Category Archives: Youth

Conference set for teens, parish leaders

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JACKSON – Registration is open for Cross Connections, a first of its kind gathering for youth and ministers. The event, organized by the Office of Youth Ministry, is set for Saturday, Feb. 28, 2015, in Jackson from 10 a.m. – 11 p.m. The cost is $25 per person and attendees should make their own hotel arrangements.
“The theme: Cross Connections: Catholic and I Mean It, is meant to help us understand the idea that youth are members of their parish from the moment they are born, not just when they join a class or youth group,” said Kathie Curtis, coordinator of the Office of Youth Ministry.
“We want to work with youth and youth ministers, but we also want to include pastors, DREs, CREs, everyone who works in parish ministry to help integrate the gifts young people bring into the whole life of the parish,” she added. The Catholic population in Mississippi is a minority. Curtis said she wants to help young people embrace their faith and be proud of it, particularly as they reach the age when they are going out on their own and being challenged by other kids their own age.
Speakers will include Brian Topping, with Paradisus Dei, a ministry out of Houston, Texas. Topping has trained staff with Parish Success Group in how to manage, organize and communicate different ministry groups. He will lead a  session for young people and a breakout session for adult leaders only.
Joe Melendrez, famous for his Rosary rap, will also bring his high-energy praise and worship to the event. He will be joined by Leah Darrow, a contestant from America’s Top Model, whose conversion led her to become a Catholic speaker.
Reservations will be open until Feb. 10. Contact Kathie Curtis, 601-949-6934, kathie.curtis@jacksondiocese.org.

Youth briefs & Gallery

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CORINTH St. James Parish, children’s choir performance, Saturday, Dec.13, at 6:30 p.m. and on Sunday, Dec. 14, after the 9 a.m. Mass.

GLUCKSTADT St. Joseph Parish youth will host a party at Sacred Heart Parish for the underprivileged children in the Canton area on Friday, Dec. 19, at 6 p.m.

GREENWOOD Immaculate Heart of Mary, (IHM) St. Francis and Winona Sacred Heart, CYO Christmas party for children in grades six – 12, at IHM Parish on Friday, Dec. 19, beginning at 6 p.m.

JACKSON St. Richard School Advent program, Friday, Dec. 19, at 10 a.m.

MERIDIAN St. Patrick, juniors of the Catholic Youth of Meridian (JCYM) Christmas party on Sunday, Dec. 14, after the 11 a.m. Mass in the Family Life Center.
– All Catholic students in public, private and parochial schools grades eight -12 are invited to participate in the 2014 Knights of Columbus Catholic Citizenship Essay Contest. Students are encouraged to write a 500 to 750 word essay on the theme “The Importance of Religious Freedom.”
The local contest will be hosted by Council 802. All contestants on the local level are recognized for their participation in the contest. For entry forms and additional information contact Dave Klutz at 601-479-8703. Deadline for the essay is Jan. 16, 2015.

YAZOO CITY St. Mary Parish, children’s music practic for the Christmas Eve Mass on Wednesday, Dec. 17 at 6 p.m. in the church. Pizza will be served following the practice in the parish office.

15th anniversary of Abbey Youth Festival set for Saturday, March 21

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00121214youthabbyThe Office of Youth Ministry has chartered a bus to bring young people from Jackson and Brookhaven to Abbey Youth Fest (AYF) in Covington, La., Saturday, March 21, 2015. The cost remains at $35 per person.
Early registration now through Jan. 14 is $30 per person and includes a T-shirt and a water bottle. Registration from Jan. 15 through March 4 is also $30 and includes a T-shirt. On-site registration on March 21 is $35.
Participants may pack their own food and drinks or order online when they register.
“Abbey Fest is an incredible opportunity to see how big the young church is,” said Nick Adam, a seminarian who has been the emcee for the event. “More than 5,000 teenagers from around the southeast came last year, and it really is a great chance to celebrate your faith and have a great time! Plus, as a graduate, I can say that if you have not seen St. Joseph Abbey, you are missing out,” he added.
Andrew Bowden, a first year seminarian for the Diocese of Jackson, also encouraged young people to consider the trip. “I still remember getting out of the vehicle and being awestruck at the sea of young Catholics there the first time I participated in AYF. Growing up Catholic in Mississippi is not easy. We have one of the lowest percentages of Catholics in the country and AYF is a great reminder that we are not alone in our faith,” said Bowden, who is a student at St. Joseph this year.
“This is such a great opportunity for our young people to see lots of other Catholics their age and to enjoy a wonderful day. Typically, Mississippi has the largest out-of-state group at Abbey Youth Fest and I would like to see that trend continue,” said Kathie Curtis, director for the Office of Youth Ministry. Curtis added that she would like to hear from all the youth groups attending, even ones not riding the bus.
To reserve spots on the bus or report a group attending, contact Curtis, 601-949-6934, kathie.curtis@jacksondiocese.org.

