St. Monica/St. Augustine Catholic Youth Group (Grades 7-12)
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St. Monica/St. Augustine Catholic Youth Group is for Catholic students in grades 7-12 who have completed religious education and have received the sacraments. Although this group ministers to mostly parishioners of St. Monica Parish and St. Augustine Parish, all students are welcome!
A few notes about each event:
If you have any ideas or suggestions for events, please do not hesitate to let us know by emailing the Parish Catechetical Leader (PCL), Abigail Beach at [email protected] or call the Religious Education Office at (802) 476-4020.
If you would like to add your name to the contact list in order to receive the most updated notifications and reminders for these events, please email or call the PCL. All events times and days are subject to change. if you are on the mailing list, you will be notified of any changes to the website and schedule.
For non-session events, please RSVP to the PCL to help us get an estimate of how many people will be there. If you do not RSVP, you are still welcome to join!Events:
September 2023Location: Peck Farm
Event: Corn Maze
Date: September 10th, 2023
Time: 1PM-2PM.
Notes: There is no charge. Parents are welcome to join!October 2023
Location: Twin City Family Fun Center
Event: Bowling and Pizza
Date: October 1st, 2023
Time: 5:30PM
Notes: There is no charge. Parents are welcome to join.
Location: St. Monica - St. Michael School
Event: Session
Date: October 15th, 2023
Time: 5:15PM - 6:30PM
Notes: This is a great opportunity to spend time with friends, eat great food, and ask any questions you may have about the Faith.November 2023
Location: St. Monica - St. Michael School
Event: Session
Date: November 5th, 2023
Time: 5:15PM - 6:30PM
Notes: This is a great opportunity to spend time with friends, eat great food, and ask questions about the Faith!
Location: St. Monica - St. Michael School cafeteria
Event: Thanksgiving Dinner
Date: November 12th, 2023
Time: Times to arrive will be based on how you want to help out. More info to come.
Notes: Parents are welcome to volunteer as well. Areas where help will be needed: setting up, peeling potatoes, hanging up posters and putting out other decorations, meal serving, clean up, and other small tasks. Please let the Parish Catechetical Leader, Abigail Beach, know that you will be volunteering. This will help the organizers of the Thanksgiving Dinner know how many volunteers to expect. More info to come.December 2023
Location: St. Monica - St. Michael School
Event: Session
Date: December 3rd, 2023
Time: 5:15PM - 6:30PM
Notes: This is a great opportunity to spend time with friends, eat great food, and ask questions about the Faith!Location: St. Monica Parish
Event: Christmas Pageant Practice
Date: December 10th , 2023
Time: 5:15PM - 6:30PM
Notes: This is only the rehearsal. Christmas Pageant sign-up slips will be sent via email and physical copies will be handed out to youth many weeks before the pageant. Please return the signed form to the Parish Catechetical Leader (Abigail Beach) on or before November 5th so we can plan accordingly. You may email a digital copy of the form to [email protected] or mail it to St. Monica Parish. All 7th-12th graders who want to participate in this pageant must attend the rehearsal.
Location: St. Monica Parish
Event: Christmas Pageant, 2023
Date: December 17th
Time: Right after the 4:15pm Mass
Notes: All 7th-12th graders who want to participate in this pageant must have attended the rehearsal that takes place on December 10th in St. Monica Parish. If students have not turned in their Christmas Pageant forms and attended the rehearsal, they will not be able to participate but are still welcome to sit and watch the performance.
January 2024Location: St. Monica - St. Michael School
Event: Session
Date: January 7th, 2024
Time: 5:15PM - 6:30PM
Notes: This is a great opportunity to spend time with friends, eat great food, and ask questions about the Faith!
Location: (TBD)
Event: Sledding Party!
Date: January 21st (alternative date - 28th)
Time: (TBD)
Notes: Parents are welcome to join us. We will try to have some cocoa and snacks, but no meal. If you have sleds, please bring them! If you do not have any sleds, we may have a few extras to use. To make sure everyone is sufficiently warm, please dress appropriately: snow pants, hats, gloves, scarves, and boots.
February 2024Location: St. Monica - St. Michael School
Event: Session
Date: February 4th, 2024
Time: 5:15PM - 6:30PM
Notes: This is a great opportunity to spend time with friends, eat great food, and ask questions about the Faith!
Location: St. Monica Parish
Event: Souper Bowl of Caring
Date: February 10th and 11th
Time: before and after all Masses
Notes: The tradition at this parish is that we have Religious Education confirmation candidates and Youth Group participants standing at the entrances of the church before and after all Masses with bowls and crates to hold money and non-perishable donations for the food shelf. There will also be adults present to collect monetary donations after Mass. We will need at least 4 students per Mass. Please plan for the children to show up about 30 minutes early to volunteer. Access to a Google Doc sign up will be given to all confirmation candidates and Youth Group participants closer to the event. At that time, all will be able to click HERE to sign up. Please sign up your child for a Mass where he/she could help out before and after.
March 2024Location: St. Monica - St. Michael School
Event: Session
Date: March 3rd
Time: 5:15PM - 6:30PM
Notes: This is a great opportunity to spend time with friends, eat great food, and ask questions about the Faith!Location: St. Monica Parish
Event: Living Stations of the Cross
Date: March 17th, 2024
Time: 5:30-6:30pm
Notes: The Religious Education Students in grades 3-6 and Youth Group will be practicing the acting out of the Living Stations of the Cross. If you would like to participate in the Living Stations, please contact the Parish Catechetical Leader (Abigail Beach) by using the contact info at the top of this page. We are seeking at least one person from our Youth Group to perform as Jesus because carrying the large cross is not something that the young children can/should do.
Location: St. Monica Parish
Event: Living Stations of the Cross
Date: March 24th, 2024
Time: 5:30PM (after the 4:15pm Mass)
Notes: All parishioners are welcome to stay after Mass to watch this performance. All 7th-12th graders participating in this pageant must have attended the rehearsal.
April 2024Location: St. Monica - St. Michael School
Event: Session
Date: April 7th, 2024
Time: 5:15PM - 6:30PM
Notes: This is a great opportunity to spend time with friends, eat great food, and ask questions about the Faith!
Location: The Quarries Disc Golf Course
Event: Disc Golf
Date: April 21st
Time: 5:30PM
Notes: Parents are welcome to join. What to Expect: We will meet at the disc golf course at 5:30 PM and aim to finish by 7:30 PM. There will not be pizza, snacks, or beverages provided, so please eat beforehand. Please bring a water bottle that is easy to carry with you. If you don't have your own discs, don't worry! Father Robert has some available for borrowing. In case of rain or potential rain, the event will be rescheduled. Stay updated by checking this website and your email for any changes. Important Reminders: Check the weather forecast before the event. Dress appropriately for the temperature and conditions. Please arrive promptly at 5:30 PM to ensure we can finish the game by 7:30 PM.
May 2024Location: St. Monica - St. Michael School
Event: Session
Date: May 19th, 2024
Time: 5:15PM - 6:30PM
Notes: This is a great opportunity to spend time with friends, eat great food, and ask questions about the Faith!
June 2024Location: St. Monica - St. Michael School & St. Monica Parish
Event: Totus tuus
Date: June 23rd-28th, 2024
Time: TBD
Notes: More info to come.
Location: St. Monica Parish
Event: Baccalaureate Mass (post-Mass event TBD)
Date: June (TBD), 2024
Time: TBD
Notes: More info to come.
July 2024Location: TBD
Event: Cookout and Lawn Games
Date: July (TBD), 2024
Time: TBD
Notes: More info to come.
Location: Massmutual Center, Springfield, MA
Event: Steubenville East
Date: July 26-28, 2024
Time: TBD
Notes: Theme: Illuminate. Registration opens in January!
Early Bird Cost: TBAStandard Cost: $260/person
Priests attend for free! More info to come.
For more info . . . Phone: (800) 809-3902 ext. 231; Email: [email protected];
August 2024Location: St. Monica - St. Michael School
Event: Session
Date: August 11, 2024
Time: 5:15PM - 6:30PM
Notes: This is a great opportunity to spend time with friends, eat great food, and ask any questions you may have about the Faith.
September 2024Although our ideas and dates for September are flexible, we are going to see if we can attend a Christian concert, have a session, and go to a corn maze. Dates and times are TBD. We will notify those on the mailing list when we change this.
What are some ways I can learn more about my faith?
Father Mike Schmitz hosted a series called "The Bible In A Year," which has different episodes that include: two to three scripture readings, a reflection from Fr. Mike Schmitz, and guided prayer to help you hear God’s voice in his Word. You can also find "The Bible In A Year" on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and other platforms. He also hosted a series called "Cathechism In A Year" with a similar framework. Listening to both at your own pace are great ways to learn more about Catholicism outside of Catholic Youth Group.
If you have questions about the Catholic Faith, you may find that Catholic Answers can be helpful. Catholic Answers is a media ministry that seeks to explain and defend the Catholic faith. Their goal is to be a trusted and accessible source for sharing, explaining, and defending the Catholic faith. Their website is: https://www.catholic.com/
If you have questions, you may try searching for “[Question] Catholic Answers”
For example, if you search, “Why go to Mass Catholic Answers,” one of the first results I found is:
https://www.catholic.com/magazine/print-edition/why-go-to-mass
If you would like the daily Mass readings emailed to you, below is the link to sign up:
https://www.usccb.org/subscribe/daily-readings-email-subscription-form
If you would like a daily reflection on the Mass readings by Bishop Robert Barron, below is the link to sign up:
https://bishopbarronbooks.com/dailygospelreflections
If you would like daily reflections from FORMED.org, the link to sign up is below:
https://daily.formed.org/
Have you ever wanted to read through the Catechism of the Catholic Church? Would you prefer to have someone read it to you and provide a reflection? If so, Father Neil has a podcast where he does this. To find it, you can go to: https://www.fatherneil.com/
From his website: “The podcast is available on SoundCloud and Spotify, on the Apple Podcast Store as well as in the Google Podcast Store. It is already available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts (search for "Catechism" and "Neil" and it should appear as one of the options).”