Cardboard Box City UPDATE

We raised almost $400 to benefit the homeless community of Rochester!

(and we had a GREAT time doing it!)

We had fun trying to build our houses. It was a challenge in the cold--but we did it! We used duct tape, tarps, boxes and anything else we could think of to put our houses together!

There was a live drum band with great music and choreography! It really was a small "cardboard box city." There were houses big and small, all different shapes and colors.

The next morning we spent some time thinking about the cold, uncomfortable night we had. We thought about those who don't have options. We were challenged to think of ways that we can show our faith in our everyday lives.


Check out the gathering space this weekend to see more pictures and a display of this event!

Get in on the service and fun---join us in 2009!

November Lifeline

(Click each picture to view it larger)

Contact Carol by email of phone if you're interested in participating in this great event!

Want more? Click on the "Lifeline Mass" Label to the right!

Stay Warm at Cardboard Box City

A couple reminders for all CBBC participants:

We want you to stay warm! Bring everything you need to stay warm the whole night through! For practical ideas on how to stay warm visit this site. (Don't forget hats, mittens, scarves, socks, etc.)

Also, remember to bring your $5 for pizza when we meet at 5 p.m. on Friday. Don't forget your item for breakfast either!

Please note the schedule change: Parents can pick their kids up about 9:30 a.m. on Saturday!

I am excited...I hope you are too! Please feel free to email or call at any time!

Austin Youth Rally November 9th

Austin Youth Rally
Sunday, November 9th
*This event is limited to 500 youth. A waiting list is available for High School aged youth. Cost is the same.

$15 ($20 at the door)
Theme: Never Be the Same
Guest Speaker/Performer: Tony Melendez
Registration Deadline: Thursday, October 30th.

7th and 8th grade students are invited to attend the Austin Youth Rally on Sunday, November 9th. This will be a great event! It will be held at St. Mary’s School in Owatonna. We will meet at 11:30 a.m. at church and leave from there. The Rally runs from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. There will be games, dance, food, Mass, speaker and more! We will return back to church at about 8 p.m. The youth group blog has a video of the keynote speaker this year: Tony Melendez. See a video of Tony performing! He is really an inspiration!

Sign up by Thursday, October 30th!

Summer Festival
Tony Melendez Performance
Break Time
Liturgy
Pizza Party and Dance

Watch a video of Tony Melendez performing!

Good News!

The registration deadline for DCYC has been extended to Wednesday, October 22nd!

DCYC is a wonderful event for high school youth. And,YES, this counts towards one of your three service requirements for the year!

The Diocese of Winona offers a Catholic Youth Conference every other year for high school age youth, and we’d like your son or daughter to attend. This year, our event will take place on Nov. 22 & 23.

Our theme, To the Least of These, is taken from the Gospel passage for that Sunday when it says, “What you did not do to the least of these, you did not do for me”. This is a great theme for a youth conference since it will give youth an opportunity to pray, learn, and practice the faith we believe.

Our 24 hours together will include time for learning from two inspirational Christian artists: Sarah Hart and Jesse Manibusan. We will have a banquet together and recognize a youth and an adult who have demonstrated passion and commitment to Catholic Youth Ministry. After dinner, we have the privilege of enjoying a concert with Sarah, and Jesse. Our evening will conclude with a dance, karaoke and some wonderful service projects. We’re hoping to create 60 Thanksgiving baskets for needy families in the Mankato area, and assemble 6,000 meal kits for the organization Kids against Hunger.

On Sunday, after breakfast, we’ll enjoy Liturgy with Bishop Harrington before leaving for home. This all happens in 24 hours of faith-filled fun.

My hope is that you’ll sign your son of daughter up for this valuable experience of our Diocesan Church.

All registration forms should be into the parish office by Wednesday, Oct. 22nd.

Also, please stop by the youth ministry table this Sunday, October 12th. Carol will be at the table in the Gathering space to help you with registration or any other questions you might have.

Are you looking for a service opportunity?

Your help is needed this Saturday morning (October 11th) for a small service opportunity. Deacon Dick Mangen is looking for students to help him at the Community Clothesline. Any willing students must be able to help load and unload box springs and mattresses (just a few).

If you are interested contact Deacon Dick Mangen for more information 288-1400. If no answer, please leave a message with your name and number and he will return your call!

What is Lifeline all about?

(click to make it bigger)

Here are the themes for the upcoming Lifeline Masses. October's Mass was great. The speaker was unforgettable, the music was great, and the crowd was lovin every minute of it. Come find out what this event is all bout!

Visit the NET website for more information or to donload this flyer.

