HSYM Update for 3-21-10

Dear SJHSYM Parents and Students,
It is time for another update on the program. I hope all the first year students enjoyed their week off from HSYM while the Confirmation Retreat was going on, and I hope all the 2nd Year parents enjoyed their weekend off from their 2nd year teens. The Confirmation Retreat was wonderful down outside Julian, Ca, at the Whispering Winds Catholic Retreat Center. Again, the facility did a great job at housing, feeding, and putting on a great retreat. Thanks to Kevin and his Leader Staff for doing an amazing job. Thank You Fr. Paul for coming down to the retreat and doing a wonderful outdoor Mass with the students. I am sure it was a Mass they will not forget. I would also like to thank the SJHSYM Leaders who also helped on the retreat (Brandon, Kilian, Emily, Will, Asehli, Mark, & Kyle).
Here is some additional information for upcoming weeks. If your teen needs service hours we have one more Fish Fry (3/26) this Friday. Please start the evening out by coming to the Servite prayer service in honor of Our Lady of Sorrows at the Foot of the Cross. The service lasts about 1/2 hour and honors the courage, love, and compassion of our Blessed Mother at the moment of her Son’s Passion. This is a new prayer service being introduced to the parish by Fr. Frank. The SJHSYM Living Stations of the Cross will take place on Good Friday at noon. Please bring the family for a special afternoon of prayer, music, and reflection as the students do the Stations of the Cross. All parishioners are invited. Our next meeting will be April 18th; this will be a Teen Mass/ Social/ Fellowship Sunday. Please do not miss, especially if you have already missed one. Teens must be at the Parish Center by 4:30pm. Our Fellowship Project will be attending the Baptism of 1st Year Student Nicholas Mares followed by a great Social Dinner to celebrate the receiving of his First Sacrament. I will send out additional emails to all Parents and Students regarding some additional service opportunities, class dates, and Confirmation info so please read them.
Kerry & Maura Condon
“God is good. All the Time.
All the time. God is good.”

HSYM Update 3-14-10

Hello HSYM Parents & Students,
It is time for a HSYM Update. We can’t believe how fast this year is going. There are only two more Catechesis Sundays left and one Teen Mass/ Social/ Fellowship Sunday left. Make sure your teen makes all three. The last few weeks we have concentrated on some basic topics of learning in the HSYM Program. 1st Year students learned about the Eucharistic Liturgy part of the Mass to help them understand and enhance their active and conscious participation in the Eucharistic celebration. Last week they reviewed the Beatitudes and discussed in small groups how they can live the Beatitudes in their daily life. 2nd year students learned about Catholic Morality and how love is the foundation of this. They watched a video of Fr. Rick Wendell who speaks of choosing to be a priest through some extraordinary experiences he had in a troubled part of his life. I have attached a link to a short bio of him. If you have a chance to order this video ($15) it is very good and inspiring for the entire family. http://jmjmediagroup.com/fr-rick-wendell-dvd.html

Last week our 2nd year students gathered and prepared for our upcoming Confirmation Retreat Weekend. They watched a video of last year’s SJHSYM Retreat to get them motivated and also watched a short video of Major League Baseball Player and All-Star Mike Sweeney who was interviewed on a EWTN Catholic Television show (The Rock). Mike Sweeney is a devout Catholic who has kept his faith strong and alive in a world of fame, money, and selfishness. I have attached a short video clip of Mike Sweeney where he talks about this and another link to a foundation he has started with his wife.
http://www.mikesweeney.org/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zgf6QCL28cw

We have only a few classes left so make sure your teen gets to class. Some important upcoming dates to be aware of:
March 19, 20, & 21 - 2nd year Confirmation Retreat (No class for Year 1).
April 2nd (Good Friday) – HSYM Living Stations of the Cross at 12noon.
April 25th – HSYM Crop Walk in Downtown Fullerton
April 25th – HSYM Bake Sale and T-Shirt Sales to benefit medical aid in Haiti after all masses.

HSYM Update for 2-28-10

Hello HSYM Parents & Teens,
Sorry I am a little late on last Sundays update but here it is. We had a great evening with our second “XLT” that brought the students together in the Church with the youth band for singing and praise as a class. Kyle Abramson (youth band drummer/Teacher Asst) also gave a moving witness talk about his struggles as a teen through his High School and first few college years. It took a lot of courage to get up and speak about such a personal issue with so many teens listening. Kyle did a great job! It is nice to let our young adults witness other young adults speak of their struggles and how it has strengthened their Catholic faith. I use many songs in the Confirmation program written and sung by a young Christian singer/songwriter named Jeremy Camp. He truly inspires others through his music and faith. I have attached a short witness video he did. I hope it inspires all of you to keep your faith alive and well in the tough times as well as the good times.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFLFFBhcUEM

At the end of the “XLT”, I took a few minutes to talk about a serious problem with young adults. This is the topic of suicide. Last week, a lovely and talented young Mater Dei sophomore took her own life. I wanted to let our teens know that this is never an answer for one’s own problems. If they or anyone they know have desperate feelings of suicide then they need to reach out to family, friends, teachers, or clergy to get help. I also explained that if they hear anyone talking about suicide they should immediately notify an adult and not wait or dismiss it as stupid talk. Please keep her and her family in your prayers.

