Congratulations to Catherine Mansir of Christ Church, Gardiner! She is one of eighteen young people from every province in The Episcopal Church will serve as the Official Youth Presence for the 81st General Convention, meeting June 23-28 in Louisville, Kentucky. The group gathered in Louisville from Feb. 16-19 for orientation and training.
The Official Youth Presence was established by the 1982 General Convention; members have had seat and voice in the House of Deputies since 1997.
“The Official Youth Presence in the House of Deputies brings diverse voices and fresh perspectives from every province, embodying the vibrant future of The Episcopal Church,” House of Deputies President Julia Ayala Harris said. “Their presence reminds us of the immense gifts and faithfulness of the rising generation as we discern God’s call for our church in the years ahead.”
The following youth, listed in order by province, were selected to serve as the Official Youth Presence at General Convention:
- Province I: Gabriella Entrican, Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts
- Province I: Catherine Mansir, Episcopal Diocese of Maine
- Province II: Meredith McKeever, Episcopal Diocese of Newark
- Province II: Gonzalo Lopez Hernandez, Episcopal Diocese of Puerto Rico
- Province III: Abigayle Cheney, Episcopal Diocese of Southern Virginia
- Province III: Zachary Wagner-Pizza, Episcopal Diocese of Central Pennsylvania
- Province IV: Carsten Kennedy, Episcopal Diocese of Central Gulf Coast
- Province IV: Evan Van Brunt, Episcopal Diocese of Florida
- Province V: Anna Skidmore, Episcopal Diocese of Western Michigan
- Province V: Agol Anei, Episcopal Diocese of Western Michigan
- Province VI: Maimie Thomas, Episcopal Diocese of South Dakota
- Province VI: Olivia Morin-Swanson, Episcopal Church in Minnesota
- Province VII: Kyle Skinner, Episcopal Diocese of Dallas
- Province VII: Eli Crowley y Contreras, Episcopal Diocese of Rio Grande
- Province VIII: Solomon Galan, Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles
- Province VIII: Nicholas Livingston, Episcopal Diocese of Hawaii
- Province IX: Dilanie Arzuza Hernandez, Episcopal Diocese of Colombia
- Province IX: Santiago Perez Alvarez, Episcopal Diocese of Colombia
“This is an amazing group of young people who take the responsibility of representing their peers at General Convention seriously,” said Canon Myra Garnes, officer for Episcopal Church Youth Ministries. “I’m very excited to mentor them throughout the spring online legislative committee hearings and in Louisville this summer.”
She added, “The youth participated in a weekend training in Louisville to familiarize themselves with the governance and proceedings of General Convention while getting to know one another, worshipping together, and discerning issues important to today’s young people.”
Sixty young people applied for the 2024 General Convention Official Youth Presence and were interviewed by a team of youth ministers and General Convention deputies from across The Episcopal Church. A team of adult mentors will shepherd the group through convention.
The General Convention is The Episcopal Church’s highest temporal authority and the largest gathering of Episcopalians from across the church. It meets every three years to set policies for the church’s mission and ministry.