New website AnyGivenSunday helps young Catholics grow in their faith

By Colleen Rowan

Catholic News Service

WHEELING, W.Va. – Young Catholics have a new website available to them featuring nationally known Catholic speakers, musicians and comedians who have teamed up to help them grow in their faith.

Any Given Sunday, reflections for the young church, features 45 national Catholic youth ministry personalities – including Steve Angrisano, Chris Padgett, Matt Maher, Shannon Cerneka and Jamie Dillon just to name a few – who each writes a reflection for the weekly Mass readings. Each week, the site offers a reflection from one of the participating personalities.

The site – www.anygivensundayproject.com – was created by Bob Perron, executive director of the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston’s Department of Youth Ministry, with the intent of reaching out to West Virginia’s Catholic youths but also to reach the young church wherever it may be.

“We want to make young disciples, we want to help young people grow in their faith,” Perron told The Catholic Spirit, newspaper of the diocese. “We wanted to give young people, 13 to 18 years old, something that would help prepare them for Mass and to maybe make it a little more interesting to them.

“Each week, kids can go on their phone or on their computer and go to Any Given Sunday where there is a short video message for the week from me or a youth board member and then the reflection,” he said.

Reflections are geared toward the young Catholic audience. The site contains background screens for youth, parish resources, information pieces on the site, links to Mass readings on the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops website and much more. The site has had a huge response, Perron said, and has had hits from Canada and Switzerland.

Perron said he got the idea for the site because of the diversity and geography of the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston, which covers the entire state of West Virginia. He said he hopes that the site will go viral as it has received much support from the National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry.

Diocesan youth directors across the country will receive information about the site and participating Catholic youth ministry personalities are also posting information about the site on their blogs, Twitter accounts and Facebook pages. The site also provides a mobile version; and visitors to the site may subscribe to weekly email reminders about the reflections.