2008 Recap

St. Anthony’s Youth Ministry Program has been very active this year! As summer moved into Fall, the Youth Group kicked-off this year with the theme, “Rooted in Christ.” With the Life Teen Program for High School and the Edge Program for Jr. High School the Youth Center is always packed with teens on Youth Nights! And of course this program could not happen without the help of the Jr. High and High School Leadership Teams. To all the leaders of youth group, thank you so much for your dedication. It is such a blessing!

Our Youth Ministry Program includes several retreats throughout the year. These Retreats are opportunities for teens to become closer to God, grow in their faith and build community with other Catholic teens. Last January the teens attended a Fire and Ice Retreat in the beautiful Retreat Center in Mt. Angel. In the Spring was a 14 mile Pilgrimage from Holy Rosary Mission to Mt. Angel. Later in the Spring we had a Lock-in where teens stay up all night long doing activities including a teaching Mass, guitar hero, praise and worship, group games, a talent show, and plenty more throughout the night. This Fall we had a High School Reach Retreat and a Jr. High Ropes Retreat. The Reach Retreat was put on by a team of Catholic young adults that travel all throughout the US. The Ropes Retreat was held at Camp Yamhill and helped teens build community with each other in a faith environment doing activities such as an outdoor obstacle course.

Steubenville NW, a Youth Conference with dynamic speakers, praise and worship, Adoration, workshops, and fun games, was the highlight of the year for many teens. As the Steubenville NW trip drew closer, many of our teens worked hard to raise money. Some of the fundraisers included the Youth Yard Work Day, a dance, as well as a pop can drive. Their hard efforts paid off and they were able to pay for a substantial amount of the costs! The trip was a powerful experience for all that went.

Summer time can be just as busy as the school year! Some of our fun summer events included roller skating, bowling, games nights, movie nights, guitar class, and a beach trip. Also during the summer some of our teens attended a Christian Leadership Camp where they learned leadership skills and came back with a burning desire to become more involved at the parish. This year many teens have stepped up to help out with activities at youth group. It’s a wonderful thing to watch their confidence grow in using their gifts to serve God. And there are plenty of opportunities for teens to become involved in the parish community. The rummage sale, Mexican Dinner, Bazaar, Advent Event, Italian Dinner and Vacation Bible School are all events that teens have had fun volunteering at. Teens have also taken roles at Mass such as Servers, Lectors, Ushers, Greeters, Eucharistic Ministers and Musicians. Kudos for getting involved in your Church!



Thanks to all the teens for a great year! Thanks for your enthusiasm and fun energy! You are awesome!!!

And thanks to all the parents and parishioners that are so supportive of our Youth Ministry Program!

Have a blessed new year that’s full of laugher and smiles!

Deborah

Portland Service Trip

Walking around in our Ugg boots, Vans, Air Jordan 1 sneakers, or whatever favorite shoes happen to be warming our feet today, there’s probably something we don’t think too often about…the socks that keep our feet so cozy!

How many would consider socks to be a valuable item?

Last Saturday, several teens and adults from St. Anthony’s walked the streets of Portland to deliver care packages made by the Youth Group the previous week. These packages consisted of many items including toiletries, snack bars, hats, socks, scarves, and gloves. (Thanks to the Parish for so many generous donations!) Toting a red wagon full of brightly colored packages and carrying several shopping bags of presents as well, we set off to hand them out to anyone that wanted one.

Our encounter with the homeless was almost immediate. As people eyed our packages we offered them happily with a “Merry Christmas!” as we gave several away. They were so grateful and pleasantly surprised that we had come just to give presents to them.

We met various types of people on our trip. Some we visited with at their “dwelling”; a bed of blankets on the sidewalk. Some we chatted with at the Blanchet House (soup kitchen), or the Sisters of the Road Café (café that serves inexpensive meals). Others we met on the streets as we made our way around Burnside. Everyone had their own story to tell and it really hit home the message which we sometimes forget: the homeless are regular people too and they deserve as much love and dignity as anyone else.


All of us who experienced this trip came back with a deeper understanding of Jesus’ call to help those in need. After seeing several of the shelters and soup kitchens in the area, many teens wanted to come back to volunteer some time at these places.

With everyone we met, the one question they kept asking was, “Do you have any socks?” By the third or forth time this was asked I began to realize how important socks were to a homeless person. How come I never realized that before? Socks are used everyday and can get worn out fairly fast. Socks keep the feet warm which keeps the body warm. Socks are a big deal!

Sometimes we take the littlest things for granted. Sometimes we want so many materialistic items that we loose sight of how much the little things in our lives give us so much comfort. So don’t forget to thank God for all the wonderful blessings in your life! We have much to be appreciative of!

Lord help us to live simply, so that others may simply live.

Advent!

It’s that time of year again for Christmas cookies, caroling, cocoa, and good holiday cheer! Anyone brave the crowded shops on Black Friday? Although I didn’t wake up at 4am to rush to the Mall, I did go shopping later on during the day. Everywhere I went there were all types of people starting their Christmas shopping. Long lines were inevitable!

And although it’s fun to enjoy the holiday hustle and bustle, sing Christmas songs (finally!), and maybe enjoy a warm Starbucks drink, we also have to remember that this is not only the start of the Christmas shopping season, it is also the start of Advent season.

What is Advent?
Advent is the season of waiting and preparing. We are preparing ourselves for the birth of the Son of God. Isn’t that amazing? Sometimes I don’t think we stop to realize what that means. After all, God, the all powerful and awesome King of the Universe, has taken on the form of a lowly, humble, human being. God humbled himself for our sake! And Advent is all about preparing ourselves to meet our God! How much time are we spending to prepare ourselves to come face to face with God?

In our daily lives we prepare for a variety of things: school, work, trips, parties, dates, etc. And with each of these things, if we are really excited or care enough about it, we take great care to fully prepare for it. How many of you have ever bought a new outfit for a party or maybe a date because you wanted to look your best and make a good impression? Well God has a date with us, and we know neither the day nor the hour that He will be coming. So we’ve got to prepare ourselves now for when He does come.

So don’t forget to find time for prayer and reflection this busy season! Christmas shopping is fun but remember that your presence can be a wonderful present too! Spend time with the people you love and help each other grow closer in Christ.

Happy Advent!