RE Closing Liturgy and Celebration - Saint Louis University
RE Closing Liturgy and Celebration - Saint Louis University
RE Closing Liturgy and Celebration - Saint Louis University
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Youth Group Update<br />
Colleen O’Connell, Youth Minister<br />
Youth Group Teens host a Valentine’s Day Party<br />
for the L’Arche Community<br />
Youth Group Teens take the Lead<br />
This was a quite an eventful year for teens in St. Francis Xavier College<br />
Church Youth Group! We kicked off in September with our first Youth<br />
Mass <strong>and</strong> had a whirlwind of activities in the fall. These included volunteering<br />
with home rehab at North Gr<strong>and</strong> Neighborhood Services, helping out at<br />
St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store, organizing activities for children at the<br />
Christmas Bazaar, <strong>and</strong> taking kids from Karen House to see the Christmas<br />
lights at the Zoo. Along with volunteering, we had a number of Youth Masses<br />
where teens participated in everything from playing music to reading petitions.<br />
Youth Group fellowship included shared prayer <strong>and</strong> reflections, <strong>Saint</strong><br />
bingo, a trip to City Museum, <strong>and</strong> more!!<br />
In January, we had a great time together on the Youth Group Overnight<br />
Magis Retreat. SLU student team leaders helped us explore how we were being<br />
called to be more in the lives that God<br />
gave us. Following this, we had a teen lock-in where we attended a SLU student<br />
9:00 p.m. Mass, played dodge ball at the Simon Rec Center <strong>and</strong> spent the night in the<br />
Ballroom with games <strong>and</strong> s’mores. Other activities included hosting a Valentine’s<br />
Dave party for the L’Arche community <strong>and</strong> creating a Lenten prayer book for teens.<br />
We are looking forward to upcoming events, like the “Breaking Bread Potluck”<br />
hosted by Youth Group parents. Other events consist of a night of Jazz at the Missouri<br />
Botanical Gardens, music jam sessions <strong>and</strong> an opportunity to serve at our Social<br />
Justice Camp in July. We want to thank all those who support us!!! We feel<br />
blessed to be part of such a vibrant, faith filled community!!!!<br />
This year many of our Youth Group teens volunteered in our <strong>RE</strong> programs, serving as<br />
Children’s <strong>Liturgy</strong> of the Word leaders, Class Teaching Assistants, Atrium Catechists,<br />
Musicians <strong>and</strong> Nursery sitters. They shared their gifts of faith <strong>and</strong> love with our<br />
younger students!! Next year through a collaboration with the <strong>Liturgy</strong> Commission<br />
we plan to offer more opportunities for our teens to get involved in Sunday Masses.<br />
Special thanks to this year’s teens: Peter Baugh, Madeleine Buckley, Michael Buse,<br />
Michelle Buse, Brendan Butler, Leah Efken, Micah Garrido, Bobby Hoock, Allison<br />
Hubbard, Grace Kempf, Megan Kilian, Maggie Mikel, Tom Rubio <strong>and</strong> Olivia Weber.<br />
First Communion <strong>Celebration</strong><br />
On April 4th, the day before Holy Thursday, Owen Gelzer returned to St. <strong>Louis</strong> to<br />
receive his First Communion, surrounded by his family <strong>and</strong> friends. Owen <strong>and</strong> his parents,<br />
R<strong>and</strong>all <strong>and</strong> Maureen Gelzer, <strong>and</strong> siblings, Mary Kate <strong>and</strong> George, are a former<br />
<strong>RE</strong> family, <strong>and</strong> his mom, Maureen is our former Second Grade <strong>RE</strong> teacher. Last summer<br />
they were transferred to Washington, D. C. Special thanks to Fr. Len Kraus, S.J.<br />
who presided at the Mass. It was a wonderful celebration!!!<br />
Scavenger Hunt during the Magis Retreat<br />
Olivia Weber with<br />
Level I Atrium students
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