The air is changing and becoming cooler. For many, school has started. Sports programs will soon be in full swing. Ready or not, here comes Fall!! The St. Catherine’s High School Youth Minis-try is ready to kick off its 2010-2011 season on Sunday, Septem-ber 12th, at 6:00 pm in Russell hall.
For those of you who are new to the Youth Ministry program this year, let me encourage you to come, check it out and bring a friend. What is our Youth Ministry program all about and what do we do? At St. Catherine of Siena, it is a place for teens to come with friends, meet new friends or bring a friend. We serve others both in our own community and outside our community.
Throughout the year we feed the hungry in Hartford, bake cookies for the soup kitchen in Winsted, make pies for area shelters. At Easter we make baskets for children who live in homeless shel-ters. At St. Catherine of Siena we serve at the spaghetti dinner fundraiser and help with the leaf rake. At our Sunday night Youth Group gatherings we play team community building games, have discussions, make a campfire and s’mores, and invite guest speakers. This fall we will once again sponsor the 24 hour famine and hunger walk, prepare for another Mission trip in March and go on a fall retreat at Camp Washington the weekend before Thanksgiving. When we take a few hours out of our week to serve a hot lunch to a hungry person in Hartford, or make an attempt to really talk to a homeless person in Boston on our Mis-sion trip, we are attempting to follow the message of humility from Luke’s gospel that we heard today. That is, assuming the place of the lowly “with” them, trying to sit momentarily in the shoes of another person and feel life from their perspective.
Let me tell you about the first few events planned for this Fall. On Sunday, September 19th, (the Sunday AFTER the kickoff) we will sponsor a car wash called WASH AWAY HUNGER. An-gel Food Ministry will be the beneficiary of our fundraising. Our car wash will take place from 1:00-3:00 on Hopmeadow Street in the St. Mary’s School parking lot. Bring some towels and drying rags. I will be looking for parents to come and help. (Dads, we would love to have you join us!!) And the community of St. Catherine of Siena?...well, bring your dirty cars, of course!
On Sunday, October 3rd, at 6:00 PM sharp youth group will meet at BOY SCOUT HALL for a themed SCAVENGER HUNT on Hopmeadow Street. What’s the theme? Well, you will have to come and see for yourself. Parents, I would love to have 4-6 of you come and help that night. Come join the fun!!
On Sunday evening, October 17th, our regular youth group meeting, bring a tee-shirt to tie dye. Details will follow. I can’t forget to mention that our freshman will be participating in their Confirmation retreat on Saturday, September 25th, at Holy Family. Our upper class youth ministry teens have been invited to be Peer Ministers for this event.
Some of you may be wondering “If I come to the Youth Ministry kickoff, do I have to come each week or participate in every event?” And the answer, of course, is no. High school, home-work, sports, and part time jobs all keep you very busy. Come to Youth Group as often as you can, we would love to have you, but sometimes you just have to stay home and study for that test. I am looking forward to a great year and welcome any thoughts, ideas or questions. Please feel free to call me at 860-408-9888 or email me at JudyPlutaYM@gmail.com
I’ll see you Sunday evening, September 12th, at 6:00 PM Rus-sell Hall. Pizza will be served.
