Category Archives: Youth

YOUTH BRIEFS

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CLEVELAND Our Lady of Victories Parish College students who would like information or to be notified by text about our the parish’s Bible groups and other activities, call or text your name and number to Natalie Hardesty, 228-861-7253.

HERNANDO Holy Spirit Parish Theatre Company meeting, Sunday, Jan. 25, after the 10:30 a.m. Mass. The group is planning a new production for May 7. The cast will include nine women and seven men, ranging in ages from teens to senior citizens. Details: Ken Hoover, 662-420-0110.

GLUCKSTADT St. Joseph Parish, bingo fund-raiser, Friday, Jan. 29, from 6 – 8 p.m. in the parish hall. All youth who plan to attend the summer trip need to participate. Start collecting and turning in prizes – gift cards are a big hit.

GRENADA St. Peter Parish, Abbey Youth Fest parent/youth informational meeting, Wednesday, Jan. 27, after CCD in the Family Life Center. Youth who attended last year will share their experience.
– Youth LifeNights new time for meetings, 6 – 7:30 p.m. Rosary will be at prayed at 5 p.m., followed by dinner and the meeting.

MERIDIAN St. Patrick Parish, fun day for youth in sixth-12th grades, Friday, Feb. 12, from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. Come to play soccer and dodgeball with youth from Philadelphia, Forest, Kosciusko and Louisville. Trophies will be awarded. Lunch will be provided.

NATCHEZ St. Mary Basilica, spiritual renewal activities for children in PreK3- through fifth grades, Jan. 25-28 from 6:15 -7:15 p.m. Free babysitting each night for younger children.
– Multi-parish youth day for students in grades sixth-12th, Saturday, Feb. 27 from 10 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. A day of games, praise and worship, music by Drew David and Will Carter, and a motivational speaker.

CATHOLIC HEART WORK
SUMMER CAMP
Catholic Heart Work Camp summer mission trip in Nashville, June 19-24, for those currently in eighth grade and older (including college) Cost is $345.

Youth Briefs & Gallery

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BROOKHAVEN St. Francis of Assisi Parish, youth Mass followed by Advent party, Sunday, Dec. 20, at 5:30 p.m. Details: Ange’le Bartholomew, 601-757-3084.
– Children’s Mass, Thursday, Dec. 24, at 5 p.m.

CLEVELAND Our Lady of Victories Parish, CYO grades seventh-12th will take donated can goods to Helping Hands on Monday, Dec. 21, beginning at 4 p.m. Activities will continue with a bowling Christmas party.

GRENADA St. Peter Parish youth are invited to go Christmas caroling Monday, Dec. 21. Meet at the Family Life Center at 5 p.m.
– Seventh-12th graders are invited to attend DNow: “Meant to live for more” with Paul J. Kim Jan. 15-17 at Tupelo St. James Parish. Cost is $50 per student and includes all meals Bring air mattress. Registration forms are in the vestibule and also on the parish’s Facebook group. Details: Tara Trost, 662.515.9126.

JACKSON Group registrations for the diocesan High School Confirmation retreat are due by Friday, Jan. 8. The retreat is set for Jan. 16-17, 2016 at Camp Bratton Green at the Duncan Gray Center in Canton.  The cost is $40/person.
Registration includes meals, housing and a T-shirt. The theme, “Proclaiming His Marvelous Deeds” will help retreatants look at their lives as disciples of Jesus. Father Rusty Vincent, associate pastor of Greenville St. Joseph Parish,  is the spiritual director for the weekend and will be presenting the talks to the youth.
For additional details contact Fran Lavelle, Director of Faith Formation, 601-960-8473 or fran.lavelle@jacksondiocese.org.

