Over the past four years, our Provincial commitment to Redemptorist Youth and Vocation Ministry has seen the birth of Ignite Ministry Canada. Begun in Toronto in 2012 as a brand of our work with young adults in the Toronto area, centred at St. Patrick’s Shrine Church, Ignite has continued with our rich tradition of ministry with and for young people throughout Canada for over 30 years. The Provincial Council approved the expansion of the Ignite Ministry Team to include an Associate Director of Ignite Ministry Canada to work alongside Fr. Santo Arrigo C.Ss.R., who, while having begun the role of Regional Coordinator for the Edmonton- Toronto Region, will provide leadership for this ministry as Director of Ignite.
On June 5, Jennifer Hood began in the role of Associate Director of Ignite Ministry. Jenny is from Burlington, Ontario and is a mother of two teenagers. Her education is in Aboriginal Studies; Diaspora and Transnational Studies, and she has worked in the areas of skill training and education in school settings and in the manufacturing sector as a millwright. Jenny has had extensive experience volunteering in church ministries with youth and young adults.
While studying at the University of St. Michael’s College, Jenny was a team member of the initial Redemptorist High School Retreat Ministry for three years. Jenny has participated in Redemptorist Young Adult Dialogues, and travelled to Quebec with the Redemptorist cohort from North America for the International Eucharistic Congress in 2008. Over the years, Jenny has been involved in youth and young adult initiatives in her home diocese of Hamilton, Ontario. She is also bilingual in French!
As we move into the summer months, we will continue with planning for a dynamic fall season for initiatives in Toronto, Canada and throughout the North American Conference of Redemptorists in the area of youth and young adult ministry:
Local young adult initiatives in the Toronto area through Ignite Toronto
Supporting other ongoing Ignite young adult initiatives across the country, like in Grande Prairie
High School Retreat Ministry in the Greater Toronto Area
Network Seminars for leadership formation for parish and diocesan teams in youth, young adult and family ministry across North America, especially in our Redemptorist Parishes
Network Workshops providing professional development for ministry through a variety of topics with engaging and knowledgeable presenters
Looking ahead to future possibilities to engage young people in our Redemptorist ministries, like SERVE (Summer Endeavour in a Redemptorist Volunteer Experience), Dialogues and Regional Retreats while collaborating with Redemptorist initiatives throughout the North American Conference with and for young people
We invite your support and participation as we move forward with hope and enthusiasm, that we as Redemptorists and our Partners in Mission can continue to proclaim the Good News to those who find themselves among the abandoned, and invite them to consider this relationship with Jesus Christ the Redeemer.
The contact information for our Ignite Ministry is as follows: