“Be who God meant you to be and you will set the world ablaze.” St. Catherine of Siena
D.O.C.K. Youth Nights
We are still learning about Jesus and sharing with one another among all the uncertainty. We are finding time to share, to play, to laugh and to grow with one another because it is important to be open to what we can learn in this time and it is important to remember that God is with us and we need not be afraid of any of the storms that we face.
Our Cafe Soul, Tuesday evening meetings have been happening virtually throughout the quarantine and continue to do so. Cafe Soul topics have included Laudato Si, Pope Francis’s encyclical on Care for Our Common Home the Earth (complete with some lessons in ecology and the value of native plants), Why Lent?, The Triduum of Holy Week, and the idea of Mercy. Each segment includes one week dedicated to the life of a pertinent saint as well as lively discussions among the participants. Teens and their families are invited to take part.
Thursday evenings have been designated “Game Nights” where the group gathers and plays games (Scattergories, Drawful, etc) as well as just sharing what is going on in their lives.
Sundays, Project YM Live, a national Catholic Youth Ministry production, has been offering guest speakers and artists for the teens to hear. Discussions and feedback on what was covered kick off the Tuesday evening Cafe each week.
To access the Zoom chat for any of these events, families are encouraged to sign up on Remind to the D.O.C.K. (Disciples of Christ’s Kingdom) classroom by texting @hhessels to 81010. You can also like us on Facebook D.O.C.K. Youth Ministry or on Instagram d.o.c.k.youth to get updates or contact our Youth Minister, Holly Hesselschwardt at [email protected] or [email protected]
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Sign up for Remind to stay informed:
text @hhessels to 81010 to sign up.
D.O.C.K., Disciple Of Christ’s Kingdom is open to all high school students, who with their peers, would like to explore their faith and relationship with God in today’s world.
If you are a teen and your family is registered here at St. Julie, you are already a part of D.O.C.K.! All teens are strongly encouraged to participate in as many activities as they are able. Teens from outside of St. Julie are also invited and need not be Catholic. Respect for each other and the Catholic faith are requirements.
D.O.C.K.Youth Ministry is made up of three components: Spiritual, Service and Social. While all three are important and necessary to the lives of teens, more important is the goal that we must keep God at the center of our lives.
D.O.C.K. Fundraising
To support all our efforts in Youth Ministry, there are several fundraising events throughout the year. Participation in these events allows our youth great opportunities to grow in their faith and be of service.
- Summer Car Washes – We hold three summer Car Washes to raise money. The first one in June goes toward gas money for our mission trip. The funds raised in July and August go to Youth Ministry. All are invited to help and have some fun washing cars. Adult help is always needed as well as publicity for this event. Please contact the Youth Office, if you can help, by calling 708-429-6767 X223 or email [email protected].
- BlackHawk Ticket Raffle – Early in the Fall, we are given a couple of tickets to a pre-season game for the Chicago BlackHawks. We sell raffle tickets for a weekend and all of the proceeds go to sponsoring teens for the National Catholic Youth Conference (NCYC) held in Indianapolis. It is a great experience to be part of this gathering of over 20,000 people. Thank you to our kind benefactor!
Sponsorships: Sponsor a Teen or Youth Ministry – If you would like to sponsor a teen or Youth Ministry, in general, we always appreciate people’s generous support. You can make donations though Give Central and follow the prompts to do so or call our business office and speak with Nancy Pfieffer at 708-729-6767 x215 to make a donation. We thank you for your consideration and generosity.
Youth Retreats
Here is an opportunity for the teens to pull away from ordinary “life” schedules for prayer, reflection and friendship. Our planned retreats include Plano and Breakaway.
- Plano – Every winter, in March, our team of talented, creative and faith-filled young adults plan a weekend retreat for our teens. Each year is a different theme is selected which is enriching, reflective and fun. Plano is a favorite event of many of our teens. Friends are always welcome. Registration generally begins in January.
- Breakaway – Our summer retreat takes place in July at Great Adventure Camp in Lacon, IL. This retreat is planned by a team of graduating Seniors under the direction of the Youth Minister and adult chaperones. The week is full of faith, friendship, food and of course, fun. If you have not participated in this retreat before, it is highly recommended. Registration generally begins in May. Bring a friend or two.
National Catholic Youth Conference (NCYC)
This event happens every other year in Indianapolis, IN and is next slated for November, 2017. It is a gathering of over 25,000 Catholic teens from across the United States. They come together to pray, listen to amazing speakers, attend incredible workshops of their choosing, participate in hands-on activities, listen to and dance to outstanding musicians and so much more. The weekend concludes with Mass in Lucas Oil Stadium. NCYC is open to all high school students. There is also a college student track available. For more information, please contact Holly at 708-429-6767 X223 or email [email protected] Sponsorships are greatly appreciated.
ND Vision
Notre Dame Vision is a leadership camp, hosted by the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, IN. Through activities and reflections, presented by Notre Dame students, participants gain a greater sense of who they are as a Catholic teen in today’s society. This week normally takes place in July. There are several options to attend but registration must be done early so if you are interested, please contact Holly at 708-429-6767 X223 or email [email protected] for more information.
World Youth Day
Pope John Paul II began WYD and some of the places the youth of the world have gathered are the Philippines, Denver, Paris, Rome, Toronto, Germany, Rio, Madrid, Krakow and Panama. The youth of the world are gathered together for catechesis, social activities, prayer, and Mass with the Pope. There are not many places you can go where 2 – 3 million Catholics come together for the same purpose. It is quite a remarkable experience. Planning normally begins 1 – 2 years ahead of time. This is open to high school age and older. Please contact Holly at 708-429-6767 X223 or email [email protected] for more information.
Youth Mission Trips
Each summer a group of teens and adult chaperones spend a week serving an impoverished community in the United States. Sometimes the poverty can be seen with the naked eye and sometimes we have to look closer and listen with our hearts. In any case, we serve where we are called because everything we do is for God. During the week there are a variety of service projects such as building, repairing, painting, weeding, playing with kids, and much more. There will also be singing , laughing, eating, playing, sleeping, making friends from other places.
Of course, time will be spent in prayer and reflection thanking God for all that He has given us.
Registration forms are typically available in the Fall. Current 8th graders through Seniors are invited on this journey. Will you come be a part of it? We welcome parent inquiries about chaperoning. Watch the bulletin, website and Facebook for more details.
Youth Sports
Our teams play in the South Suburban Youth Minister Association league which is comprised of our neighboring parishes.
Volleyball is played Thursday evenings from January through March at St Michael’s or Our Lady of the Woods.
Softball is played Sunday afternoons at Buedingen Park in June and July. A tournament follows in the first weekend of August.
The leagues purpose is to promote Catholic values , friendship and sportsmanship. No experience needed as these activities are not intended as competition play.
Teams are open to 8th grade through high school seniors. Friends are welcome!
