Press to see Teen Group Schedule September - November 2008

Press to see Upcoming Youth Ministry Events

Office for Catechesis Archdiocese of Chicago - Youth Ministry

Press to see Pictures of Previous Youth Events

St. Celestine Youth Ministry is the response of St. Celestine Parish to the needs of our young people and the sharing of the unique gifts that they bring to the larger community. The goals of our ministry program are to:

• Empower youth to live as disciples of Jesus in our world today.
• Draw youth to participate in the life, mission and work of the Catholic faith community.
• Foster the personal and spiritual growth of each young person.

Our goals are accomplished by offering a variety of spiritual, service, and social activities.

Spiritual opportunities include retreats, faith discussion, and the opportunity to serve as lectors, musicians, and extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion.

Social opportunities include outings, overnights, and much more.

Service opportunities are offered on a monthly.

Here at St. Celestine we are very fortunate to have many young people involved in our parish life. The youth of our parish are Altar Servers, Lectors, Eucharistic Ministers, Ushers, Cantors, Singers, and Musicians involved in enhancing our liturgies every week. There is a youth group and a junior high group that really believe they will make a difference in their world. These ministers of enthusiasm and energy help to enhance the vibrant parish that we have. The level of acceptance they feel here encourages their participation. Today and everyday let us be willing to tell them how important they are. Thank you for your continued support of our youth programs. Please call Kim McMillan - Youth Minister at 708-453-2555 or kim@stcelestineparish.org for more information.

These are the Leadership Award recipients from 2008 with Bishop Paprocki
John Pontikes, Amanda Rosado, Matthew French and Kayleen Fahey
 
  

Teen Group Schedule from September to November 2008
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Click the link below if a printed copy is desired in Adobe Reader (pdf file).
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Teen Group Schedule from September to November 2008 in Adobe Reader (pdf - 221 KB)

All High School Students are welcome to participate in Teen Group Activities but please check with the Youth Minister, Kim McMillan, for permission slip information

September

Monday, September 1st - Labor Day - No Meeting
Saturday, September 6th - Parish BBQ - Service Opportunity - 4-10 pm
Sunday, September 7th - Confirmation Retreat from 1 to 5:30 pm
Monday, September 8th - Teen Meeting at 7:30 pm
Monday, September 15th - Teen Meeting - OFD at 7:30 pm with Matt D.
Friday, September 19th - Lazer Tag / Pet Shop at 7 pm
September 25th, 26th & 27th - Kiwanis Peanut Days

October

Satuday, October 4th - Ministry Fair after 5 pm Mass
Sunday, October 5th - Ministry Fair after all Masses
Sunday, October 5th - Junior High Youth Group Rally from 2 to 7 pm
Monday, October 6th - Teen Meeting at 7:30 pm - Guest: Mike Patin
Monday, October 13th - Teen Meeting - OFD at 7:30 pm
October 17th & 18th - Catechetical Conference at Rosemont
Monday, October 20th - Teen Meeting at 7:30 pm
Friday, October 24th - Possible Richardson Farm
Saturday, October 25th - World Youth Day Mass at 5 pm
Sunday, October 26th - Fall Craft Show from 8:30 am to 3:30 pm

November

Saturday, November 1st - Bowling and Bill's Pizza
Monday, November 3rd - Teen Meeting at 7:30 pm
Monday, November 10th - Open for Discussion at 7:30 pm
Monday, November 17th - Teen Meeting at 7:30 pm
Friday, November 21st - Lakeshore Academy - Rock Climbing
Thursday, November 27th - Day of Thanksgiving - AMEN
November 29th & 30th - Winter Woods after all the Masses

December

Saturday, December 13th - Kid's Christmas Party from 10:30 am to 2 pm

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Upcoming Youth Ministry Events
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Saint Celestine Teens Host

Junior High Youth Group Rally

National Speaker:
Mike Patin

New:
Teen Mass at 4:30 pm with Electrifying Homily

YOU ARE CALLED

Sunday, October 5th
from 2 to 7 pm

St. Celestine Parish Gym
3017 N. 77th Ave.

