The YOUCAT Foundation, based in Königstein, Germany, has announced the appointment of Rafael D’Aqui to the position of Executive Director and Head of Outreach. Two additional key appointments to YOUCAT’s leadership team were also announced: Father Joachim Moernaut FSO, the new Ecclesiastical Assistant, and Elisabeth Bauer, who will oversee communication and social media.
Rafael D’Aqui, an experienced Brazilian missionary and catechist, and a former head of section for the pontifical foundation Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), with 15 years of work experience across Africa and Latin America, will lead YOUCAT in its mission to provide accessible, high-quality resources that reinforce Catholic identity in a secularised world.
“Professionalism and passion for evangelisation have always been YOUCAT’s standards,” states D’Aqui, a father of three. “I am honoured to support catechists and faith formators with the tools they need for their indispensable work in today’s society.”
Strategic Appointments for Global Outreach
Fr Moernaut is a Belgian priest and member of the Spiritual Family “The Work”, with a background in Fundamental Theology and extensive pastoral experience with families and catechists across Europe. Fluent in six languages, Fr Moernaut will play a leading role in the development of new strategies, content production and increasing the worldwide missionary network in collaboration with the new executive director
Elisabeth Bauer, a native speaker of German and Spanish, has experience in faith communication and storytelling on social media, as well as in youth ministry and teaching. She will assist with YOUCAT’s digital outreach, enhancing engagement with local teams and publishing partners, and expanding YOUCAT’s experience in the “digital continent”.
Since its inception, in 2013, the YOUCAT Foundation has combined professional dedication with a passionate commitment to evangelisation, providing tools that make faith accessible, relevant, and engaging for young people and those who guide them.
ACN has long supported the Church’s mission of evangelisation providing faith-based resources worldwide and distributing millions of books – ranging from catechetical guides to children’s Bibles and educational materials – tailored to the needs of young people and their faith formators. This dedication to evangelisation through accessible, quality resources, reflects ACN’s mission to nurture the next generation’s understanding of Catholic teaching, reaching even the most remote and underserved communities.
YOUCAT is a subsidiary company of ACN. This partnership combines YOUCAT’s innovative approach with ACN’s depth of expertise, based on decades of providing faith resources, all with the aim of equipping catechists and faith formators to meet the challenges of today’s Church.
Strengthening the Missionary Network and Expanding YOUCAT’s Digital Evangelisation
The new team will work on innovative strategies to expand the digital presence and strengthen the worldwide missionary network which supports YOUCAT in its service to faith formators.
“Reflecting YOUCAT’s mission to meet people where they are, we launched recently– an online resource called ‘Credopedia’. The idea is to bring Catholic faith to life in an accessible, comprehensive format,” says D’Aqui. “Developed for catechists and young people, Credopedia is part of YOUCAT’s ongoing effort to offer in an innovative way answers to real questions with clarity and insight.”
Following the positive reception of the YOUCAT Missionary Network at World Youth Day 2023 in Lisbon, YOUCAT’s future vision centres on growing this initiative to provide youth leaders and faith formators with greater access to an international community, empowering those on the front lines of evangelisation through the exchange of ideas and deepening their motivation and impulse for their mission.
In partnership with the YOUCAT Foundation, ACN continues to strengthen faith formation efforts and uphold its commitment to Catholic education worldwide, making accessible good quality material for those local Churches in need.
By ACN International.