Lifeline Mass at the Net Center

Here is an excerpt from the Net Website about the monthly Lifeline Mass program:

"Over 800 hundred Catholic teens in a gymnasium, a Mass where everyone loves to sing, and snacks? Sounds like Lifeline, our monthly program that turns the NET Center into a hot spot for Catholic young people in the Archdiocese of St. Paul/Minneapolis and beyond.


Now in it’s thirteenth year, each Lifeline evening includes Mass followed by locally and nationally known speakers, musicians, priests, and entertainers who dynamically proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Youth and their parish leaders come to Lifeline events to celebrate their faith so they can be encouraged and equipped to share it within their parishes and schools.


One high school youth commented..." (read more)

Lifeline Mass October 4th:UPDATE

Here is a video from the Lifeline Mass at the Net Center in St. Paul on October 4th. Lifeline Masses are for students in 8th-12th Grade and they happen every first Saturday of the month.
The band playing is SONAR. This is the band that also played GREAT music for the Steubenville Conference.

The next Lifeline Mass is happening November 1st!
Sign up this weekend to go to Lifeline. Spots are already filling up!

Sign up for the next Lifeline by October 19th

Visit SONAR's website to hear more great music by these Catholic artists.

"Art into Service" at Fall Festival

Here are some pictures of the posters that middle school students created during our "Art into Service" Night in September. Did you see them displayed at the Silent Auction? Our kids did a GREAT job--way to go!

Weekend Sign-up

DCYC Nov. 22-23rd

Lifeline Mass Nov. 1st

Austin Youth Rally Nov. 9th

Sign up for youth group events this weekend! Carol will have a table at Masses this Sunday, October 12th. Ask questions, sign up, get more info!

CARDBOARD BOX CITY participants:

Rent money (Any amount you can raise!) can be turned into the parish office any time this week or at Mass this sunday. Stop by the Youth Ministry table to sign up, turn in money and DON'T FORGET PERMISSION SLIPS!

Cardboard Box City Information

We will gather at the church at 5 p.m. on Friday, October 17th. We will have a casual pizza dinner at 5:30 p.m. All parents welcome to eat with us. Please bring $5 for dinner. We will go over expectations and the schedule during that time. We will head over to Soldiers Field, check-in, set up camp, enjoy the live music and games and end the night with group prayer at about 11 p.m.

In the morning we will wake up and take down our houses and head back to the church. We will eat breakfast and meet in large and small groups to talk about Catholic service, homelessness and mercy and charity, etc. We will end the day with a service project. Parents can pick up their kids at 12 Noon on Saturday.

What not to bring:
--Extra food or snacks (any food brought into Cardboard Box City will be confiscated and treated as a donation food item to a local food shelf.)
--Electronic Devices (any music, game or video devices—remember we are participating in this in order to experience life in someone else’s shoes
--Extra Money (or other valuables…we cannot be responsible for lost or stolen items)


What TO BRING:
--$5 for pizza on Friday.
--WEATHER APPROPRIATE CLOTHING…This event will happen rain or shine. Please be vigilant about watching the weather forecasts for that weekend. We want this to be experiential but we don’t want anyone to be miserable!
--Sleeping bag and pillow
--Extra Blankets, sweatshirts, pants to combat cold weather, if necessary
--Change of clothes for the next day
--Toothbrush
--Bible
--Bring a breakfast food item to share for breakfast


OPTIONAL to bring:
--Playing Cards
--Journal to draw or write about your experience

As we want this to be a positive experience for everyone involved, please consider staying home unless you are bringing the following with you to this event:

A willingness to be a little uncomfortable
An attitude to work with other people
A respect for chaperones, adult leaders, and others in your group and at Cardboard Box City
An openness to follow the rules
A desire to meet new people and have some fun!


REMEMBER

You must collect RENT in order to live in Cardboard Box City. RENT money is simply any donations you can raise from other people. All donations will go directly to help out the Interfaith Hospitality Network, Dorothy Day House and other organizations in Rochester.

Turn Rent money in at the parish office anytime the week of October 6-10th
or after the 10 a.m. Mass on Sunday the 12th.

Cardboard Boxes Needed!

(Here is a picture from the very first Cardboard Box City)
Do you (or anyone you know) have access to large cardboard boxes? We need “homes” for cardboard box city—and it has to be boxes! Please email, call, or stop by anytime if you can donate some boxes. Even if you have just one or two large boxes…that will help! We need “homes” for about 20 people so please contact me as soon as possible if you can donate! Cardboard box City will be held Friday, October 17th, 2008.
Please contact me by October 13th if you are able to help.

Thank you in advance!

A New Link

A new link has been added to the youth group blog!

Look on the right hand side of the blog for this picture of the "parish calendar" click on this picture to go to the parish calendar website. Here you can view ALL the events going on in the parish.

Happy calendaring!