YOUTH SPORTS

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GREENVILLE – St. Joseph School student Virginia French Virden participates in soccer, tennis and cheer at SJCS. She is the 2015 MHSAA 1A Girls Single Tennis State Champion and was recently chosen for the MAIS All-Star Soccer Team.
A member of the National Honor Society and Mu Alpha Theta, Virden was selected to the 2015 Homecoming Court.  She volunteers her time and talent with The Delta Soul Celebrity Golf and Charity event, The Special Olympics, The Delta Cotton Belles Tennis Tournament, St. Vincent de Paul’s Society and many others.
Adrian Thomas Azar has been a member of the SJCS basketball team since eigth grade and the SJCS golf team since ninth.  A high scoring guard, Azar has been named to the 2015 MHSAA All-Region 3-1A Basketball Team and the 2015 All-County Basketball Team. He is a member of the National Honor Society and Mu Alpha Theta.  He is a Carrie Stern Reading Buddy, a member of St. Joseph Catholic Church Life Teen, and a volunteer with many organizations such as The Mighty MS Music Festival, The Delta Soul Celebrity Golf and Charity Event, and St. Vincent de Paul’s Society.
Chambers Edward Mansour is a member of Mu Alpha Theta and the National Honor Society.  He has been an active volunteer in St. Joseph Catholic Church as a n altar server and lector. He has volunteered with the Special Olympics, Delta Center Stage, and St. Vincent de Paul Society as well as the Delta Soul Celbrity Golf Tournament.  He also serves as a Reading Buddy at Carrie Stern. He plays football, basketball, soccer, and tennis. Chambers is a member of the 2015 MHSAA State Tennis Team.
He was selected a school team member for the University of Mississippi Brain Brawl competition and the MDCC Scholar Bowl. He was a participant in the HOBY leadership conference and a delegate to Boys State. Chambers was selected as a Duke Tip Scholar and maintains a 4.28 GPA.
Nia Nichole Parker is a cheerleader at St. Joseph.  She is a member of the National Honor Society, Mayor’s Youth Council, and the Environmental Science club. Nia volunteers with St. Vincent de Paul as well as New Jerusalem MB Church.  She maintains a 3.7 GPA while enrolled in college prep and dual enrollment classes.

YOUTH NEWS

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BATESVILLE St. Mary Parish, altar server class, Sunday, Dec. 6, at  at 9:45 a.m. (during Sunday School time) for new altar servers and current acolytes and those who would like to serve.

BROOKHAVEN St. Francis Parish, pajama Christmas party, Sunday, Dec. 6, at the home of Patrick and Kellie Barrett beginning at 6:30. Bring an appetizer and wear your favorite pajamas. Prizes will be awarded to the best pajamas.

COLUMBUS Annunciation School Christimas performance, Thursday, Dec. 3, at 6:30 p.m. at Rent Auditorim.

MERIDIAN – St. Patrick Parish, basketball and dodgeball competition, Sunday, Dec. 6, at 3 p.m. All youth in fifth-12th graders are invited to participate. Youth from Philadelphia Holy Cross Parish will join. Details: Father José de Jesús Sánchez, 601-693-1321.
– Council 802 of the Knights of Columbus is inviting all Catholic students in eighth-12th grades to participate in the Catholic Citizenship Essay Contest. Students are to write a 500 – 700 words essay on the theme “President Kennedy’s words are still important today.” Deadline is Dec. 11. Details: Dave Klutz, 601-479-8703.

PEARL St. Jude Parish, Charlie Brown Youth Christmas Party. Friday, Dec. 18, from 8:30 – 11 p.m. Wear your tackiest sweater or vest. Bring a gift to exchange. It’s potluck. Text us what you’ll bring to share.

