Dear Editor: I write this letter to pay tribute to Dr. Michael Warren, former professor of catechesis and youth ministry at St. John’s University, who passed away late last year.

It was he, along with other Xaverian Brothers like John Roberto who really began formal youth ministry with an experimental program for young people of various Flushing parishes in the late 1960s called appropriately enough the Flushing Module.

Not only did this program become the model for eventual youth ministry programs throughout the country but it became the beginning of lifelong careers and national reputations for Michael and John in that field even after they left religious community life.

I leave it to colleagues and former students from St. John’s University and elsewhere who knew Dr. Warren much better than I to share their own thoughts about this extraordinary contributor from our diocese. For me, suffice it to say that I would rank him as one of the most formative influences upon my professional development as a catechist and director of religious education.

He opened my eyes and mind to the world in which young people live, especially the subliminal influence of the media upon their development and outlined very practical ways that all who work with youth could help them recognize, deal with and even combat these forces. Whether it was in his profound dynamic conferences or in-depth clear writings, I would always walk away with my mind enlightened and my spirit energized.

Mike always shared his own struggles with these issues as well so that he never came across as the “all-knowing expert from on high.” And whenever I had the opportunity to share my own attempted writings with him, I knew that in a mere 10-minute phone conversation I would get so many insights and so much helpful criticism. He gave me so much confidence that even though I was nowhere near his level of expertise, I really did have something important to offer.

Finally, one of the most thrilling times in my career was bringing Father DiGiacomo and himself, national figures in secondary school religious education and youth ministry, respectively, together for an interview which began a lifelong collaboration between these two giants in their fields.

DAVID H. POWELL

Glendale