Archbishop likes new way to keep in tune in with Catholic youth

Submitted on January 26, 2007

Send to friendPope Benedict XVI owns one. Now Archbishop Raymond L. Burke does too. On Christmas Eve, the archbishop received his own iPod, a gift from the Catholic Youth Apostolate, which includes the archdiocesan Office of Youth Ministry and Catholic Youth Council. Sister M. Consolata Crews, FSGM, director of the Office of Youth Ministry, presented it to him. The slim silver 2GB iPod Nano included selections from local Catholic musicians, including the Priestie Boyz, a band of Kenrick-Glennon seminarians, Matthew Baute, Karl Zimmermann, Adam Bitter and Praz, among others. It also included several podcasts created by the REAP Team, the archdiocese’s youth retreat ministry, and podcasts of several talks given during an event the Office of Youth Ministry hosted featuring Catholic apologists Scott and Kimberly Hahn. "We hope that it will help keep you abreast of some of the outstanding developments that are happening within the Catholic Youth Apostolate to reach young people in the Archdiocese of St. Louis," apostolate staff members wrote in a letter to the archbishop. Paul Masek, founder of the REAP Team, said he got the idea to give the archbishop his own iPod after reading a story in which Vatican Radio gave the pope an iPod. "I’m aware that the archbishop is a pretty busy guy," said Masek, who added the apostolate wanted to give the archbishop a convenient sampling of what the ministries have been doing in "a fun, hip, youth-friendly way." In an interview with the Review, Archbishop Burke smiled when he said, "I’m very grateful. It’s a very thoughtful gift. I was also surprised. I’ve never used one before." He said he’s excited about keeping up with the activities of the the Catholic Youth Apostolate. The archbishop said he hopes to learn how to put his own music and podcasts on his new iPod. "Bishop (Robert) Hermann told me it’s nice when travelling." The apostolate also has offered to load the iPod with new material on an annual basis. "It’s very handy," the archbishop said as he smiled. "You can just put a tremendous amount of material on it."