S T.

M AR Y S YO UT H
YOUTH ACTIVITIES
A Quarterly Newsletter for St. Marys Youth & Families
In appreciation for the parish support of our pilgrimage to the National Catholic Youth Conference, we invite you to join us for soup, sharing, and pictures of our trip. This is Youth Night like never before! Bring a snack to share, a gift to exchange (something that a male or female would like) that costs less than $10, and names of some favorite music artists. I will create a Pandora account to be used during our Youth Nights. We will meet in the parish hall.

Winter 2013

FAMILY PRAYER
The Family that Prays Together, Stays Together!

NCYC Soup/Sharing/Slideshow

THE LORDS PRAYER

Jesus taught us to pray as He prays. I invite you to meditate on the words in the Lords Prayer to understand more fully what you are praying. Use the following meditation with your family: OUR FATHERGod is OUR Father. He loves us more than we can imagine. He is everyones father, so everyone is OUR brother and sister.

CALENDAR
DEC: 810:00 am Youth Mass/Choir 115:45 pm NCYC Soup Supper & Sharing 156:30 - 8:00 pm Youth Night Christmas Party
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Christmas Party!

WHO ART IN HEAVENHeaven is not a place. It is a state of being. God is overflowing with love Bowling at Flamingo Lanes Meet at Flamingo Lanes at 7:00 pm for a fun and joy for usthats heaven. God is within each of our hearts. He transcends everything. night of bowling. Bring money for shoes,

JAN: 11&12 Youth Lectors 196:30 - 8:00 pm Youth Night 25-26Quest Retreat @ Riverside
For 8th & 9th grade

games, and to purchase food or drink if you wish. Cost is $1 for shoes and $2.75 per game. Youth need picked up by 8:30 pm.

The following are 7 requests found in this prayer: HALLOWED BE THY NAMEHallowed means regarded as holy. God is Holy and should be adored and glorified. We make Him Holy by becoming holy ourselves. THY KINGDOM COMEThe Kingdom of God

Registration forms are in the Gathering Space

DIOCESAN EVENTS

297:00 pm Youth Choir Rehearsal

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Quest RetreatJan 25-26 @ Riverside

FEB: 17:00 - 8:30 pm Bowling at Flamingo Lanes 210:00 am Youth Mass/Choir 15-17TEC Retreat @ DeWitt
For 11th & 12th grade

This is a great 1st retreat to attend. The focus means Christ himself, whom we daily desire to come into our hearts. is on Love of God, Love of Others, and Love of Self. Contact me if you need a ride. THY WILL BE DONE ON EARTH AS IT IS IN For 8th and 9th grade youth.

TEC RetreatFeb 15-17 @ DeWitt

Teens Encounter Christ retreat. This will help draw young people into a personal relationship with Jesus. For 11th and 12th grade youth.

HEAVENWe must surrender to Gods will. We ask that His will be done perfectly here on earth as the angels do His will perfectly in Heaven. GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD This day: Yesterday is done, we cant change it; Tomorrow is not yet here; All we have is this moment right now. Our bread: refers to our needs right at this moment. However, we can expand it to mean receiving Christ in the Eucharist and feeding the hungry. AND FORGIVE US OUR TRESPASSES AS WE FORGIVE THOSE WHO TRESPASS AGAINST USForgive us our sins as we forgive those who have sinned against us: Unless we forgive, God cannot forgive us. Healing cannot take place when we hold onto anger and hard feelings. LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATIONThis is the only thing of the future we should be concerned with: We ask God not to allow us to be tempted; that we might resist the path that leads us to sin. BUT DELIVER US FROM EVILWe pray that we wont give in to temptation; that we are protected from the evil one (Satan).

COR RetreatMarch 8-9 @ DeWitt

166:30 - 8:00 pm Youth Night

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This retreat focuses on our relationships with family and friends. It is very powerful! Contact me if you need a ride. For 10th, 11th, & 12th grade youth.

