wish to “stagger” your terms somehow, to make new reps feel more comfortable in the future.

To whom is the rep accountable?  During DYC gatherings, reps are accountable to the Coordinator of the OYYA (Vicky Hathaway), who will facilitate the meetings. Another youth ministry coordinator will also present during meetings. That person might rotate. Reps will receive monthly mailings that include permission forms for the next gathering that they are required to submit to OYYA. Reps’ YMC is also cc’d a copy of this mailing. Each rep is required to meet with their parish’s key youth ministry adult leader at least once a month to process the monthly meetings, events, etc. Parish youth leaders are always welcome to attend DYC meetings, although never required.

What do I do now?  Youth leaders, start by discerning parish reps, or develop a system for them to apply if you think you’ll have more than two interested leaders. Print out the bylaws to give to anyone interested, and print out Information Sheets to submit to OYYA. You can email scanned PDFs to vhathaway@dcgary.org or fax those sheets to 219-738-9034.  Remember there is no “start” to DYC, so if you do not have reps yet, we will welcome them in at any time! Teens, if your parish/ministry is not represented on the DYC, ask your youth leader if you can serve!