Young Catholic Women invited to conference

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Washington D.C. – The Council of Major Superiors of Women Religious (CMSWR) announced a first-of-its-kind leadership event for young Catholic women, to be held June 7 – 12, 2016, at the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C.
Officially named GIVEN: the Catholic Young Women’s Leadership Forum, the event will be a week-long immersion in faith formation, leadership training, and networking. The GIVEN Forum will provide a platform for what St. John Paul II called “the feminine genius,” and a response to Pope Francis’ plea for a deeper understanding and activation of the unique gift of women in the Church and the world.
Throughout the week, young Catholic women will engage three principal themes, which include receiving the gift you are, realizing the gifts you’ve been given, and responding with the gift only you can give.
The event will feature many distinguished women leaders as speakers. The keynote speakers include Dr. Carolyn Woo, the President and CEO of Catholic Relief Services, Sister Prudence Allen, R.S.M., and Helen Alavaré. Helen Alvaré is currently a Professor of Law at George Mason University School of Law, a prominent news consultant, and advisor to various Catholic organizations and United Nations conferences concerning women and the family.
Ms. Alvaré looks forward to the event, stating, “The GIVEN Forum is exactly what young women need today in the Francis era – a place to discover that every woman is called by God to contribute, a place to learn to overcome the fear of speaking out, and a place to be inspired to get to work.”
The Forum is open to all young women between the ages of 20 and 30 who are vibrantly living their Catholic faith. Attendees must apply on the GIVEN Forum’s website, www.givenforum.org, by the deadline of February 2, 2016. Women who are accepted to attend GIVEN will receive a scholarship covering the full cost of the Forum, including food, lodging, and travel.
The CMSWR, the host of the GIVEN Forum, is located in Washington, D.C. The CMSWR was founded in 1992 with the canonical approval of St. John Paul II, and the sisters of the CMSWR communities represent more than 120 communities nationwide with approximately 6,000 sisters. For more information, including application links for the GIVEN Forum, visit www.givenforum.org.

30,000 American Catholics expected at World Youth Day

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By Dennis Sadowski
BALTIMORE (CNS) — The American contingent to World Youth Day in Krakow, Poland, in July is expected to top 30,000 pilgrims.
Bishop Frank J. Caggiano of Bridgeport, Connecticut, in a Nov. 17 presentation during the U.S. bishops’ fall general assembly in Baltimore, that the U.S. delegation of young people is expected to be the largest outside of North America.
He said that about 13,000 people already were registered for the event.
Pope Francis, in inviting young people and young adults to the celebration, connected World Youth Day with the Year of Mercy, which is set to open Dec. 8. The event in the southern Polish city will become a “youth jubilee,” Bishop Caggiano said.
The bishop, who is working with the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Secretariat of Laity, Marriage, Family Life and Youth, said people of all ages are invited to attend the weeklong World Youth Day, set for July 25-31.
“If everyone can be a pilgrim, where will you celebrate and how will you embark on this pilgrimage?” Bishop Caggiano asked.
He urged his fellow bishops to consider heading their local contingent, saying the deadline for prelates to register was Dec. 4.
While not all young people will be able to travel to Poland, Bishop Caggiano urged the bishops to plan events in their diocese to coincide with World Youth Day.
“World Youth Day is not simply an event that happens every three years. It is not limited to those who have the means to travel. Rather, World Youth Day is an opportunity for encounter, transformation and conversion offered for every youth and young adult in all of our dioceses and eparchies,” he said.
World Youth Day activities, locally or in the host country, provide an opportunity for young people to discern their call to a priestly or religious vocation, the bishop added.
“So many hear God’s word at an event like this to priesthood, religious vocation or consecrated life,” he said. “We’ve found that World Youth Day plays an indispensable role in young priests, sisters and brothers and lay leaders.”
Already the secretariat is preparing catechetical resources and other materials for bishops and diocesan staff preparing for the celebration. He said opportunities for Americans to meet in Poland for prayer, tours and other activities. Two particular events are being planned, including a gathering of pilgrims July 27 and a concelebrated Mass will all U.S. pilgrims July 30. Details will be announced in the future.
Bishop Caggiano also said that precautions are being taken to assure the safety of Americans making the journey. He said the bishops’ World Youth Day staff is working with the U.S. Department of State, the Polish embassy in Washington and the U.S. Consulate in Krakow on security measures.
“We will continue to be diligent and proactive in all of these matters,” he said.
(Editor’s Note: Information about World Youth Day is available at www.wydusa.org and https://worldyouthday.com.)