Meet new people - bring your friends!!
Great Music and Free Pizza and the Chance to win a $25 gift card to the HIP

Mike uses energy, humor and stories to affirm the goodness of God’s presence among us while inviting others (and himself) to take the “next step” in our journey with God. Mike will join us from New Orleans where he lives with his wife, Marlene and daughter, Megan.

The St. Celestine Youth Group has heard Mike speak a number of times and always enjoys his message and the challenge it presents to us, to live… “on purpose.” - Kim

Mike’s energy and enthusiasm behind his messages inspire me, to go out and live it true, and has stayed with me. - Dom

I have seen Mike two times and each time he has blown me away with his humor and message. - Lauren

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JHYG Calendar
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The October 2008 through May 2009 Calendar will be published in the near future

All High School Students are welcome to participate in Teen Group Activities but please check with the Youth Minister, Kim McMillan, for permission slip information

If you know (or have one living in your house), a seventh or eighth grade student that might be interested in being a part of this group, we will start meeting again in September. Watch the bulletin for details. Call Kim at 708-453-2555 at the pastoral center for answers to any questions.

The Junior High Youth Group has had a very busy year full of fun and service to the community. As a way to evaluate our events and share what we have done this past year, some of the Junior High group members wrote their personal reflections. Here are their words about our events:

• My favorite event was the Night of Fun and Games in October. We got together and played some games like guitar hero, kitty wants a corner, basket ball, volleyball and a lot more games. It was a fun way to get to be involved in the JHYG and meet the other people that would be involved too.
• Making lunches for the people who sleep at the PADS shelters at Resurrection church is important, but a lot of fun too. Throughout the year, on the first Tuesday of every month, we made 25 lunch bags. In each bag we included: fruit, water, a sandwich, some cookies and some pretzels. We would each bring an item and share what we had from home. It felt good to be able to help someone else.
• On December 14th about 15 Junior High students got together on a Friday night from 7-10.We Made Cookies for the Night Ministry. We baked cookies, played in the gym and decorated cards. The Night Ministry, gives bags of cookies to people who are homeless and live on the streets of Chicago. They also provide them with medical attention and a cup of hot chocolate. We also put together stockings for the little kids that the Night Ministry serves. Sometimes families are homeless and are served by the Night Ministry. The stockings had stuffed toys, crayons, pens and little things like that. We imagine that the stockings brightened up a little child’s night. While we were making cookies a photographer from the Elm Leaves came and took our picture. What we were doing, was in the newspaper that week. We made about 300 cookies that night. It was a lot of fun.
• In January we made Study Bags for the Teen Group who were taking their finals. That night was sooo much fun. First we decorated bags with words like “You can Do It” and “Study Hard”! Then we put things in the bags which included candy, snacks, pencils and stuff, which the teens loved. After we finished the bags we had ramen soup and watched the movie, Night at the Museum. It was awesome and we had a lot of laughs.
• In February we made Valentines Bags for the Homebound. We decorated bags with hearts and valentines and filled them with candy, cards and cookies. This was our favorite event because it was fun to do and we could give people Valentines that they might not get from someone else. It was fun to make the valentines too because we don’t really get to do that anymore. We think it makes people happy to know someone is thinking of them. Making the cookies to put in the bags was fun too. After finishing making the bags we played some games that the teens from teen club taught us. It was a lot of fun. Since we are 7th graders we will be a part of the JHYG next year. We will share these fun games with the new members next year.
• In March, we made Hygiene Kits for the people who are served by the Night Ministry. The hygiene kits include soap, shampoo, lotion, toothpaste, a toothbrush and other things like that. The night we made hygiene kits we also made blankets for Project Linus. Project Linus makes new blankets for kids who are experiencing any kind of tragedy. It was a lot of fun making blankets for other kids and putting together the hygiene kits. It is easy to do nice things for others; it just takes a little organization sometimes.

Next year beginning in September, the Junior High Youth Group will begin meeting again. Any Junior High Student in 7th or 8th grade is welcome to participate in any, or all of the evenings that we get together. In September we will plan the events of the 2008/09 year. If you know a junior high student, keep on the lookout for info about this group. As you can see, we do a lot in the community and have a lot of fun at the same time.

Kim McMillan - Youth Minister