Reaching youth and young adults is a key focus of the archdiocesan Synod process. “We have to reach the youth,” not just because they are the future of the Church, “but they’re the Church now,” said David Rinaldi, who was recently named president of West St. Paul-based NET Ministries.
“We know that Jesus is the only answer,” he said, “but they’re making us rethink, how do we share that answer with them?” One way is with authenticity, said Rinaldi, who has served NET for 25 years, most recently as vice president of mission, leading the training of 1,500 missionaries the past 10 years.
Rinaldi recently joined “Practicing Catholic” radio show host Patrick Conley to discuss implementing the Catholic youth ministry’s strategic plan.
Rinaldi said NET is building an alumni association made up of more than 3,000 young men and women. “As we see the decline in church attendance, and as we see the decline in young people wanting to come to Mass, we really want to engage our alumni to build up the body of Christ across the country,” Rinaldi said.
Another NET focus is Latino ministry, Rinaldi said. “We want to hire a director-level Latino-Hispanic director, not just to do ministry to Hispanic and Latino young people,” Rinaldi said, “but to raise them up to be leaders in their communities.”
And “a major goal” over the next year is developing a leadership institute focused on college graduates, “getting them to incorporate their Catholic faith into whatever they’re doing, wherever God is leading them,” he said.
To learn more about NET Ministries, visit netusa.org. To find the dates of upcoming Lifeline Masses for young people, which typically draw 600-1,000 youth and feature “a national-level speaker,” Rinaldi said, visit archspm.org/events.
Rinaldi said NET is facing “a difficult recruiting season because of the state of the culture, because of where young adults are,” he said. NET needs adults ages 18-30 to say “Jesus, I’m going to be a missionary … I want to serve your Church,” Rinaldi said. Those interested can apply at netUSA.org/apply.
To hear the full interview, listen to this episode of “Practicing Catholic,” which debuts at 9 p.m. March 17 on Relevant Radio 1330 AM and repeats at 1 p.m. March 18 and 2 p.m. March 19.
Produced by Relevant Radio and the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, the latest show also includes an interview with Kathryn Wehr, managing editor of Logos: a Journal of Catholic Thought and Culture, published by the University of St. Thomas’ Center for Catholic Studies, who discusses the new edition of “The Man Born to be King,” which she edited; and Bishop Joseph Williams, auxiliary bishop for the archdiocese, who discusses the importance of building and fostering community, especially as part of the archdiocesan Synod evangelization process.
Listen to interviews after they have aired at PracticingCatholicShow.com or choose a streaming platform at https://anchor.fm/practicing-catholic-show.
