The Happenin' Young Adult Group
at St. Cecilia Catholic Church

June BBQ at Mark's place. Shot taken just before Art broke out the water balloons!

Young Adult Group--We have a pretty active group of young adults. Some of our favorite activities include: weekly volleyball, movie and game nights, Halloween and New Year's Eve parties, bowling, dining out, monthly Catholic Chat, service projects, skiing, and one of our biggest commitments: helping run the church Middle School and High School Youth Groups (which meet weekly throughout the school year!) One way we leaders develop our ministry skills is to go on REACH Youth Ministries retreats to learn dramas and rap prayers to sing before dinner. Another neat experience is working with HS kids about to make their Confirmation. There are also opportunities to help chaperone the HS Youth conferences and retreats. See above (top left) Pizza & Movie Night February 2000, and (top right) Ski Retreat January 2000.

Softball 2000-- The Saints are back! Our Young Adult group another coed softball team for the 2000 summer season. Last year we placed 3rd in our league. We always welcome more fans to cheer us on, so watch the Young Adult newsletter for game times. Wish us luck!

Holy Rollers Bowling League--Our team name is "Bumper Bowlers" although we do have a ringer bowler: Dominic. Dominic has the high team average--breaking 200 already--so we are glad to have him. Team Roster as of 12/99: Mark, Adan, Julie and Dominic.

Middle School Youth Minister--After three years of volunteering with this group, I've decided to make this ministry interest my "real" job. Check out our new St. Cecilia Middle School Ministry Website.

One of my most rewarding experiences volunteering with the youth group was chaperoning for the JOIN Center for Involvement "Immersion Retreat" in November 1998. During the retreat we were immersed in the homeless population of Portland for 24 hours.
Our group of eight kids and four adults:

• Toured a shelter
• Cleaned windows at the shelter
• Served lunch at a soup kitchen
• Walked the streets where the homeless live
• Met and talked with several "street people," as they prefer to be called, to learn their stories
• Visited an "illegal" campsite under the bridge where many people resort to sleeping
• Cooked dinner and then ate with them
• Wrote in our journals about our expectations and misconceptions
• Committed to taking some action.

After the retreat experience, our youth decided to do a Hygiene Kit drive collecting items like soap, razors, toothbrushes and shampoo. Our goal was 200 kits and we exceeded that by getting donations from our parish and the members of our Youth Group. We delivered the kits to people waiting in line at the Soup Kitchen and at the Join Center and got to see some smiling faces.

RCIA Sponsor--I was honored to be asked to sponsor a friend, Jennifer, who wanted to be received into full communion with the Catholic Church. I was able to join her for the Rite of Enrollment into the Order of Catechumens, The Rite of Election (celebrated with our Archbishop Rev. John Vlazny at the cathedral downtown Portland, on my birthday no less), attend a Passover (Seder) Meal and then at last be there with Jennifer and her family for her Confirmation. She was confirmed at the Easter Vigil service on April 22, 2000. Below are pictures from her big day (the cutie in the middle is her daughter Kaitlyn). Welcome Jennifer (a.k.a. "Anne").

In 1998, I had the privilege of participating in the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults with Wes so he could learn more about the Catholic church and possibly join by receiving the Sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation on Easter. Classes met every week from May thru April so quite a commitment. He chose me as his sponsor/godparent so together we are learned alot about our faith journeys. It was a great Easter Vigil service April 11, 1998, with his family joining us (front row seats even) and he received a triple whammie with all three Sacraments of Initiation: Baptism, Confirmation and Holy Communion. Welcome Wesley (a.k.a. "Robert").

Links

• St. Cecilia Catholic Church
• St. Cecilia Middle School Ministry
• St. Cecilia Young Adult Group
• Catholic Church Info
• EWTN Catholic Faith Q&A
• KBVM Portland Catholic Radio