NFCYM Celebrates 25 Years of Serving Those Who Serve the Young Catholic Church

 

The National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry was officially "born" on January 20, 1982 at 11:17 a.m. in Malvern, Pennsylvania as a result of severe budget cuts at the U.S. Catholic Conference. It was to be a new and different model for a national organization, "a bottom up, rather than top down" organizational structure (grass roots) that was self-supporting. Though the first few months were rocky, in November 1982 the NFCYM sponsored the first National Conference on Catholic Youth Ministry (NCCYM) in New Orleans. The success of the conference along with sales of youth ministry publications and religious recognition publications and medals brought NFCYM's first real money.

 

Since 1982, NFCYM has worked with diocesan youth ministry leaders to advocate for and support Catholic youth ministry on the national, diocesan, and local level. Twenty-five years have seen significant changes to the field of youth ministry. NFCYM has expanded its services and publications, grown in professional stature, and become the leading voice for Catholic youth ministry in the United States. The organization has itself given birth to several others: the Catholic Youth Foundation USA (1989), the National Center for Catholic Youth Sports (2004) and National Association for Catholic Youth Ministry Leaders (2004).

 

In 2006-2007 NFCYM, its members, and supportes proudly mark the organization's 25 year history. The 2006 National Conference on Catholic Youth Ministry will be the occasion of three of anniversary-related celebrations: