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MASS AND BREAKFAST MONDAYS- EVERY MONDAY THIS SUMMER 7AM-10AM!
STEUBENVILLE 2015
Bake Sale and Fun with Donuts! 6/14/15
SOUL WASH CAR WASH 5/30/15
THIS WEEKEND:
@SMYMRockville
Happenings...
1/4 and 1/11, SMYM Weekly Small Groups
Our small groups have recently moved on from their introduction studies to other interesting topics through the YDisciple program. The girl small groups have recently moved on to a study on True Womanhood, while the guys have moved on to a study called the crux, which focuses on the foundations of a strong catholic spiritual life. We have plenty of teens showing up, an awesome bunch of adult volunteers willing to share the faith, and great food donated every week by generous parishoners. Be sure to join us for our next small group session- and bring a friend!
12/13: Ice Skating in Rockville Town Center, 12pm-3pm
We had a great time ice skating in Rockville Town Center! We were met by the Youth Group from Our Lady of Lourdes at the rink and then ate 5 Guys afterwards. All in all it was an amazing time!
12/7: SMYM Sunday Small Groups, 6pm-8:30pm, Parish Hall
After a brief break, this past Sunday we picked right back up where we had left off with our small group meetings! We had pizza for dinner followed by small group discussions and open gym time afterwards. All in all it was a great night!
12/6: Greg Gannon Food Drive and St Nick's Festival
Even in the rain, SMYM helped to collect a record number of cans this year, beating last year's record by close to 1,000 cans! Thank you so much to all of you who donated and helped out!
Fall Retreat 2014: Unstoppable
Fall retreat was not to be missed this year! Hosted by Camp Wabanna on the Chesapeake Bay, our teens in conjunction with other high schoolers from St. Catherine of Laboure's and Holy Redemmer's Youth Ministries, experienced an amazing weekend learning aout the life and conversion of St. Paul. Teens heard talks given by various young adults, and had plenty of free time for Bonfires, s'mores and sports! Mass and Confession was available daily, and every teen signed up for an hour prayer slot for all night adoration Saturday night. One of the highlights of the weekend was a guest discussion panel compromised of various young Catholics living out and discerning different vocations on the topic of chastity. A huge thank you to all who came and helped in the planning and execution of the weekend! It was amazing!
Thanksgiving Potluck AND Mockingjay
Premiere, Sunday, 11/23
We had a great time viewing the newest installment of the Hunger Games Trilogy and had plenty of new faces join us! Firends are always welcome to all SMYM events!
SMYM Sunday Small Groups, 11/9
SMYM BOWLING, 11/2
Due to inconsistent weather, we unfortunately were not able to make it to our bonfire at Sharp's Farm. However, SMYM teens had a great time bowling a few games at Bowl America in Rockville!
PRAYER FOR LIFE, 10/26
We had an amazingly spiritual time at the Prayer for Life in front of a late term abortion clinic located in Germantown. While the teens were met with some opposition by passing cars in the form of angry honking, they stood fast int heir faith and defended the most volunerable. We actually had more passer by's honk in support than opposition! Please continue to keep praying that one day life in this country will be respected from conception to natural death!
SMYM Sunday Small Groups, 10/19
This past weekend, SMYM Teens had a great time playing games and continuing the discussions in their small groups! After a delicious dinner of pizza and salad, SMYM teens started the night by playing a game called Torpedo- which is an awesome action packed game similar to both regular dodgeball and the game "Sharks and Minnows." Afterwads, the teens broke up into their small groups to continue their studies, and then finished up the evening with an open gym.
SMYM SUNDAY CAPTURE THE FLAG AND MOVIE NIGHT
We had a great time playing capture the flag last weekend and watching Spiderman 2! After a dinner of home made baked ziti, SMYM Teens went outside and had a huge game 30 person capture the flag, which was followed up by free time in they gym and watching the movie Spiderman 2.
SMYM Sunday's Small Groups, 10/5
This last weekend was awesome as we continued our small group discussions from last week. After eating a pizza dinner provided for by Father Chip, the teens played a game of Pictionary for their small group competition. They then broke out into their small groups for discussion and had open gym afterwards, where we had a game of basketball, football, and volleyball all going on at the same time! We continue to grow with plenty of new faces (we had over 30 people this week) so be sure to bring a friend!
This past weekend, our SMYM Teens Kicked off the night with some delicious homemade chili provided with all of the fixings. After dinner, the teens were introduced to our new small group competitions. Each week, we will have a different challenge pitting small group against small group, with a specific amount of points given to the winning team. At the end of a few weeks, the small group with the most amount of points will win a FREE trip to dinner and a movie paid for by SMYM! This week's challenge was balancing on the balls of one foot while an egg was placed underneath of your heel. The group that had a member who could keep their egg under their heel unbroken the longest was the winner for 20 points. After our competition, the teens broke up into their small groups and then ended the night with an open gym of basketball, volleyball, and tossing round the football.
SMYM Sunday's Small Groups, 9/21
This past Sunday was had an EPIC showing of teens! All together we had over 30 teens join us for dinner, games and small groups. Thanks be to God! Please continue praying and bringing your teens and their friends out- I promise that they will have a great time! After eating a dinner of Popeye's chicken, the teens played a tournament of small group dodgeball. They then broke up into their small groups for some quality discussion and then ended with some open gym time.
SMYM Sunday's Small Groups, 9/14
We had a successful second showing for our small groups this weekend! After a delicious dinner of Chipotle, the teens went into the gymnasium and played a new large group game of Zombies. Afterwards, we broke up into our small groups from some great discussion and Bible study. Afterwards, our teens had free reign of the gym until they went home.
We had an awesome kick-off grill out last weekend with close to 30 people in attendance! After eating a meal of burgers, hot dogs, and other cookout food, our teens played a game and then broke up for the first time into their YDisciple small groups. The end goal of these groups is to help the teens grow in discipleship through Christ centered relationships. These groups will be the new focus of our SMYM Sunday Meetings. Pictures can be seen in the slideshow at the top of the page.
SMYM SUNDAY'S: ABSOLUTE RELATIVISM STUDY, 8/24, 6PM-8:15PM, PARISH HALL
This past Sunday, our SMYM Teens continued watching Chris Stefanick's talk on relativism's affect on our society. After a delicious dinner of pulled pork sandwiches, our teens watched part of the presentation, and then broke up into small groups to discuss what they had learned. Afterwards, we played some basketball- it was a great evening!
8/17 SMYM SUNDAY'S SOCIAL: GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY
What a great movie! We all had an awesome time- thank you to all of those who came out!
What a great movie! We all had an awesome time- thank you to all of those who came out!
SMYM SUNDAY'S: Chris Stefanick Absolute Relativism
After a delicious dinner of Italian sausage and garlic bread and the playing of a new game called "protect the president," SMYM teens watched part of a presentation of Chris Stefanick's called Absolute Relativism. This talk is centered on moral relativism's rise to prominence in our culture today and the implications that such thinking has upon our lives. After watching about 15 minutes of the video, the teens and adult leaders had a great discussion about what they heard and learned. The video in full can be seen below:
SMYM SUNDAY'S: SEVEN PILLAR'S OF CATHOLIC SPIRITUALITY, 8/3
This past weekend, our SMYM Teens watched the final installation of Matthew Kelly's 7 Pillars of Catholic Spirituality. I believe that the teens got a lot out of this program, and I think that it was a great primer for our transition over to YDisciple programming come September. Below are the last few videos.
This past weekend, our SMYM Teens watched the final installation of Matthew Kelly's 7 Pillars of Catholic Spirituality. I believe that the teens got a lot out of this program, and I think that it was a great primer for our transition over to YDisciple programming come September. Below are the last few videos.
LOCKOUT, 8/2
It as awesome! We joined so many teens from many different parishes across Montgomery County and went Putt putt, bowling, lasertagging, and even made a light night IHOP run! Pictures can be seen in the slideshow above.
It as awesome! We joined so many teens from many different parishes across Montgomery County and went Putt putt, bowling, lasertagging, and even made a light night IHOP run! Pictures can be seen in the slideshow above.
METRO MADNESS, SUNDAY 7/27
St. Mary's teens had a great time hunting around DC and competing against other local high school groups!
St. Mary's teens had a great time hunting around DC and competing against other local high school groups!
STEUBENVILLE 2014: GOD IS...
We had such an amazing and grace filled time at Steubenville this year! With the theme of this year being God Is.. the teens heard talks and had workshops with various world renowned catholic speakers such as Bob Rice and Father Leo Patalinghung. Every talk started with praise and worship lead by Josh Blakesley and was centered on different characteristics of God, and how he desires to be a part of each teen's life. Saturday night was our high point with one of the most powerful adoration sessions ever experienced by many present. Grace was abound in the gathering place that night- and multiple gifts of the holy spirit were witnessed or even experienced by our teens- be sure to ask them about it! Free time was filled with playing frizbee and football outside (even thought it did rain for most of Saturday), playing cards, and discussing what we heard and learned in small groups. After Mass on Sunday, we all headed to Pittsburgh for a quick stop to eat and visit the Cathedral of St. Paul and Heinz Chapel. What an amazing experience this retreat was for teens and chaperones alike- everyone has come away from this retreat closer together and ready to win the world over for Christ! A group photo and more images to come in the next few days!!
SMYM SUNDAY'S, 7/6, 7 PILLARS OF CATHOLIC SPIRITUALITY PILLAR 3: THE MASS
This past Sunday, SMYM teens came together to finish part III of Matthew Kelly's 7 Pillars of Catholic Spirituality Concerning the Mass, as well as watch a photo presentation from one of our teens concerning a mission trip that he took part in a few weeks ago. SMYM's own Gabe Castro gave a great and inspiring presentation on his mission trip to a Native American reservation located out west- complete with pictures and stories describing his own experience and the lives of the people on the reservation. After Gabe's presentation, which also included a delicious dinner of Paisano's Pizza, SMYM Teens went outside and played a fun game of "Trash Can." They then came back inside to watch the rest of Matthew Kelly's discussion on the Mass (the video can be seen on this page below) and broke out into discussion groups tot alk about what they had just learned. We then gathered together and played a very competitive and fun game of soccer!
This past Sunday, SMYM teens came together to finish part III of Matthew Kelly's 7 Pillars of Catholic Spirituality Concerning the Mass, as well as watch a photo presentation from one of our teens concerning a mission trip that he took part in a few weeks ago. SMYM's own Gabe Castro gave a great and inspiring presentation on his mission trip to a Native American reservation located out west- complete with pictures and stories describing his own experience and the lives of the people on the reservation. After Gabe's presentation, which also included a delicious dinner of Paisano's Pizza, SMYM Teens went outside and played a fun game of "Trash Can." They then came back inside to watch the rest of Matthew Kelly's discussion on the Mass (the video can be seen on this page below) and broke out into discussion groups tot alk about what they had just learned. We then gathered together and played a very competitive and fun game of soccer!
THANK YOU FATHER CHARLIE!!!!
This past weekend, we had our surprise party for Father Charlie, who as been reassigned to another parish in Lexington, Maryland. With the help of SMYM parents who came in early to decorate the parish hall while the teens and Father were in the small chapel for adoration- the party went off without a hitch! Some going away presents from various SMYM-er's included a $50 gift card to Best Buy, a thank you journal in which everyone wrote letters to Father, a pink fuzzy pillow pet, and a personalized SMYM soccer jersey. -After dinner, we watched a slideshow of pictures that were sent in by SMYM teens and parents, and then went outside to play one final game of soccer. While he will be sorely missed for all that he has done for the teens of the parish- we pray that his transition be an easy one as he starts his exciting new ministry! The teens gathered
This past weekend, we had our surprise party for Father Charlie, who as been reassigned to another parish in Lexington, Maryland. With the help of SMYM parents who came in early to decorate the parish hall while the teens and Father were in the small chapel for adoration- the party went off without a hitch! Some going away presents from various SMYM-er's included a $50 gift card to Best Buy, a thank you journal in which everyone wrote letters to Father, a pink fuzzy pillow pet, and a personalized SMYM soccer jersey. -After dinner, we watched a slideshow of pictures that were sent in by SMYM teens and parents, and then went outside to play one final game of soccer. While he will be sorely missed for all that he has done for the teens of the parish- we pray that his transition be an easy one as he starts his exciting new ministry! The teens gathered
SEVEN PILLARS OF CATHOLIC SPIRITUALITY, 6/22
We continued or discussion of Matthew Kelly's 7 Pillars of Catholic Spirituality this weekend, with a a focus on his next pillar in series: the Mass. After a delicious dinner of sliders from Buffalo Wild Wings. The teens gathered around the TV in the Library to watch the world cup game between the US and Portugal. During halftime, they watched a majority of the Matthew Kelly presentation on the Mass (the video and pictures can be found below).
We continued or discussion of Matthew Kelly's 7 Pillars of Catholic Spirituality this weekend, with a a focus on his next pillar in series: the Mass. After a delicious dinner of sliders from Buffalo Wild Wings. The teens gathered around the TV in the Library to watch the world cup game between the US and Portugal. During halftime, they watched a majority of the Matthew Kelly presentation on the Mass (the video and pictures can be found below).
SEVEN PILLARS OF CATHOLIC SPIRITUALITY, 6/8
We continued or discussion of Matthew Kelly's 7 Pillars of Catholic Spirituality this weekend, with a a focus on his first two pillars: Confession and Contemplation. After a delicious dinner of homemade stuffed shells and a hilarious icebreaker, the teens watched the video and then discussed what they had learned in small groups. The specific sections of video that the teen watched this weekend can be found below. Afterwards, we went outside and played basketball and a really fun game called SPUD. Before everyone left, we also held our 50/50 raffle drawing in which the winner would receive $250. Our winner was a lovely woman named Beth, who after learning she had won, decided to split her part of the winnings with us and give it back to the group! How beautiful! Pictures of the event can be found below:
We continued or discussion of Matthew Kelly's 7 Pillars of Catholic Spirituality this weekend, with a a focus on his first two pillars: Confession and Contemplation. After a delicious dinner of homemade stuffed shells and a hilarious icebreaker, the teens watched the video and then discussed what they had learned in small groups. The specific sections of video that the teen watched this weekend can be found below. Afterwards, we went outside and played basketball and a really fun game called SPUD. Before everyone left, we also held our 50/50 raffle drawing in which the winner would receive $250. Our winner was a lovely woman named Beth, who after learning she had won, decided to split her part of the winnings with us and give it back to the group! How beautiful! Pictures of the event can be found below:
LASER TAG, 5/31, SHADOWLAND IN GAITHERSBURG, 2PM-4PM
We all had a great time! Thirteen teens, including a few new faces, showed up to play 2 games of laser tag. The whole event was a success- be sure to join us next time!
We all had a great time! Thirteen teens, including a few new faces, showed up to play 2 games of laser tag. The whole event was a success- be sure to join us next time!
Sunrise Assisted Living Visit, 5/24, 2:30pm-4pm
We had a great time visiting at Sunrise and playing board games with the residence! The residents certainly appreciated our company for a few hours as we played cards and chess. Pictures can be found below:
EXALT/ WELCOME PARTY
Thank you to all who came out and attended our welcome party and Exalt for the newly confirmed!! After gathering in the parish hall, the teens and newly confirmed socialized and played the alphabet ice breaker game, where each kid had to get as many interesting facts as possible from different people in the room that correlated with different letters of the alphabet. Our winner received an iTunes gift card. After eating a delicious dinner of homemade pasta, salad, and desserts, the teens were given a brief talk on the importance of maintaining their spiritual lives after they are confirmed. They then watched a video on Steubenville and took their thoughts to prayer in adoration, and were also given ample time for confession. After that, the kids played a water balloon toss game with their hands all sudsy and slippery from a tub of dish soap. The winners of that contest also received iTunes gift cards. To wrap up the night, we played basketball outside in the beautiful weather. We are hoping to see all of those new faces back this weekend! Pictures of the event can be seen below:
SMYM SUNDAY'S, 5/4
TOPIC: 7 PILLARS OF CATHOLIC SPIRITUALITY
This past Sunday, our SMYM teens watched and discussed the introduction to Matthew Kelly's (author of Rediscovering Catholicism) awesome talk concerning what he believes to be the seven pillars of catholic spirituality. After eating a delicious donated dinner of bbq chicken, mac n'cheese, broccoli casserole, ice cream, and homemade cookies and brownies, teens were asked to divide up into groups and collaborate on 7 aspects of catholic spirituality that they felt were most important to developing and maintaining a spiritual life. They then watched the introduction to The Seven Pillars (which can be viewed below) and broke out into small groups for discussion. After reflecting on what they had learned, the teens then got together and played kickball outside.
TOPIC: 7 PILLARS OF CATHOLIC SPIRITUALITY
This past Sunday, our SMYM teens watched and discussed the introduction to Matthew Kelly's (author of Rediscovering Catholicism) awesome talk concerning what he believes to be the seven pillars of catholic spirituality. After eating a delicious donated dinner of bbq chicken, mac n'cheese, broccoli casserole, ice cream, and homemade cookies and brownies, teens were asked to divide up into groups and collaborate on 7 aspects of catholic spirituality that they felt were most important to developing and maintaining a spiritual life. They then watched the introduction to The Seven Pillars (which can be viewed below) and broke out into small groups for discussion. After reflecting on what they had learned, the teens then got together and played kickball outside.
SMYM SUNDAY'S, 4/27, 6PM-8PM Parish Hall: John XIII and JPII: The Road to Sainthood
After a hearty meal of Sloppy Joe's, coleslaw, and homemade cookies. SMYM Teens were presented with a video on aspects of the canonization process of the Catholic Church (see video below). After the video, SMYM teens were presented with a short biography on the lives of both Saint John Paul II and Saint John XIII. They then broke into small groups to discuss how the lives of the saints (in this case, specifically JPII's) are models of Heroic Christian virtue, and how we can apply what they achieved to our own spiritual lives. After small groups, we all then gathered in the gym for a game of basketball. It was a great time!
After a hearty meal of Sloppy Joe's, coleslaw, and homemade cookies. SMYM Teens were presented with a video on aspects of the canonization process of the Catholic Church (see video below). After the video, SMYM teens were presented with a short biography on the lives of both Saint John Paul II and Saint John XIII. They then broke into small groups to discuss how the lives of the saints (in this case, specifically JPII's) are models of Heroic Christian virtue, and how we can apply what they achieved to our own spiritual lives. After small groups, we all then gathered in the gym for a game of basketball. It was a great time!
EXALT and Wounds of Christ Movie Experience, 4/13
After our Exalt, consisting of Confession, Adoration, and Benediction, with a small teaching by Father Charlie, our SMYM Teens went next store and had a delicious donated dinner of chili and cornbread. After dinner, we watched a movie that described all of the wounds and sufferings that Christ received during His Passion in medical terms. After the movie, we held a brief discussion and breakdown of what we just saw. It was a very powerful video and I think we all learned something new in relation to Christ's suffering for our sins.
After our Exalt, consisting of Confession, Adoration, and Benediction, with a small teaching by Father Charlie, our SMYM Teens went next store and had a delicious donated dinner of chili and cornbread. After dinner, we watched a movie that described all of the wounds and sufferings that Christ received during His Passion in medical terms. After the movie, we held a brief discussion and breakdown of what we just saw. It was a very powerful video and I think we all learned something new in relation to Christ's suffering for our sins.
DODGEBALL TOURNAMENT
We are so proud of our SMYM Teens who competed this past weekend in the 3rd Annual MCYM Dodgeball Tournament held at St. Elizabeth's in Rockville. St. Mary's 3 teams, known as "God Squad 1," "God Squad 2," and "God Squad 3," all were top contenders to the very end. Two of our three teams came from behind in the losers bracket, with one team beating the other in the losers bracket final to play last year's champions: St. Patrick's. But alas, after 3 grueling matches, it was St. Patrick's who moved on to play in the tournament finals. Despite the heartbreaking loss, everybody had a great time- especially Father Charlie (he was coaching and cheering on each team the entire time)! Next year we call a St. Mary's sweep of the winners bracket!
Dodgeball Practice and Bible Study, 3/30
Our teens worked hard on the court practicing for the MCYM Dodgeball Tournament coming up on Sunday, April 6th! After working up a sweat, we went to the library and watched a short video skit giving us a depiction of Christ's love and Mercy. This video was then tied into the sacrament of Confession, as we studied where in scripture this beautiful sacrament was brought to the world by Christ himself. Check out the video we watched below!
Our teens worked hard on the court practicing for the MCYM Dodgeball Tournament coming up on Sunday, April 6th! After working up a sweat, we went to the library and watched a short video skit giving us a depiction of Christ's love and Mercy. This video was then tied into the sacrament of Confession, as we studied where in scripture this beautiful sacrament was brought to the world by Christ himself. Check out the video we watched below!
Saint Patrick's Day Potluck, 3/23
We had a great time at our St. Patrick;s Day potluck! We all gathered in the Library for some delicious Corned Beef and other dishes brought by our attendees (thank you all for the birthday cakes!). We watched the movie Waking Ned Devine, and then went into the gym to play some dodgeball and SPUD. We also had some new faces from our recently confirmed join us for the evening- we hope to see them and their recently confirmed friends coming back to our next event!
We had a great time at our St. Patrick;s Day potluck! We all gathered in the Library for some delicious Corned Beef and other dishes brought by our attendees (thank you all for the birthday cakes!). We watched the movie Waking Ned Devine, and then went into the gym to play some dodgeball and SPUD. We also had some new faces from our recently confirmed join us for the evening- we hope to see them and their recently confirmed friends coming back to our next event!
A Wider Circle Service Event, 3/15
On Saturday, we were so fortunate to be able to volunteer at A Wider Circle for the monthly SMYM service event. A Wider Circle takes in donated toys, clothes, artwork, and large pieces of furniture, to give to local area families who have none. Most of their clients, it was said, have no beds, couches, dressers or tables. Our SMYM teens were assigned to clean up their basement toy and book storage area- it was a mess! Toys and books were every crowding every inch of floor space; but this did not discourage our teens! With a little bit of time and elbow grease, we had all of the toys and books organized (see for yourself in the picture below). We will most certainly be going back again in the next few months- hopefully this time we will be able to move some of the larger furniture and actually load up the trucks of the clients coming to pick up their new furniture! Pictures from our visit can be seen below:
On Saturday, we were so fortunate to be able to volunteer at A Wider Circle for the monthly SMYM service event. A Wider Circle takes in donated toys, clothes, artwork, and large pieces of furniture, to give to local area families who have none. Most of their clients, it was said, have no beds, couches, dressers or tables. Our SMYM teens were assigned to clean up their basement toy and book storage area- it was a mess! Toys and books were every crowding every inch of floor space; but this did not discourage our teens! With a little bit of time and elbow grease, we had all of the toys and books organized (see for yourself in the picture below). We will most certainly be going back again in the next few months- hopefully this time we will be able to move some of the larger furniture and actually load up the trucks of the clients coming to pick up their new furniture! Pictures from our visit can be seen below:
EXALT
This past weekend, SMYM Teens participated in our powerfully month praise and worship, adoration, and confession service. Afterwards, we had a delicious dinner of pizza and talked about how to be an outgoing group and welcome new members into our fold. This comes on the eve of Confirmation, and SMYM will be hosting a variety of outreach events to bring in some newly confirmed teens and make them feel welcome and loved! Please pray for us!
This past weekend, SMYM Teens participated in our powerfully month praise and worship, adoration, and confession service. Afterwards, we had a delicious dinner of pizza and talked about how to be an outgoing group and welcome new members into our fold. This comes on the eve of Confirmation, and SMYM will be hosting a variety of outreach events to bring in some newly confirmed teens and make them feel welcome and loved! Please pray for us!
SON OF GOD MOVIE EVENT
This past weekend, 20+ SMYM Teens attended a showing of the new Christian Movie, "The Son of God." Full of delightfully catholic references, the teens really seemed to enjoy themselves! Beforehand, we went to Potbelly's for dinner (we practically filled the whole dining area!), check out some photographs below:
This past weekend, 20+ SMYM Teens attended a showing of the new Christian Movie, "The Son of God." Full of delightfully catholic references, the teens really seemed to enjoy themselves! Beforehand, we went to Potbelly's for dinner (we practically filled the whole dining area!), check out some photographs below:
Have You Met Your Mother? Marian Night
Starting off a series of talks regarding the 4 main things needed to have a flourishing spiritual life as learned at Mount2000, the SMYM Teens learned all about the Blessed Mother and the importance of developing a relationship with her in order to better follow her Son. After eating a delicious taco-dinner prepared by the Conway Family, we played an awesome game of Marian Trivia. The room was split into two teams as each side tested their knowledge about the Blessed Mother. After the game, we had a mini-bible study centered on Mary's importance in the development of a healthy Catholic Spiritual life. The teens were then challenged to say at least one full rosary over the course of this next week. We then went to the gym and played basketball to wrap up the night. We also had two new faces come out and join our little group! Welcome on and all! God is Good! (Pictures to come shortly!)
EXALT and Mount2000 Reunion
Exalt this past weekend was so moving and powerful! Twenty of our SMYM teens came out to praise our Lord fully present in the Eucharist. While Father Charlie heard Confessions, some of the SMYM teens lead our group in praise and worship with singing and guitar (they were awesome!). The "O Salutaris" and "Tantum Ergo" were sung particularly beautifully and loud! Afterwards, the teens went back to the Parish Hall where we had dinner and reminisced about our Mount2000 experiences with the aid of a slideshow. The teens then heard a brief talk concerning how to keep their enthusiasm for Christ and flame of faith alive now that they were back in their daily routine. We wrapped up the night with a competitive game of basketball and knock-out in the gym.
As Promised, More MOUNT2000 Photos!
MOUNT2000
What a blessing it was for us to attend the Mount2000 retreat this past weekend at Mount St. Mary's University! SMYM teens joined over 1500 other youth from all over the country to deepen their relationship with Christ. The weekend was jammed packed with daily Mass, Adoration, Confession, and prayer. Famous catholic musicians, world renowned speakers, and break-out sessions helped to teach us what true happiness means in this life, and how we can radically live for Christ and the Gospel. The most powerful part of the retreat was Saturday night's Eucharistic Procession- where the main venue was packed with teens and adults on their knees singing and praising our lord for over an hour! By the end of the retreat, the priests who joined us had heard over 1300 Confessions! We were also blessed to have a very special celebrant for Sunday's Mass- Archbishop Lori of Baltimore! The teens have come home spiritually charged and ready to set the world ablaze with the love of Christ- Mount2000 was truly a life changing experience.
SUPERBOWL POTLUCK
This past Sunday, we had a large group of teens come out to watch the Superbowl and participate in a quick Bible study beforehand. We had homemade buffalo wings and a variety of snacks brought by the teens. While we did get the festivities started a little later after kick-off, I was extremely impressed and humbled by the teens who attended when they opted to have our short Bible Study instead of watching the first portion of the game! We had a great time!
