During the Christmas season we tend to forget the true meaning of Christmas, allowing the hustle and bustle of the season to replace what is really important - the birth of a beautiful baby born in a manger to a woodworker and his wife.

Despite being postponed due to the Snovember storm, young people and the adults who guide them received their due recognition at the Witness the Spirit awards banquet on Dec. 13, 1014. The event, sponsored by the Department of Youth and Young Adult Ministry, was held at Nardin Academy in Buffalo.

The Diocese of Buffalo held its first meeting of World Youth Day 2016 pilgrims on Oct. 26. About 60 people met at St. John Paul II Parish in Lake View to hear speakers talk about what WYD has meant to them.

Olean will soon be overrun by a flock of eagles, Eagle Scouts that is. Troop 617 expects five of its members to reach the highest rank in the Boy Scouts this year.

After more than 20 years as a diocesan-wide event, the service program known as Young Christians at Work has moved to a parish-based version. However, the focus and lessons, remain the same.

Hard work and a kind character will help send Stephen Weppner to college. The American Legion Post 527 in Hamburg awarded the 18-year-old Hamburg resident with a $1,000 scholarship.

For several years, I have been following the research of Christian Smith, currently a professor and director of the Center for the Study of Religion and Society at Notre Dame University. Smith and his colleagues began in 2001 the National Study of Youth and Religion, the most comprehensive national study ever conducted about American teens' religious and spiritual lives.

Parish youth ministers keep a sharp eye out for teens who display vision, friendliness and a positive energy. These are the qualities of leaders. Teens with these talents are advised to attend the Christian Leadership Institute, a weeklong experience that challenges young people to share insights and knowledge so as to grow in faith together. Often, when they leave, the teens say they had the best time of their lives.

The Department of Youth and Young Adult Ministry installed the 2014-2015 Diocesan Youth Board in June in the Catholic Center in downtown Buffalo. These 13 teens will help plan youth ministry activities for the diocese.

Being the new kid in class is never easy, but imagine being in a new school, in a new country, full of students with a different belief system. That's what's happening at Immaculata Academy in Hamburg, which welcomes international students, some of whom received their first taste of Catholicism when the first bell rang.

The youth of the Diocese of Buffalo have been tasked with evangelization. While attending a faith rally known as Da Bounce, held March 21, they gained the tools to bring the Gospel to others. Father David Muñoz, OMI, told the 55 teens gathered to use their gifts and talents to spread the word of Jesus Christ.

Deacon Don Weigel led a faithful army to the state capitol on Public Policy Day to advocate for those in need. They spoke to state senators and assembly representatives, imploring them to pass legislation that would offer fair benefits to workers, restore dignity to inmates and decrease abortions.

Niagara Catholic High School retains that welcoming spirit that greeted students from St. Mary's, Bishop Duffy, and Madonna high schools when it opened its doors in 1975. In the fall of 2012, kids from St. Dominic Savio Middle School joined the nearby school, merging to form one junior/senior high school. Teachers and pupils now welcome four foreign-born students to their classes.

On Valentines weekend, 750 teenagers were asked to give their hearts to God. As they poured into the Adam's Mark Hotel in downtown Buffalo to attend the 62nd annual Diocesan Youth Convention, they saw a banner with a broken heart. The more they learned about their faith, experienced their faith and shared their faith, the more that heart healed.

St. John the Baptist Parish in Lockport has challenged the media's interpretation of beauty. During a women's conference held in January, a fashion show rooted in virtue and modesty showed that although skin deep, beauty can be seen without showing skin.

St. Mary of the Angels is looking back as it plans its future. As the Olean parish prepares for the centennial celebration of its church in 2015, the building is being restored to its 1915 look and feel. The parish has also built a chapel dedicated to the children who witnessed the apparition of Fatima in 1917.

Youth and adults gathered to celebrate youth ministry on Nov. 15 at the third annual Witness the Spirit awards presentation, held at Mount St. Mary Academy in Kenmore. The evening saw people of all ages being recognized for the work and support of youth ministry.

Three days of preaching. Three days of singing. Three days of gathering for the Lord. For three days St. Martin de Porres Parish in Buffalo welcomed Father Arthur Cavitt who in turn invited others to "Walk by Faith, Walk in Faith, Walk through Faith."