St. Joe students attend congress of Future Medical Leaders in Washington

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GREENVILLE – St. Joseph High School  12th grader, Katherine Anne Terracina, and Virginia Virden, 11th grader, attended the Congress of Future Medical Leaders in Washington, D.C., Nov 14-16.
The congress is an honors-only program for high school students who want to become physicians or go into medical research fields. The purpose of this event is to honor, inspire, motivate and direct the top students in the country who aspire to be physicians, medical scientists, technologists, engineers and mathematicians, to stay true to their dream and, after the event, to provide a path, plan and resources to help them reach their goal.

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Teracina

Terracina and Virden were nominated by Dr. Connie Marian, the medical director of the National Academy of Future Physicians and Medical Scientists to represent Mississippi based on their academic achievements, leadership potential and determination to serve humanity in the field of medicine.
During the three-day congress, both students joined students from across the country to listen to Nobel Laureates and National Medal of Science winners talk about leading medical research; receive advice from Ivy League and top medical school deans on what is to be expected in medical school; witness stories told by patients who are living medical miracles; be inspired by fellow teen medical science prodigies; and learn about cutting-edge advances and the future in medicine and medical technology.

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Virden

“This is a crucial time in America when we need more doctors and medical scientists who are even better prepared for a future that is changing exponentially,” said Richard Rossi, executive director, National Academy of Future Physicians and Medical Scientists.
“Focused, bright and determined students like Katherine Anne and Virginia are our future and they deserve all the mentoring and guidance we can give them,” Rossi said.
The National Academy of Future Physicians and Medical Scientists was founded on the belief that we must identify prospective medical talent at the earliest possible age and help these students acquire  necessary experience and skills to take them to the doorstep of this vital career.

St. Joe juniors elected Youth Legislature governor, lieutenant governor

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00121214legilsatureMADISON – Two St. Joseph Catholic School juniors were elected to the top two leadership spots at the Mississippi Youth and Government 2014 Youth Legislature held Nov. 19-21. Benjamin Payne ran unopposed for governor, while Noah Greene won a two-person race for lieutenant governor. This is the first time that St. Joe students have won and will serve in the top two Youth Legislature leadership positions at the same time.
“This is a great and notable achievement for two outstanding students,” St. Joe Principal Keith Barnes said. “To win the top two elected positions – one unopposed – says a lot about Ben’s and Noah’s leadership skills and their ability to get things done. It also says a lot about the quality of students we have here at St. Joe.”
During the three-day conference, high school students from across the state proposed, debated and voted on legislation in a mock legislative session that took place in the Old Capitol, the War Memorial building and the Marriott in downtown Jackson.
Payne and Greene led a 27-member delegation from St. Joe that attended Youth Legislature this year. Payne and Greene will preside as governor and lieutenant governor over the Junior Youth Assembly in spring 2015 and over Youth Legislature in fall 2015. Junior Youth Assembly is for sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth graders; Youth Legislature is for high school students.

Diocesan Schools earn top rankings

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All four high schools in the Diocese of Jackson were honored in a recent ranking of private high schools, three of the four landed in the top 20 among private schools in the state of Mississippi. Madison St. Joseph School got top billing on the list, compiled by Niche, a company whose website provides reviews and insights into elementary and secondary schools nationwide.
Greenville St. Joseph School ranked fourth on the list, Cathedral sits at 19 and Vicksburg Catholic was ranked 28th out of the 66 schools profiled.
Niche’s website says “a high ranking indicates that the school is an exceptional academic institution with a diverse set of high-achieving students who rate their experience very highly.” The site uses statistical data and reviews to create the rankings.
“This rating by a national organization is a testament to the performance of and quality of our students here at St. Joe,” said Keith Barnes, Madison St. Joseph School’s principal. “Our students work hard and are guided by a top-notch, caring faculty that is second-to-none in the state.”
Niche has been ranking colleges across the United States for 12 years. The company was founded in 2002 by Carnegie Mellon University students as CollegeProwler.com.
Students and parents can use the company’s website, www.niche.com, to explore high school rankings, as well as compare educational outcomes across schools and school districts. Students can also create an account to compare college rankings and characteristics.

