The Scouting Office -- What Is It and Why


The Office of Youth Ministries, including the Catholic Scouting Office, was established by Bishop John McGann in September of 1983 as a result of a recommendation by the Diocesan Task Force on Youth Ministry in our diocese. Actually the Catholic Committees on Scouting date back to the establishment of the Diocese of Rockville Centre in 1957, and until 1983 were a part of the Catholic Youth Organization division of Catholic Charities.

Included in the responsibilities and duties of the Catholic Committees are the following: promote and assist in spiritual development programs for Catholic Leaders; Scouting as a viable youth ministry in parishes; promote religious emblems and religious recognitions; provide spiritual enrichment for Scouts through retreats, days of recollection and pilgrimages; coordinate Diocesan Scouting events and activities; make national Catholic Scouting services and materials available in the diocese and act as a liaison; maintain up-dated documents and statistics and help stimulate the fulfillment of responsibilities of Catholic lay people in Boy Scouting and Girl Scouting programs.

The Catholic Scouting Office coordinates all these activities in service to over 40,000 Catholics involved in Scouting in Nassau and Suffolk Counties.

Contents of these scouting pages have been created with the assistance of John Burke.