The Youth Ministry Program
serves our youth grades 7th - 12th, and is very important to
all of us. It is more than a program or classes.
St. Mary's parish's goal, some years back, set this as a
high priority, requiring youth cooperation. Parish
participation and proclaiming the Gospel is expressed in a
variety of ways. When people are in love, they change.
One of the goals is to help
our youth through education--Sunday nights, prayers groups,
Bible Studies, retreats, etc. To EXPERIENCE this
conversion motivating our youth to the beauty of our
Catholic Faith and to grow spiritually. During the
school year, the emphasis is more on experiential--not
experimental--learning and social time; during the
summer most of the gatherings are social with some prayer
and bible study. Retreats, regional youth conferences
and other youth opportunities are offered.
During the school year,
Religious Education "classes" are offered to the
Junior and Senior High with different approaches and
settings.
The Youth Core Team, with the
Youth Director, weekly prepare for an hour and a half of
Youth instruction, prayer, and interaction. Various
models of teaching are used so that the youth se the beauty
of Christ's teaching and the Catholic Church's faithfulness
to that teaching.
Wednesday evenings year
round, Teen Nights are held where the youth gather for
social activities and prayer. St. Mary's Teens have
been active in Service projects such as Friendship Feast and
Habitat for Humanity, yearly Easter Egg Hunt, etc.