When I first came to Saint John about one full year ago, I was asked “What are you doing? Are you the new Youth Minister? Do you run Family Ministry? What is the Family ‘Mission’ anyway?” Hopefully, I have been able to answer many of those questions (if you still have them, however, please do not hesitate to contact me. By placing our “New Wineskin” of Family Mission into Saint John, we have developed several teams dedicated to supporting the renewed programs and events for youth, young adults, couples, families, and seniors. When over 400 attendees of our Families in Christ make 600+ bookmarks to assist the Ladies of Charity in their annual Christmas Shoe Drive (which now includes books and gifts, not just shoes), we know we are on to something.
One member of the High School Youth Group has been particularly supportive and engaged. Martha Oram has been the Youth Group Coordinator since Father John asked her to step in late last year. She has done a tremendous job in developing, educating, and engaging the high schoolers in our Youth Group and she has our church’s (and my) undying gratitude. She will continue as part of the team of our Youth Group, assisting with the future of our Youth programs for years to come. Thank you, Martha!
We have found a new High School Youth Group Coordinator in Ben Weber. Ben has been active at Saint John for several years, and has been a member of the Youth Group Core Team, so he can “hit-the-ground-running” for our high schoolers. Additionally, Ben is tremendously excited to provide additional focus on making our Youth Group a social and service-focused program, to engage all the high schoolers in the parish and the area with the joyous and exciting message of our faith. Ben is a teacher at Immokalee High School, as well as part of the Athletic Program, so he brings tremendous experience and energy with him. Please join me in welcoming Ben. His email is: [email protected] if you have any suggestions or want to contact him. More communications about his plans and activities will be coming soon, so please check out the upcoming bulletins, websites, and our social media for more details.
The Core Team of volunteers is the only way we can increase and expand our Youth Group. I want to thank those that are already serving:
- Jen Cox
- Gina Manfredi
- Zach Gibbons
- Tom Oram
- Martha Oram
- Jessica Berman
- Stephanie Gatt
- Theresa Weber
We would love to include more of the Parish Family in our efforts to enliven the Catholic faith to support our high schoolers, who face more obstacles to their lives that can draw them away from the path Jesus has set for them than many of us “experienced” people can imagine. The future of our culture and our church are in these young individuals, so please come help us help them.