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Home / News & Publications / Michigan Catholic News / 2007 / Youths minister to peers through annual CYO Rainbow conference

Joe Kohn of The Michigan Catholic
Published December 7, 2007

Joe Kohn | The Michigan Catholic The Rainbow youth council leadership team is in charge of planning andimplementing Rainbow, a Catholic conference for about 2,000 teenagers that will take place in February. From left: Victoria Pruess, 17; Kerry Rice, 16; Chris Rettich, 16; Jessica Wisienski, 17; and Mark Renshaw, 16.

Detroit — In February, about 2,000 teenagers from across the archdiocese will gather at the Catholic Youth Organization Rainbow XXVI youth conference to pray, learn about the Lord, have fun and form and deepen friendships.

So, who are the Church leaders making this event happen?

Here's a hint: They were born circa 1990 or later.

"Through our own convictions," says 17-year-old Victoria Pruess, "we hope to help evoke some emotions within (Rainbow attendees) that can help bring them closer to God and be like, 'Hey, people out there my age are just like me. They've gone through the same experiences I have, and they have this great relationship with Christ.'"

Pruess is one of the leaders of youth council — a group of about two-dozen teenagers who have undertaken a year-long ministry to plan and facilitate the Rainbow conference. Each year, such a group of young people take it upon themselves to make the youth conference a venue where their peers can strengthen their bonds with Christ.

"It's a lot of hard work," says Pruess, a member of St. Jane Frances de Chantal Parish in Sterling Heights, "but it's amazing."

This year, as in years past, the youth council has lined up a number of presenters and Christian musicians to give their peers a strong spiritual experience. They've also done some things beyond what they've done in the past — such as creating prayer rooms within the conference, adding Stations of the Cross, and recruiting groups from various parishes to handle different aspects of the conference.

"You sit back and you watch these kids work, and it's amazing," says Cindy Willman, an adult member of the "A Team" — the group of adults who mentor the teenagers as they plan the conference. "The energy level is really high, and it's funny because it tends to rub off on the adults, too."

For an entire year, the youth council gathers at least one Saturday per month, spending several hours brainstorming, hammering out details and even holding auditions for those who want to help with the conference.

"They come from lots of different backgrounds," says Willman. "There's lots of ideas and they're very creative. They have a real enthusiasm fro what they're doing. They're dedicated to it."

And while youth ministers are there to listen and help, there's no questioning who's in charge of the conference.

"I like it so much because we actually have a voice," says Chris Rettich, 16, who like Pruess is part of the five-member leadership council. "It's entirely youth-run; our adults just advise us."

Rettich, a member of St. Isidore Catholic Community in Macomb Township, says the council has chosen to stress the fact that, as Christians, young people need to be like Christ. This year's theme is "Be Him to Others."

"We thought it was fitting in today's world that we need to be reminded to live our call to be like Christ," Rettich says. "It's not necessarily just going to church on Sunday — it's living the call, and living like Christ."

Aside from the five leaders, nearly 20 other teenagers have sacrificed their Saturdays to focus on Rainbow.

"I've always wanted to be a part of the Rainbow team and plan it out," says Jonathan Blanek, 17, a member of Our Lady of Refuge Parish in Orchard Lake.

Blanek has attended four Rainbow conferences. After being an attendee for so many years, he's glad to be able to share his advice for the first time as a member of the team that plans the conference.

"Out of everyone here, I have the most 'at Rainbow' experiences," he says. "So I was able to toss my point of view out there of what people actually think outside of Rainbow (youth council) and all of that."

Others have been on youth council for a while. Amanda Bujak-Phillips of St. Anthony Parish in Belleville, is one of them. She says she's excited about the high energy level on youth council this year.

Just like the theme of the conference, the reason she's part of youth council, she says, is to be an example — and there's no age requirement to be a light to the world.

"You just learn and you teach others about your faith," says Bujak-Phillips, 16. "You're not just telling them — you're showing them that you can make a difference in the world."