Youth Briefs & Gallery

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PEARL St. Jude Parish invites students high school age or older who play a band or orchestral instrument to play for the Christmas program before midnight Mass. Practices are on Sundays from 3 – 5 p.m.  until Christmas. Details: Pat O’Neil or the church office.

MERIDIAN St. Patrick Parish youth groups are collecting canned goods through Sunday, Nov. 23 to donate to Wesley House.

HERNANDO Holy Spirit Parish, youth in seventh through 12th grade are encouraged to help sort and pack Thanksgiving baskets for the elderly poor of the community on Sunday, Nov. 23, starting at 3 p.m. in the Family Life Center. A pizza supper will follow.

CLEVELAND Our Lady of Victories Parish CYO is selling T-shirts to raise money for a few trips they have planned. Order forms with the T-shirt design may be picked up at the back of the church, or in the church office. Forms and money must be turned in before Nov. 21. Details: Jenifer, 662-846-6273.

Rewarding reading

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COLUMBUS – For the second year in a row Annunciation Catholic School won the Scholastic Award for the most summer reading minutes logged in Mississippi.
Annunciation students read and logged 106,859 minutes.  The school ranked in the top five percent of the 7,311 schools around the world participating in the annual program. The school won by a margin of only 100-150 minutes.

Steve Lowry and Les Kevehazi, representatives from Scholastic Books, present Annunication School principal Joni House, with an award for reading the most number of minutes in the state. This is the second year the school has won the summer reading challenge sponsored by Scholastic. (Photo by Heather Skaggs)

Steve Lowry and Les Kevehazi, representatives from Scholastic Books, present Annunciation School principal Joni House, with an award for reading the most number of minutes in the state. This is the second year the school has won the summer reading challenge sponsored by Scholastic. (Photo by Heather Skaggs)

“We are so excited about winning the Scholastic award again,” said Terri Doumit, librarian. “We’ll be in the world record book again. Our children and their parents should be commended because not only did they read, but logged their minutes. I’m so blessed to work with families eager to read. Best job ever.”
The program challenges students to read all summer and record the number of minutes per day on a website. Doumit creates online accounts for each student before the school year ends to encourage them to participate.

Youth Briefs & Gallery

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GREENVILLE/MADISON – Greenville St. Joseph School senior, Emily Mansour, captured the Class 1 North State high school swim championship in the 50 and 100 yard free style. Sophomore Jennifer Mansour placed third and the girls’ team placed fourth overall in points. .
Emily, Jennifer and Michael Mansour all qualified for the State swim meet individually. Emily Mansour, Jennifer Mansour, Kelsi Mixon, Brandi Grothman and Katherine Anne Terracina qualified for State in relays.
The State swim meet is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 1, in Tupelo and will feature swimmers from Greenville St. Joseph, Madison St. Joseph, and Vicksburg St. Aloysius.
We hope to have extended results of the state meet in an upcoming edition of our paper. Congratulations to all our student athletes.
JACKSON – Ian Hennington, a junior at Madison Central High School, won sixth place in congressional debate at the Yale Invitational Tournament in New Haven, CT, on Sunday, Sept. 21.
Ian Hennington is the son of Gary and Tracy Hennington and a member of St. Richard Parish. Congressional debate is a mock legislative assembly competition where students draft bills and resolutions which they and their peers later debate and vote to pass into law.

Annunciation explores expansion

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By Heather Skaggs
Columbus – Annunciation School is in the initial planning phase of expanding to possibly include ninth grade. Currently, the school serves students PreK 4 – 8th grade.
The school is looking at the possibility of adding a ninth grade class in the 2015-2016 academic year, with the hope of offering students the opportunity to complete grades PreK – 12th in the coming years. This is the result of a large number of ACS parents having voiced sincere interest in the addition of a ninth grade class and a commitment to the continued growth of the school.
Accoring to Joni House, ACS principal, enrollment has steadily increased over the past six years, with more than 10 percent total increase from the 2013-2014 academic year, and a 76 percent enrollment increase from six short years ago.
As a result, in August a new middle school building was added to accommodate the students. The new facility houses five large middle school classrooms and an updated computer lab used by the entire student population.
House said everyone is excited about the possibility of expanding the school to serve students in higher grades. “What we offer our students is unique to North Mississippi, and the commitment to high academic and moral standards will remain the same in the future and in all grades. I personally invite you to visit our school and experience the Annunciation difference for yourself,” House said.
Tours of the school are available daily by appointment. Contact Heather Skaggs, marketing and admissions director, 662-328-4479,  acsmarketing@cableone.net, to schedule a tour.