Meet Annie Fochtman

Whoever said that Catholicism was boring was not paying attention. My 23 years as a Catholic has lead me from the small rural community of Sparta, Michigan, around the world, across the country, and landed me here in Stillwater. My name is Annie Fochtman and it is an honor to have recently joined St. Croix Valley Faith Formation as the Coordinator of Youth Ministry.

In the spring of 2001 I was a senior in high school and some classmates and myself had been facilitating a Christian campus ministry at our public high school for two years and had decided to put together a weekend retreat for our classmates. At the end of three intense days everyone who was there was physically, emotionally, and spiritually exhausted. I remember that last morning of the retreat all the leaders waking up early to make a big breakfast as a final celebration. Just before breakfast was served I peaked my head out of the kitchen to see everyone sitting in a large circle just talking, and though they looked utterly exhausted, there was something in their eyes that was different than when they arrived. I sighed and said to myself, “I could do this with the rest of my life!”

Since then I served a full year with NET (National Evangelization Teams) Ministries, traveling the country facilitating retreats at Catholic parishes and schools. The following year, I began attending the University of St. Thomas and graduated in May with a Bachelor Degree in Catholic Studies with minors in Youth & Family Ministry and Psychology.

As we look forward to the summer and upcoming academic year, I am truly excited about what the Lord has in store for us here in the Valley. This summer we will be focusing on service opportunities for our junior high students in programs like JAM for 5th and 6th grade students, and Summer Stretch for 7th – 9th grade students. These programs give junior high students the opportunity to not only serve in their community, but also to learn about service and why it is that we, as Catholics, are called to serve in the first place.

This fall the main thrust of Catholic youth ministry in the Valley will begin. Mark your calendars for Sunday, September 17, our LIFE TEEN kick off. LIFE TEEN is an international youth ministry organization that we are blessed to be a part of. Every Sunday we will gather for Mass at St. Mary’s 6:00 pm liturgy. Immediately following we will move to the Great Hall for LIFE NIGHT. This will consist of games, skits, talks and prayer. The goal is to give our senior high students an opportunity to dive into those issues of our Catholic faith and our lives that matter most. It is an opportunity for them to ask questions and build relationships. It all boils down to one question really: “So what?” If God is who He says He is, what difference does it make in our lives on a day to day basis? If the Church is truly what she claims to be, what difference does it make on a Friday night? If the Eucharist truly is the Body and Blood of Christ, what difference does it make to me?

St. Croix Valley LIFE TEEN is blessed with an amazing group of young adult volunteers, our CORE team, from all over the metro area who will be there each week to help facilitate these LIFE NIGHTS. They are committed to this ministry and, like myself, are eager to get to know our young people.

Pope John Paul II said that our Church is about a “springtime of evangelization.” According to studies, over 80% of adults who actively participate in the faith, made the decision to do so in their youth. The time is now. But for any of this to be successful, we need all the support we can get. Youth ministry is not the work of only the SCVFF staff, but of the entire Catholic community here in the Valley. We need to be encouraging our young people to become involved in the life of the Church. Above all, we need to be praying for the community, the youth, and those who work with them. God is about a great work here; let us pray to open to it.

St. Mary, pray for us.
St. Michael, pray for us.
St. Charles, pray for us.