CHICAGO (April 18, 2005) – Empowering teens to embrace healthy decisions such as abstinence from drugs, alcohol and premarital sex is the goal of several events in the Archdiocese of Chicago April 23-25 that will feature national chastity speaker Jason Evert.

He will kick off the three-day series of events beginning at 5:30 p.m. on Sunday, April 23, with an evening for mothers and teenage daughters at Gordon Tech High School, 3633 N. California Ave., Chicago. Addressing the theme of the evening, “Standing Together With Courage,” Evert will motivate the women to stand against the growing and often overwhelming trend among young people to engage in premarital sex.

Mary-Louise Kurey, Director of the Archdiocesan Respect Life Office that is co-sponsoring the event with the Archdiocese’s Family Ministries Office, says, “The evening will focus on the sacredness of life and the gift of womanhood and will provide opportunities for communication between mothers and their daughters.” Kurey, a former Miss Wisconsin who speaks widely on the subject of chastity, will also address the group.

On Monday, April 24, Evert will be the featured speaker at Life Night 2006, a youth rally that will be held at St. Patrick Parish, 991 S. Waukegan Rd., in Lake Forest. The evening, billed as a celebration of life and love, will begin at 7 p.m. Kurey and Evert will explain to participants how present relationships shape their future lives. Accompanied by national recording artist and youth minister, Angus McDonell, the message of chastity will be shared through witness and music. This event is sponsored by the Archdiocese of Chicago’s Chastity Education Initiative, a program of Kurey’s Respect Life Office, and the Office for Catechesis that also directs Youth Ministry for the Archdiocese.

Earlier in the day, at 9:30 a.m. on April 24, Evert will address students at Cristo Rey High School, 1852 W. 22 nd Pl., on Chicago’s northwest side and at 1 p.m. at Notre Dame High School for Boys, 7655 W. Dempster St., Niles. He will repeat his presentation at 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday, April 25, at Carmel High School, One Carmel Pkwy., Mundelein, and again at 1 p.m. at Seton Academy, 16100 Seton Rd, South Holland.

In all, says Kurey, some 3000 youth from a cross section of the Archdiocese will hear Evert, who will not confine his remarks to chastity but will deal with the difficult and often taboo issues of oral sex, alcohol and drug addiction, and other high risk behaviors of teens.

Evert is an advocate for Catholic Answers, a national organization based in California that explains the Catholic faith, the author of teen-oriented books, If You Really Loved Me and Pure Love and a frequent guest on national radio.

The goal is to get teens to a place of confidence in their choices that will enable them to share the message of chastity and abstinence with others. “We have 19 million high school students in the country,” says Evert, “so we really need an army to reach them all.” Evert estimates he reaches about 100,000 teens per year with his message that encourages teens to become involved in local youth groups and crisis centers.

Evert, who is married and the father of two young sons, was inspired to become a chastity speaker while working at a crisis pregnancy center. “Teens have a lot of questions,” Evert notes,“but not a lot of answers.”

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Facts in brief re. Speaking Tour of Jason Evert in Archdiocese of Chicago:

• April 23, 5:30 P.M.: Mother-Daughter Event “Standing Together With Courage.” Gordon Tech High School, 3633 North California Avenue, Chicago. With Former Miss Wisconsin Mary-Louise Kurey.
• April 24, 9:30 A.M.: All-School Assembly, Cristo Rey High School, 1852 West 22 nd Place, Chicago.
• April 24, 1 P.M.: All-School Assembly, Notre Dame High School for Boys, 7655 West Dempster Street, Niles.
• April 24, 7 P.M.: Archdiocesan Youth Rally “Life Night 2006,” St. Patrick Parish, 991 South Waukegan Road, Lake Forest. With National Recording Artist Angus McDonnell.
• April 25, 8:30 A.M.: All-School Assembly, Carmel High School, One Carmel Parkway, Mundelein.
• April 25, 1 P.M.: All-School Assembly, Seton Academy, 16100 Seton Road, South Holland.