Teens In Minstry

HOPE HOUSE NEEDS:If you would still like to help, contact Pam at cyowebnews@aol.com

Part Two:Calendar of Events

Calendar of Events

Part Three:About our Youth Group

CYO stands for Catholic Youth Organization. We are one of four CYO's in the Bartlett area. Our current youth program evolved from six youth in 1993. This is how the story goes.

The Little Youth Group Who Could

Once upon a time there was a very small church somewhere in the heart of small town, Tennessee. It was a wonderful church. The closeness of those who attended was profound. But, because of its smallness, it struggled in almost every area. Ups and downs were expected and this little church had its fair share of both. One of the stuggles was its ministry to youth. Oh, it had its ups there, too, because the religious education program was thriving and, off and on, so did the senior high youth group. But, in the Summer of 1993, the senior high youth group was definately off. Unbeknownst to the Director of Religious Education, however, this was about to change for the positive.

Early in the Summer of 1993, the Director began making plans to travel to Denver, Colorado for World Youth Day. The Holy Father, John Paul II was to be there and this was a pigrimage that the Director wanted her own children to experience. In the planning of this, the idea came to the Director to invite other youth from the parish to come along with them on their pilgrimage. The word was spread and four sophomores, the Director's children, a seventh grader and a ninth grader, the Director and her husband made the pigrimage in August of 1993.

The trip left lasting memories for those who attended. Heat, sleeping on hard floors and tire ruts, and a diet of fast food. No one could eat at McDonalds for at least a year after returning. But, pigrimages are not suppose to be easy. The effects of the pigrimage was what came from it despite the hardships, or maybe because of them. The youth reaffirmed their faith and began not to be afraid to share it. The excitement took hold and upon the return of these weary travelers, the excitement was spread. These six youth wanted to share what they had experienced with other teens in the church. A youth group was born.

As you might have guessed, the church in the story is The Catholic Church of the Nativity and the present day senior youth group began with that Little Youth Group Who Could, six faith filled teens. By the Spring of 1994, it had grown to twenty participants. Today, we have a steady, active group of over Twenty 8th through 12th graders. They are mostly from our parish, but we have some who come from other parishes and even other religions to participate in our program. This is something of which we are very proud. The program is designed to be user friendly and inclusive to all. We cannot have too many friends!

Currently, we have a retreat team made up of young adults and high school students. These young people dedicate a great deal of time throughout the school year to put together retreats and facilitate them for our junior and senior high youth. Their service to our parish youth is so very appreciated by the Pastor and youth Ministers of the Church of the Nativity.

Part Four:Youth Travel Reviews

World Youth Day 2002

This world youth day was very similar to the Denver experience in 1993. Toronto was ready for us up to the day of the overnight stay in Downsview Park. There, the organization broke down. They would cut the pilgrims off from food, water, and bathrooms for over four hour periods for the Pope's arrival and stay in the park. But, as it was a pilgrimage, suffering is part of it, and that the officials of Toronto made sure that we experienced. Up to the stay in the park, the experience was positive, although tiring. We visited sites along the way to Toronto, such as the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception and the Pope John Paul Cultural Center in Washington D.C., ate lunch on the warf in Baltimore, MD, visited St. Elizabeth Ann Seaton Shrine in Emmitsburg, MD, attended Mass at St. Patrick Cathedral in New York and took a three hour boat tour around New York. Our last stop before entering Toronto, was Niagra Falls. It was as awesome as we thought it would be. Holy Rosary and Nativity then traveled onto Tronto where we attended Mass and catechesis each morning and enjoyed concerts and inspirational speakers in the afternoon. Getting our meals was an experience as their was only one food station for two hundred thousand people. The food was also an experience, just ask any pilgrim. We are all happy to have made the trip as this might be our last chance to be this close to Pope John Paul II. It is a pilgrimage that will be with us for a life time.

Click on one of the links below for other areas of interest within our church.
We hope you have learned a little more about our group, and remember, if you have any questions about any of our youth organizations or wish to correspond with its members you are invited to , to cyowebnews@aol.com.com and don't forget to sign our Guestbook located on any page of our site!

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