It is hard to be a young adult in these times and as parents, I think we forget all those tough times we had at their age and tend to only remember the good times. One of my best friends from my high school years always battled depression and had a tough childhood. He committed suicide about four years ago at 41 years of age and there is not a day that goes by that I don’t think about him and why I couldn’t do more in his life. Life is funny, sometimes we think we are on top of the world and everything is great then suddenly life is terrible and the troubles seem to outweigh everything else. Our faith is a great balance from these emotions when we realize Jesus Christ is always with us no matter where we are in our faith journey as practicing Catholics. I have attached a music video by Jeremy Camp called “Understand “. This video sums up how Jesus is with us in difficult times.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BIjXqiqtsYs

Have a great rest of the week and we will see the teens this Sunday at 6:15pm. They are all invited to the 5pm Mass also. All HSYM Students can sit in the choir loft as a group with the Condon Family.

Kerry & Maura Condon
“God is good. All the time.
All the time. God is good”

HSYM Update 2-14-10

Hello HSYM Parents and Teens,
Time for another update on this week’s HSYM Catechesis Sunday. The topic of this Sunday was “Lent.” In a few days we will celebrate Ash Wednesday and the beginning of the Lenten Season. We started the evening in our prayer circle and lighted candles which spelled out the word “Lent” on the ground in the middle of the circle. I briefly spoke about Lent being upon us and the teens should study and think about this time of year in an adult frame of mind and how they can make this season very special for themselves and their families. We then turned down the lights and listened to a Jeremy Camp song called “This man.” Here is a link to the song/video for your enjoyment.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Df9mFYO02f4&feature=PlayList&p=4A6D190B29306302&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=2
Fr. Paul came in and spoke to the teens about the meaning of Lent. This talk was very informative and inspiring about the Lenten Season, Lenten traditions, and how we can make it a part of our daily lives. Ask your teen about it and what they learned this evening. The Teens then broke into their small groups and discussed about seven questions on this night’s topic. When we all came back together in one group I spoke to them about the four themes of Lent (Prayer, Fasting, Penitence, and Almsgiving) and how they could incorporate these themes into the family life during the Lenten Season:
1) Prayer: Families can use prayer to spend quality time together in the evening instead of watching television. Select a special area of your home and decorate it with religious articles so your family can pray together, thank God for all that is good in your life or pray for special intentions.
2) Fasting: Teens should be fasting during Lent and abstaining from meat on Ash Wednesday and all Fridays. This reminds us of the sacrifice Jesus made for us on Good Friday. Fasting also builds self-discipline which is extremely important in these teen years.
3) Penitence: Families can attend Church Penance Services or go to Confession as a family. Families can pray together at home and forgive each other for wrongs that have done to one another.
4) Almsgiving: Families can also do something or give of themselves during this Lenten Season. Work at local Charities as a family, collect money from giving up special things and at the end of Lent give all the collected money to the poor, or teens can promise to do what their parents ask the first time without arguing or complaining about the task.
We ended the night with a game called “Chubby Bunnie.” We had four 1st Year and four 2nd year students represent and play the game. The idea is to see who can put as many marshmallows in their mouth, one at a time, and say “Chubby Bunnie” clearly in the microphone. Congratulations to 1st year student Ernie Castellenos who won with 7 marshmallows in his mouth. Next week is Teen Mass/ Social/ Fellowship Sunday. Reminder – All students must be at the Parish Center at 4:30pm. This is when class starts, not at 5pm or later. Students will be marked absent if not on time and this can cause problems with successfully completing the course. Please be on time. Our Fellowship project will be making Care Packages for the Military. I have attached a list of items your teen can bring to class that can be purchased for a few dollars. Let me know if you cannot read the attachment and I will email you the list of items. All students were also given a copy of the list to bring home. I wanted to show a video at the end of class to remind all the teens that the Lenten Season is preparing us for Easter Sunday and the sacrifice that Jesus Christ made for us all but the internet connection was not working properly in the Parish Center. I have attached it for your viewing and please share this with your teen. Enjoy your week.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXcbGxvgyR4&feature=related
Sincerely,
Kerry & Maura Condon
“God is good. All the time.All the time. God is good.”