Laughter and conversation filled the room as about 25 high school students gathered for dinner with Bishop Edward Malesic on March 18. But it was more than a shared meal. The teens, members of the Diocesan Youth Advisory Council, came as leaders, witnesses and a voice of the young Church.
The bishop enjoyed his time with them, listening to their presentations, smiling, laughing and engaging them in conversation. He asked about their projects, their parishes and schools and what they hoped to do next year as he got to know them personally.
Advisory council members are high school juniors and seniors from across the diocese who represent their peers and share the realities of young people directly with the bishop. Throughout the year, they are formed as missionary disciples, called to lead, serve and evangelize in their communities.
During the 2025–2026 ministry year, the council met monthly at parishes around the diocese and gathered for an annual retreat, creating space for prayer, community and formation in faith and leadership.
Each member was invited to launch an apostolate project, a concrete response to the Gospel in their own context. In the Catholic tradition, an apostolate is a work that builds up the Church through service and evangelization. For these teens, that meant identifying a need in their parish, school, or community and responding with creativity and faith.
One young woman started “Roses for Mary,” a girls’ rosary group centered on friendship and devotion to Our Lady. Another launched “Fishes & Loaves Ministry,” collecting untouched school lunches and redistributing them to those in need, providing more than 30,000 meals since August. “A woman came to pick up food and she told us her story about working at a women’s and children’s shelter and how much these meals mean to the people they serve,” she said.
Another teen began “Sisters of Lazarus,” bringing Eucharistic Adoration and praise and worship music to residents in nursing homes, noting, “This ministry has produced so many fruits of joy, connection and a cure for what so many experience: a warehousing of the sick, elderly and dying.”
At Benedictine High School, a student launched “Sacred Silence,” offering 30 minutes of silent Adoration every Friday. “Having monks at the school every day is something almost no one else has, so why not use this gift to strengthen our relationship with God?” he asked.
Not every project unfolded as planned. Some struggled or did not meet expectations, but they became opportunities for reflection and growth rather than discouragement.
“Together, the teens learned to surrender their plans to God, listen for the Holy Spirit and remain faithful, even when the outcome was unclear. The council became more than a leadership experience. It became a place of trust, where success was measured not by results, but by faithfulness,” said Francine Costantini, diocesan director of youth ministry.
As the year ends, Costantini said many of the projects will continue, some being passed on to younger students, others expanding into new communities and even college campuses.
“In listening to these young people, the Church is not only hearing their voices. It is witnessing the Holy Spirit at work in a new generation of disciples,” she added.