MAR: 7-9COR Retreat @ DeWitt

For 10th, 11th & 12th grade

Jr Hi Youth RallySunday, March 23

15&16Youth Lectors 166:30 - 8:00 pm Youth Night 23Jr. Hi. Youth Rally @ Iowa City

Enjoy a day with hundreds of Catholic youth from the diocese, featuring Oddwalk; along with breakouts, lunch, and Mass with Bishop Amos. For 6th, 7th, & 8th grade youth.

CATHOLIC QUIZ
1. Who did Jesus teach to pray? 2. What liturgical season is right before Christmas? 3. What colors do we use for this season? 4. What does the word Amen mean?

DIOCESAN EVENTS
Jr Hi Youth Rally
Sunday, March 23
at Regina High School in Iowa City with Oddwalk

FAMILY FUN
Make a Jesse Tree Advent Calendar to count down the days until Jesus birth! Each night in the month of December you will read a story from the Bible with your kids and place an ornament (or two) on the Jesse tree. If you have little kids you can either use a childrens bible or paraphrase the story yourself. This website has free patterns and the bible readings for each day: http://healthyfamily.org/free-jesse-tree-advent-

PARENT CORNER
Christmas Gifts to show faith
Think outside of the box this Christmas. Give gifts that will help your child remember that he/she is a Child of God. Here are some suggestions:

Bible with a cool bible cover Coffee Mug with a bible verse Jewelry with a cross/crucifix. There are some really cool things out there! Prayer Book / Journal
A Charm Bracelet with faith charms YOUCAT (Youth Catechism) Purity ring or necklace (True Love Waits) Jesus Beads Bible Edition Games: Apples to Apples, Scattergories, Scrabble, Outburst, etc. Story about the saints (especially their namesake saint)

For 6th, 7th, & 8th grade youth

RETREATS
Quest: Jan. 25-26 @ Riverside For 8th & 9th grade youth Focuses on Love of God, Love of Others, & Love of Self TEC (Teens Encounter Christ): Feb. 15-17 @ DeWitt For 11th, & 12th grade youth Draws young people into a personal relationship with Jesus. COR (Christ in Others Retreat) March 7-9 @ DeWitt For 10th12th grade youth Focuses on our relationships with family and friends.

Signed, Sealed, Delivered

NCYC 2013
We made it back!!

What a great experience! On the way there, we dropped off supplies for the people affected by the tornado in Washington, Ill. At NCYC, we enjoyed the general sessions with Jesse Manibusan as the emcee, Matt Maher as the spotlight performer, and keynote speakers: Bob Perron, Jackie Francois, and Ansel Augustine. There were many great workshops and we ended our pilgrimage in a closing Mass with 23,000 Catholic youth. WOW!

YOUTH IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Michael Holt is the son of Mike & Theresa Holt. He has 1 sister, Lauren. He is in 6th grade at Fairfield Middle School. He is involved in Golf, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and Tae-kwon-do. At church, he is active in Youth Ministry and participates at Mass as a lector, usher, greeter, and gift bearer. He plays the violin, piano, and percussion. He is in vocal music, student council, and book club. In his spare time, he likes to listen to music, play video games, and go hunting with his dad & cousin. His favorite memory of St. Marys Youth is the Fishing Contest. Be sure to say hi to Michael!

For More Information: Go to St. Marys Youth on Facebook OR Follow me on Twitter at StMarysYouthFF

I wish everyone a Blessed Christmas and a Wonderful New Year! Diane Tone Youth Ministry Coordinator [email protected] Cell: 319-217-0148
Pictured from l-r: 1st RowMadelyn Swan, Shea Malloy, Audry Hammes & Francesca Greco. 2nd RowAlex Christensen, Zach Martin, Lauren Ward, Sarah Davisson & Alison Dickinson. 3rd RowFr. Nick, Justin Leonard & Alex Hoffman.

Answers to the Catholic Quiz:

1. The apostles 2. Advent 3. Purple & Pink (or Rose) 4. Yes, I agree!