Pastor’s Column

THE YOUTH GROUP

On September 9, the St. Stephen’s Youth Group will resume. It meets twice a month during the academic year, generally on second and fourth Friday, in the evening. Its primary purpose is the continuing Catholic education of high school students in our parish. The secondary purpose of the group is to help the youth form and keep good Catholic friendships amongst one another. The group assists at the evening Mass, afterwards moving to one of the classrooms for a short meal and social time. Then one of the priests, usually Fr Curtis, gives a talk, somewhere between thirty and sixty minutes. Finally, the members enjoy a common activity, usually lasting about an hour.

6:00 PM Mass

7:00 PM Dinner

7:30 PM Conference by a priest

8:30 PM Activity

9:30 PM Departure

Examples of the conferences given over the years include:

–  The Four Temperaments, An Introduction

–  The Choleric Temperament

–  The Sanguine Temperament

–  The Melancholic and Phlegmatic Temperaments

–  Introduction to the Spiritual Life

–  The Three Ages of the Spiritual Life

–  The Dark Nights

–  The Gifts of the Holy Ghost

–  Explanation and Commentary on the Holy Mass

Several times during the course of the year, the members go off campus (usually on a Saturday). Previous examples include ice skating, bowling, and hiking.

The Youth Group is available to St. Stephen’s parishioners from the age of fourteen to eighteen. Non-parishioners are welcome at the discretion of the pastor. Thirteen year olds can begin to attend at the start of the academic year in which their birthday falls (i.e. a thirteen year old whose fourteenth birthday is in March of next year could begin to attend in September of this year).

Over the last year we generally expected somewhere between fifty and seventy members on any particular evening.

For more details, contact Liz Hernandez: 916-396-4062.