For more than fifty years, youth ministry efforts in the New Albany Deanery have been a collaborative effort of the Catholic Churches in Clark, Floyd, and Harrison counties in Indiana. Beginning with its inception as a branch of the Catholic Youth Organization (CYO) in 1965, these efforts have continued to offer generations of young people opportunities to know, love, and serve the Lord.
In the mid-1970s, the effort of the organization changed its goals and functions to be more in line with the 1976 United States bishops’ document, A Vision of Youth Ministry. Additionally, local parishes began hiring lay youth ministers. As more such positions were filled and more collaboration took place, the need to develop an overall deanery office of youth ministry emerged.
Over the last five decades, the organization, now known as Catalyst Catholic, has expanded to offer programs, services, retreats, mission trips, social events, service opportunities, athletics, family ministry, and more - all in an effort to help young people become disciples of Jesus Christ.
At its core, Catalyst Catholic is a collaborative effort of parish leadership, board members, lay ministers and enthusiastic volunteers. It takes a team to accomplish the goals and missions of Catalyst Catholic. We are blessed with great community support from pastors, parish staff members, volunteers and parents.Â