Exalt was just as amazing as always! Our house band provided praise and worship music for Adoration as Father Charlie heard Confessions. A huge thank you to Monica Mutai for providing dinner for us after Adoration! It was delicious! If any adult would be willing to help feed the SMYM crew, please email us at smymrockville.gmail.com!
MARCH FOR LIFE 2014
Despite the dangerously cold weather and school closings- SMYM teens made their pro-life voices heard at the March for Life in Washington, DC on Wednesday, January 22nd. Meeting at St. Mary's before the sun even rose, we traveled down to the Verizon Center where they participated in the Youth Rally and Mass for Life with thousands of other catholic teens from around the nation who also braved the weather to come to DC for the March. After a quick lunch, we walked from the Verizon Center down to the Mall and marched from there to the Supreme Court. Even though the weather was freezing, we returned home with hearts on fire for Christ and for celebrating and protecting life in all of its stages!
This past Saturday, SMYM teens headed out to the Rockville Town Center Ice Rink to show off their inner Olympian. Upon returning to the Church, and hearing a small talk about how it is important that we as Catholics participate in our local and federal government as much as possible, teens filled out Red Envelopes to be sent to various representatives in our Federal Government in protest of abortion. The red envelopes were addressed and sealed with nothing inside of them, then on the reverse side our teens wrote: "This empty Red Envelope represents one child's life that has been lost because of abortion." We wrapped up the evening with pizza and some basketball in the gym!
Continuing our discussion on the Theology of the Body, after eating a delicious dinner of Chipotle, SMYM teens participated in a team race of passing a ping pong ball in a cup. The first round, the teens were allowed to have their eyes open- the second round, they were not. After participating in the game, the teens were told that just like trying to pass a ping pong ball in a cup with their eyes closed, original sin is a "handicap" to every person passed on from Adam and Eve. Teens then sat down in a round table Bible study discussion of Genesis' description of the Fall, and how it continues to affect us in regards to the Theology of the Body. After the discussion we all went to the gym and played a great game of hockey! Join us for our next installment of the Theology of the Body discussion on February 2nd, from 6pm-8pm in the Parish Hall!
This past weekend our teens started their semester on an introduction to the Theology of the Body. After dinner, we started off the teaching night with a guy/girl trivia game. Each question was tailored to one or the other gender, expressing how God created man and woman to be "helpers" to one another. Afterwards, Youth Director Matt Curley gave a talk on the complementary natures of men and women, and how God created each of them equal, but intrinsically different. We then played a great game of dodgeball in the gym and hung out! It was a successful kick-off to our semester and a lot of fun, so please come on out and join us this upcoming Sunday as we continue our discussion of the Theology of the Body!
SMYM CHRISTMAS PARTY:
We had a ton of fun at our Christmas party! We first went over to Sunrise Senior Living next door to St. Mary's to sing Christmas carols with the residence- and they loved it! We then headed back over to the parish hall for our potluck dinner (there was so much food!) and our gingerbread church contest. Our winner was Dalia Badamo with her replica of the Small Chapel here at St. Mary's! We then finished the night with a great basketball game and just general hanging out. Thank you to all who came out and participated!
We had a ton of fun at our Christmas party! We first went over to Sunrise Senior Living next door to St. Mary's to sing Christmas carols with the residence- and they loved it! We then headed back over to the parish hall for our potluck dinner (there was so much food!) and our gingerbread church contest. Our winner was Dalia Badamo with her replica of the Small Chapel here at St. Mary's! We then finished the night with a great basketball game and just general hanging out. Thank you to all who came out and participated!
SMYM at the Greg Gannon Food Drive!
Thank you to all those who came out and participated in the Greg Gannon Food Drive Saturday, December 7th!! The event was a huge success as SMYM helped St. Mary's collect over 10,000 cans which went to local food banks.