TWO HOURS?!?

There has been a lot of discussion about the new format for Religious Education classes for the Fall and we want to take this opportunity to answer the very valid exasperation:

“We can’t survive an hour mass… it is going to be painful to get them to come to 2 hours of RE!!!”

Now that we have an understanding of the Vision of the Youth Apostolate at SHM it will be easier to understand the “Mission” for the Youth here at SHM.

MISSION:

As the youth mature in their Faith they will be able to bring “all men that light of Christ, which shines out visibly from the Church.”(Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, No.1).  This mission is fulfilled by conforming one’s will to the will of God, and thereby fulfilling the end for which the parish of Sacred Heart of Mary exists; a sanctuary of sanctity.

The final reflection into the “Vision” for youth here at SHM:

OUR VISION:

Catechize Catholic youth in order to help them mature in their Catholic Faith, thereby nurturing in them the desire to grow in personal and communal holiness.

Holiness is found in God and therefore those who grow in holiness are growing closer to God.

OUR VISION

Catechize Catholic youth in order to help them mature in their Catholic Faith, thereby nurturing in them the desire to grow in personal and communal holiness.

“The human individual possesses the dignity of a person, who is not just something, but someone…”  (CCC 357) Personal growth of the youth deals with their ability to grow in”…self-knowledge, and self possession …”  (CCC 357).

Continuing to delve deeper into the “Vision” for youth here at SHM:

OUR VISION:

Catechize Catholic youth in order to help them mature in their Catholic Faith, thereby nurturing in them the desire to grow in personal and communal holiness.

Nurturing… the desire to grow means that we become aware of everything that influences and affects the youth.  To nurture is to cultivate so we look to the famous parable of the Sower in Matthew, Luke and Mark’s gospels where “seed was scattered on the path, the rocky, the thorny and the good soil”.  It becomes obvious that God’s love needs a nurtured environment to “take root and produce 100, 60 or 30 fold of what was sown.”  Mt 13:1-23, Mk 4:1-20, Lk 8:1-15.

Continuing to delve deeper into the “Vision” for youth here at SHM:

OUR VISION:

Catechize Catholic youth in order to help them mature in their Catholic Faith, thereby nurturing in them the desire to grow in personal and communal holiness.

Continuing to delve deeper into the “Vision” for youth here at SHM:

OUR VISION

Catechize Catholic youth in order to help them mature in their Catholic Faith, thereby nurturing in them the desire to grow in personal and communal holiness.

As we begin to plan for the coming academic year we would like to take this opportunity to share the “Vision” that will be guiding our activities here at Sacred Heart of Mary.

First- We have discovered a deeper identity in the word “apostolate“.  Traditionally we have identified our activities as “Youth Ministry”, but we have grown to understand that the Church does not exist to strictly “minister to” or “serve” the youth but “to instruct, strengthen, and encourage the faithful to a more fervent life.”