Spending two weeks of your summer in a remote northern Saskatchewan community may not be everyone’s idea of vacation, but for Sean McGowan, the experience has left an impression that will likely last a lifetime.

Summer is here which means the busyness of the school year is gone. It’s the perfect time to unplug from the real world and curl up with a good book. That’s why The Catholic Register and Youth Speak News have put together a list of faith-based youth titles that we think young book lovers will love.

In the dog days of August, at the height of vacation season, it is tempting to let a few things slide. But not too much. One hundred years ago, The Catholic Register did its summer duty by reminding parents of their own duty when it came to their children. From the July 18, 1918 issue, The Register offers advice that still may apply today.

This column started about all the gun violence in Toronto this summer, but then it changed. For some reason, thoughts moved from hatred and death that guns bring to unconditional love and affection that family pets offer.

Summer is here which means the busyness of the school year is gone. It’s the perfect time to unplug from the real world and curl up with a good book. That’s why The Catholic Register and Youth Speak News have put together a list of faith-based youth titles that we think young book lovers will love. Stay tuned to our growing list of summer reads: 

The Catholic Register’s Youth Speak News team has put together a list of faith-based youth titles we recommend for your summer reading.

To read the first installment of YSN Reads, click here.

The Catholic Register’s Youth Speak News team has put together a list of faith-based youth titles we recommend for your summer reading.

VATICAN CITY - Pope Francis visited retired Pope Benedict XVI at his Vatican residence June 30 to wish him a happy summer.

This summer children at Camp Vincent can cast off the shackles of life and spend a week living as superheroes.

Packing your child up and shipping them off to camp away from everything familiar might be one of the most lasting gifts a parent can give a child.

Over the past 48 years, generations of teens have been introduced to their faith at Teen Ranch Canada. Ann Stevens, who is now in charge of staff development at the Caledon, Ont., ranch and a former camper herself, is one of these people. She was 13 years old when she and her sister first came to the Christian camp in the early 1970s.

The Catholic Register is proud to present its 2015 special feature on summer camps. Parents can learn about which camps to send their kids to and the memories that their children will have when they attend camp. The Register covered outdoor, day and residential camps. Our special pullout feature came out in the Mar. 22 print and digital editions.

School is finally out, and with the beach, the sun and all the adventure plans, it’s the perfect time for some sweet summer lovin’. However, summer romances tend to be about feeling good and having fun instead of authentic love.

Camp registration season is here, and as youth and parents decide which camp is best for summer fun, camps are dealing with the challenge of how to offer a rewarding and unique experience.

When I first came to The Catholic Register in April to complete a three-week internship, I never thought I’d be staying until Labour Day — but boy, am I lucky I’ve had the opportunity to do so.

I’ve worked in a lot of places — a lot of good places, in fact. But there is something different about The Register newsroom. Here is a rare work environment, one in which people are more than just
polite and conversational. Here, they care.

I graduated from my undergrad at Queen’s University in April 2011, and my experience in journalism really began in September of that year when I entered a two-year masters of journalism program at Carleton University.

I’d always been a confident person, but when it came to journalism, I wasn’t entirely sure I had what it took — and joining a class full of former editor-in-chiefs of their school papers only added to my nerves. It wasn’t until I landed myself at The Register that I really began to believe this was something I could do.

It’s rare for a summer intern to get many bylines — I know that. I see that with my classmates and friends, even the most experienced ones. But here, I’ve been fortunate enough to be given the opportunity to write full articles right from the get-go, ranging in topics from fundraising campaigns to chimney swifts, and everything in between.

In writing my stories, I’ve had the honour of interviewing so many wonderful people who make a difference in the Catholic community, people who have been kind and open and candid in a way that has allowed for my words to flow easily and for their stories to resonate with me.

But what has truly made the difference in my confidence as a journalist is not the length, type or number of stories I’ve written. Rather, it’s the unconditional support and encouragement I’ve received from my colleagues at The Register, people who have not only allowed me to realize I can be a journalist, but who have also taught me the true value of good, real relationships within a place of work.

This became especially clear to me one day about a month ago, when two faithful employees, Vanessa Santilli, the former youth editor, and Nigel Wheatley, the former web editor, both happened to be leaving at the same time.

Publisher and editor Jim O’Leary and the rest of The Register staff threw a goodbye luncheon for them, complete with gifts, cake and many words of thanks and well wishes for the future. The luncheon — which lasted far longer than a typical lunch hour — was full of hearty laughter and lively conversation.

As I looked around, I realized this is more than just a staff. It’s a family, a family of which I am so grateful to have been a part.

And so, as I head back into the world of coffee-fueled all-nighters and early-morning classes, I want to extend the greatest of thank yous to each and every person I have worked with this summer. You have each made my days here so enjoyable, and given me that extra dose of confidence I need to finish off my degree and kick-start my career.
I only wish every workplace could be like The Register.