ANIMATEDLY dancing with a rubber chicken most days of the week, a somewhat sleep deprived Dave Jorna’s acquired a new role.
The youth ministry co-ordinator for Logan Deanery in Brisbane archdiocese is a first-time dad.
Tobias Dave Jorna came into the world on June 19, a little earlier than anticipated, but already teaching his father a thing or two.
“Witnessing the … very early birth of Tobias was the most incredible and profoundly moving moment of my life,” Dave said.
“There are many things about parenthood that I am still coming to terms with – such as the immense privilege, responsibility and the opportunity to be a constant significant influence on a life.
“I feel these are things I will spend the rest of my life coming to terms with both in the struggles and the delights.”
Dave, who grew up in Wellington Point, Redland Bay, “delighted” in meeting future wife Cath at the shared faith experience of Antioch, not unlike his parents’ experience.
“My parents have always been very strong in their faith,” Dave said of John and Anne Jorna.
“They met through a youth music group in their parish.
“I had always known of Cath and her family through St Anthony’s parish and school, though it wasn’t until I was fifteen at an Antioch weekend that I actually met her properly.”
Dave, who was an altar boy in his early years, said it was another eight years before the couple “eventually started dating” much to “the relief” of friends.
Influenced by “mentors” Fr Morgan Batt and Fr Tony Girvan “(through) their grounded, real, deep and ever present sense of spirituality and their tremendous sense of fun and friendship” Dave, once settled into married life, soon sensed “a niggling feeling”.
“After a few years of campus ministry I had a niggling feeling that I was supposed to do something different, but I didn’t know what,” he said.
“All I knew is that it had to do with working with young people in the Church.
“I thoroughly enjoyed everything about retreat days so I decided to leave campus ministry and begin to facilitate retreat days on my own.”
From that “niggling feeling” the youth directive Project Hatch was born.
“Our aim is to help young people ‘hatch’ out of their comfort zones and believe in their fullest potential,” Dave said.
“(And) in doing so (they can) develop their spirituality and relationship with God.”
Music, as always, was at the heart of Dave’s impetus.
“While at a concert I had the idea of incorporating live music into the (Project Hatch) program,” he said.
“The hope was that this … would help the young people to be engaged on a different level and strengthen the connection between their everyday lives with their spirituality.”
To bring everything to the fore, Dave enlisted the help of two parishioners and two family members along with mascot “Charlie Chooken”.
He credits the team’s faith and commitment as well as “Cath’s support, shared vision, guidance and patience” for Project Hatch’s success, the initiative now reaching schools and deaneries from Rockhampton to Tasmania.
Despite the duo’s shared busy-ness Cath finds time to serve as a pastoral councillor at Mary MacKillop Parish, Birkdale, and Dave on the music ministry scene while both continue their association with Antioch.
Prayer has its place too, naturally.
“I constantly find myself praying that the Holy Spirit will guide us and work through us so that we may help young people live life to the fullest through their relationships with God,” Dave said.
“Our programs are full of a purposeful range of activities, modern live music, engaging stories and discussions, as well as time for reflection and prayer.
“We aim to make real connections between the Gospel messages and everyday actions and occurrences … to help (young people) be ever aware of the role their spirituality plays in even the simplest of actions and occurrences.”
While Dave said youth ministry in Brisbane reflected “passion, experience and expertise” he was hopeful churches would inspire more membership from young people.
“… Not enough is happening outside and away from the church buildings to inspire young people to come inside,” he said.
“I think more could be done to provide children, young people and young families with opportunities to experience the presence of God in their lives.
“Faith is something that is caught not taught.
“I feel that we need to provide more opportunities for young people to experience the power and relevance of Catholicism in their everyday lives.
“Young people hunger for others to believe in them and addressing this in a faith orientated context is important.”
Articulating all this despite a lack of sleep, Dave offered his hopes for the future.
“As a father I wish to show Tobias constant love,” he said.
“I have often wondered about the difficulties between setting and maintaining clear boundaries while nurturing a healthy self belief, and a song called ‘Lullaby’, by Creed, has a line in it, ‘If there’s one thing I hope I showed you, just give love to all’.
“Ever since I heard that lyric it has served as a constant challenge for me to try to live it in my everyday life, and now, to encourage that in my children.”
Speaking of encouragement it’s “all hands on deck” to help “get Tobias off to sleep”, Dave admits.
Let’s hope the newborn is a quick learner.