YOUTH SPORTS

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Fall sports talk usually centers around football in Mississippi, but there are other intense high school state competitions going in October and November. Our diocesan Catholic school athletes recently participated in state swim meets in Tupelo and cross country finals in Clinton.
The Madison St. Joseph girls swim team brought home the state title last week winning the Mississippi High School Activities Association (MHSAA) Class I state championship. Senior Sophia Waddingham (50 freestyle) and sophomore Emma Adkins (100 freestyle) each captured an individual gold and were part of the three winning relay teams along with Ellie Smith, Caleigh Hankins, Anna Chris Nicholas and Avery Nicholas.
The Lady Bruin Swimmers out paced their division rivals, St. Andrews, by scoring twice as many points.
The St. Joseph boys team finished second in the state. Eight different team members scored individually, showing the depth of the roster. Finishing in the top three were Graham Hlavac, second in the 100 breast; Nick Burrow, second in the 50 free; Jack Collins, third in the 100 free; and Kenny Thomas, third in the 500 free.
In cross country, the Bruin boys’ and girls’ teams captured the district meet at Choctaw Trails in Clinton. The boys were led by Matthew Hendley, who finished second; Brantley Bariola, fourth; and Nick Oigbokie, fifth. Riley Wolf placed third, Caroline Doherty, fourth and Emma Dotson, eighth for the Lady Bruins.
As of press time the results for the state meet were not available as the meet was postponed due to bad weather last Saturday.
In Mississippi Association of Independent Schools (MAIS) action, Jalen McCoy of Natchez Cathedral placed second in the state in the Class AAA 5K run.
Greenville St. Joseph’s Cecelia Azar finished fifth for the Fightin’ Irish in the girls two mile run in MAIS AAA.

Youth Briefs & Gallery

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BROOKHAVEN St. Francis of Assisi Parish, youth Mass followed by a Halloween Party at Dr. Shann’s house, Sunday, Oct.18, beginning at 5:30 p.m.
– Trunk or Treat, Wednesday, Oct. 28.

COLUMBUS Annunciation Parish, youth gathering on Sundays from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m in the activities center.

GLUCKSTADT St. Joseph Parish, high school prayer group is inviting seventh and eighth graders to the October meetings on Wednesdays from 5 – 6 p.m. in the Youth Center in Heritage Hall. Join us for snacks, games and faith building fun.
– Youth Mass, Saturday, Oct. 31, at 5:15 p.m. at Sacred Heart Church in Canton.

HERNANDO Holy Spirit Parish, “Decorated Sugar Bag” contest as October service project. There will be prizes awarded for the Sunday morning group and the Wednesday night group. Youth are asked to decorate a four- or five-pound bag of sugar and turn it in to Miss Amanda by Friday, Oct. 23. After the project, the bags will be donated to the food pantry on behalf of the parish.

NATCHEZ St. Mary Basilica, KCYO (3 – 5 grade) cemetery cleanup, Sunday, Oct. 25. Time TBD.
– Halloween carnival, Wednesday, Oct. 28, after the parish dinner for 5th grade and younger.
– JCYO & CYO bake sales after both Masses, Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 24-25.

SOUTHAVEN Confirmandi for the class of 2015 for all six parishes (Hernando Holy Spirit, Holly Springs St. Joseph; Olive Branch Queen of Peace; Robinsonville Good Shepherd; Senatobia St. Gregory and Christ the King) will participate in the celebration presided by Bishop Joseph Kopacz at Christ the King Parish on Sunday, Oct. 25, at 5 p.m. A reception will follow in the Parish Center.

Youth Briefs & Gallery

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GRENADA St. Peter Parish LifeNight youth group are meeting on Saturdays at 6:30 p.m. to examine spiritual warfare.

JACKSON  CardinalFest is set for Saturday, Oct. 25 at St. Richard School. Carnival games, Chili cookoff,  and fun for the family. All proceeds benefit St. Richard School.

