(Parent Newsletter - Fall 2010)
New Year, New Plan
Each new year brings changes, but this year there are major changes to the youth ministry program here at Lourdes. Last school year attendance dropped to an all time low and it became obvious to me that Sunday nights must not be convenient for most people. So here’s what to expect this year for the youth ministry program:#1— We will no longer have regular Sunday night meetings, but we will continue to have ODYO events one Sunday a month.
# 2— Instead of weekly Sunday night meetings, we’re switching to a Saturday afternoon model, which would start around lunch on Saturday afternoon and end after 4:30 Mass. The goal is to have one of these Saturday events each month.
#3— Also, we’re going to try random things before and after school like “Bible and Blizzards” at Dairy Queen and ultimate Frisbee in the lawn at Lourdes. Check the website and bulletin for updates!
Spotlight: FCA
FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes) is a Christian club that is not tied to a specific denomination. Almost every school has an FCA chapter, called a “huddle,” that meets before school on a certain day of the week. Meetings usually consist of a few songs, guest speaker, and announcements. FCA is not only for athletes; everyone is welcome. It’s a great way to be encouraged in the middle of the week.This year, FCA is partnering with Chick-Fil-A for “FCA at Chick-Fil-A” on Monday mornings. From 7-8am, Chick-Fil-A will have cheap breakfast, contests, and give-aways, followed by a short devotion.
ODYO (Owensboro Deanery Youth Outing)
(say “oh dee oh”)
Each month the area Catholic youth ministers plan a big event for all area Catholic youth and their friends. ODYO events are for middle school and high school students and they are usually free.
ODYO Schedule:
Sun Aug 22nd -Water Fight Night” at St. Pius Xth 7-9pm. Bring a towel and come ready to get wet!
Sat Sep 18th- First ever ODYO Lock-In at St. Mary Magdalene in Sorgho. Starts at midnight, ends after 8am Mass.
Sun Oct 17th-“Accident Proof ” night 7-9pm at Blessed Mother. Theme is safety: safe driving, safe internet, etc. While we’re at it, we’ll take care of Safe Environment for students. Also, we’ll learn the songs and preview workshops of the upcoming ODYC.
The Nov ODYO is ODYC. (see next page “events” section)
Sun Dec 5th—”Jingle Fest” A Christmas themed variety show with songs, skits, and random fun. Location to be announced soon. 7-9pm.
A Look Back at High school Mission Trip 2010
From July 11-16th, ten high school students put their faith in action on a mission trip to Millen, Georgia. The group was split into two work teams. One group helped put on a VBS for over 35 children from two small parishes. Some of their duties were leading games, crafts, songs, Bible stories, and snack.The other work crew went out into the community to do work projects on four separate houses. Some of their projects included replacing screens, hanging doors, installing handrails on a porch, building a closet, and repairing a broken porch step. Here is what some of the participants had to say about their experience:
“Well I now have a better understanding of humility, and I learned many things from the VBS. It was a life altering experience to see kids looking up to us, and to see the connection with Jesus in them growing as the week advanced.”
“I see now how lucky I am and how much of an impact I had on the VBS kids”
“It was amazing to see how much work we got done in one week, and ho w appreciative the people were.”
Plans are being made for next summer’s mission trip.
Reverse Raffle: Friday, Oct 22nd
This will be the fourth year for the “fall frolic” reverse raffle fundraiser dinner. This year it will be on Friday, October 22nd in the parish hall. Instead of doing lots of smaller fundraisers throughout the year, this is the one big fundraiser that raises money for big expenses like mission trips and the National Catholic Youth Conference. Here’s how it works: only 275 tickets will be sold. Throughout the night, tickets will be drawn one by one until only the grand-prize-winning ticket remains. But there are lots of winners! Prizes are given away for random tickets during the raffle. There will also be a silent auction, live auction, and 50/50 pot going on at different times as well.
Donations from area businesses and restaurants are coming in every day, so this year is sure to be a great raffle.
Besides buying a ticket, there are several ways you can help. If you have old baskets or picture frames to donate, we can use them for gift baskets and gift certificate holders for the silent auction.
Columbian Squires (Sponsored by Knights of Columbus)
By definition, a squire is a young man in training to be a knight. That’s why the Knights of Columbus call their program for young men (age 11-18) the Columbian Squires. The hope is that these young men will one day join the Knights when they turn 18. Each Squires group is known as a “circle.” It takes commitments from ten young men before a circle can be formed. Then they can elect officers and come up with their name. The Lourdes Squires chose the name “Pope John Paul II Circle.”
The Squires program is based on 4 pillars: community service, spiritual growth, physical fitness, and intellectual development. Each event or activity points back to one or more of those goals. Meetings are held on the first Tuesday night of each month from 5:30-6:30 in the upper room (right before the Knights meeting).
Our Squires have had work days at Gasper River, a work day here at Lourdes, decorated our daycare for Christmas, and participated in the Walk for Life. Newly elected officers for 2010 are: Jacob Bennett, Cameron Hayes, Dillon Schueler, and Brian Gross. If you are interested in joining the Squires, talk to Drew or Danny.
Confirmation Information
The Confirmation process is about to begin. There will be a parent meeting on Monday, September 13th and Enrollment will be the weekend of September 24th & 25th at all Masses.
We are making a few changes this year to simplify things. In addition to school or Religious Ed preparation, there will also be a service day at Lourdes. Instead of four “mini-retreats,” we are having one overnight retreat at Gasper River in April which will also be the deadline for Saint Report and Letter to the Bishop.
Bishop Medley will celebrate Confirmation at 4:30 Mass on April 30th.
Confirmation Dates:
Mon Sep 13th - Parent Meeting 7p
Sep 24&25th—Enrollment at all Masses
Sat Nov (TBA) —Service Day
Jan (TBA) - NET Retreat
April 15-16th - Retreat at Gasper
Sat April 30thConfirmation at 4:30 Mass (practice at 11:00am)
Important Dates: write these down!
See You At the Pole Rally Wed Sep 22nd at 6pm at Walnut Memorial Church. This is a LYNC event, so there will be hundreds of youth from different churches around Owensboro.
ODYC (Owensboro Diocese Youth Conference) Nov 19-20th at Sloan Convention Center in Bowling Green. The theme this year is “Heroes: Real People, Real Faith….Saints in Training.” ODYC is held every other year alternating with NCYC and it is modeled after NCYC. Last time there were close to 200 middle school and high school students. Mike Patin (from New Orleans) is the keynote speaker. There will be live music, workshops, adoration, and Mass with the Bishop. Cost is $25.
TEC—(Teens Encounter Christ)TEC is a 3 day retreat (Fri-Sun) for juniors and seniors offered at different locations across the Diocese. The next one is Oct 22nd-24th down in Bardwell. Registration deadline is Oct 8th. Cost is $35 which includes t-shirt. For more info and to download an application, go to www.wkytec.org