Devotions

Youth Group Updates

Both the Junior and Senior Youth Groups will hold its next meeting on Sunday,

March 9th from 3:00-5:00p.m.

We will begin with a meeting to discuss upcoming events; followed by games and pizza!
Please come join us! Bring your fun ideas and board games with you!

March 29th: We will celebrate our 2nd Youth Mass at the 4:30 Vigil. Anyone interested in participating can call Mrs. Donovan at 343-9612 or Fr. Gregory at 343-0350. You can also watch the Bulletin for a practice date. All youth are encouraged to come and sit as a group, regardless of whether or not you have a particular job during the Mass. Our first Youth Mass was a huge success! Parishioners truly enjoyed it as well as those kids who participated. Please come and give it a try. We get to choose the music, special intentions, readers, ushers, greeters, everything! It really makes Mass a bit more "exciting"!

Spaghetti Dinner: We will host a Lenten spaghetti dinner folowing the Youth Mass. We REALLY need your help! Please come help us set-up at 12:00 on Saturday, March 29th. We will have a sign-up for jobs posted on the bulletin boards in Church.

Bowling at Lighthouse Lanes: Date to be announced.
Watch for details in the Bulletin and on our website!

Youth Group Fun at Fallbrook

The youth group held a sledding party at Fallbrook on Tuesday, February 18th during the winter break from school. It proved to be a very successful outing with over 66 youth and adults in attendance! The party began with a great deal of sledding down the HUGE hill (adults even got their share of exercise for the day!); followed by some food and drink inside the warm lodge. There was plenty of delicious hot cocoa, soda, snacks and cookies by the fireplace.
Everyone enjoyed playing some games: Clue, Catergories, and Dictionary to name a few while listening to c.d.'s Many people also took advantage of the opportunity to try out some Cross Country Skiing! A good time was had by all!

Our Youth Group started in 1997 when Fr. Edmund Wolak became Pastor of St. Stephen’s Parish. There were a lot of skeptics during that time, however, Fr. Edmund told us that we have to be patient and with time we will have vibrant Youth Group.
Our Youth Group here at St. Stephen’s Parish currently has a Junior and Senior Youth Group. The Senior group is open to students in the 7th grade and higher. The Junior group is for those students at the elementary level. We hold both separate activities, as well as combined group activities.
    At the present time, there is a core group that is responsible for planning, preparing and finalizing events and activities. Fr. Grzegorz (Gregory) Golyzniak who is Parochial Vicar at our parish help us with many planning and activities. This “Planning Committee” meets monthly or bi-monthly, depending on the need. These meetings (including snacks!) are open to all youth. Please come and share your ideas!
    We have been involved in numerous projects and activities throughout the past few years. Our Youth Group began with a great trip to Darien Lake (which has occurred annually since then). We host many pancake breakfasts, ice skating and sledding gatherings and pumpkin-carving parties for all of our Parish members. Our youth dances are always a great success! Christmas and Easter are busy times for us to think of others as we sponsor a “Giving Tree”, visit local Nursing Homes and host an Easter-egg hunt for children. Our first Youth Mass was held on January 20, 2003. The community was quite impressed with our talents.
    Youth Group events are open to everyone. You do not need to be a member of the Planning Committee in order to join in the fun. St. Stephen’s Youth Group is a growing organization. It receives tremendous support from Fr. Edmund Wolak, our Pastor; Fr. Gregory Golyzniak, our Parochial Vicar; our organist, Ryan Schaffer and ALL of our parish family! We welcome you as we continue to plan our future fun activities!