MEMPHIS  Father/Son Program  for 12-15 year old boys and their dads to learn about God’s gifts of human sexuality, fertility, chastity and His plan for growing up and becoming a man of integrity, Sunday, Oct. 25, from 4 – 7 p.m. at St. Francis Hospital Auditorium, 5959 Park Ave. in Memphis. Pizza and refreshments. Cost is $25 per family if received by Oct. 21. Pre-registration required.  Register online at www.cdom.org or call the Diocese of Memphis NFP Center, 901-373-1285 for more information.

PEARL St. Jude Parish, Sunday hangout, Oct. 11, after the 11a.m. Mass.
– Service project, feeding the hungry at Smith Park,  Sunday, Oct. 18, after Parish School of Religion Class.
– Saturday, Oct. 24, Trunk or Treat from 6:30  – 8:30 p.m.

VICKSBURG  Spooky Sprint and Halloween Carnival, Saturday, Oct. 31 at 8 a.m. at the Southern Cultural Heritage Center. The sprint includes a 5K and 1 mile fun run. Registration is $35. Carnival admission $5. All proceeds go to Vicksburg Catholic School. Register online at www.vicksburgcatholic.org.

SAVE THE DATE
Diocesan high school confirmation retreat, Jan. 16-17, 2016, at Camp Bratton Green @ Duncan Gray Center, Canton. Cost is $40 per student and includes: meals, housing and a really cool tee! Registration will be available in November.

SEARCH FOR CHRISTIAN MATURITY
¡SEARCH! Search for Christian Maturity Retreat, Friday-Sunday, Nov. 20-22, at Camp Wesley Pines, Gallman. All high school juniors and seniors are invited. Cost is $120.
For information and to register visit www.jacksonsearch.com. Details: Jeff & Ann Cook, 601-853-2409, search@jacksonsearch.com.

Hat trick: Annunciation wins third reading award

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By Slim Smith
COLUMBUS – Students at Annunciation Catholic School have been wearing school uniforms for years. But not Friday.
“This is their treat for today,” school librarian Terri Doumit said Friday. “We’ll have a bigger celebration later this month.”
For the 203 students at the school – which serves children pre-K through eighth grade – there is reason to celebrate.

Annunciation school librarian Terri Doumit reads to students in the library. Doumit is the driving force behind a very successful summer reading program, which has resulted in three Scholastic Summer Reading Program awards in three years. (Photo by Katie Fenstermacher)

Annunciation school librarian Terri Doumit reads to students in the library. Doumit is the driving force behind a very successful summer reading program, which has resulted in three Scholastic Summer Reading Program awards in three years. (Photo by Katie Fenstermacher)

On Sept. 4, the school’s four-month summer reading program came to an end. When it was over, the students had logged 295,868 minutes of reading – breaking their own record and emerging as the top school in the state for the third consecutive year. The Scholastic Summer Reading program is operated throughout the U.S. and in many other countries. Annunciation finished in the top 2 percent, ranking 159th out of the 6,229 participation schools.
“We’re just thrilled,” said Doumit, who has been the school’s librarian for eight years and is the coordinator of the summer reading program.
Each year, shortly before the end of the school year, Doumit enters each student’s name in the summer reading program website and furnishes the student and parents with the child’s own user-name and password. During the program, students logged in to report how many minutes they read that day.
“It works out, on average, to about 15-to-20 minutes per day for each student,” Doumit said.
As much success as the school has had in this competition, Doumit said the program serves an even greater purpose.
“The bigger goal is to make sure our students have a passion and a love for reading,” she said. “That’s what I especially like about this reading program. The children get to choose exactly what they want to read. As the librarian, I don’t ever want to force them into any genre or category. We want to provide them with books they are interested in. That’s what creates that love of reading.”
Annunciation plans a more formal celebration later this month, when representatives from the program come to the school for an official presentation, Doumit said.
(Slim Smith is a columnist and feature writer for The Dispatch)