Youth Groups

High school youth groups grow students’ faith

TOGETHER IN FAITH Gathered around tables before small group discussion, freshman Annie McGuire and sophomore Clare Hansen distribute pens and paper to write down any questions the members may have. Each Sunday, the Holy Trinity Life Teen meets after 5 p.m. Mass. | NATALIE MARTINEZ BY ALENA GILLESPIE

WEB EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

“ The 6 p.m. church bells ring. The sound of the church choir echoes as the priest processes up the middle aisle to the front entrance of the church. Some students proceed to their cars, while others walk across the street to the Father Quigley Center for youth group.

High schoolers sit around in community and eat pancakes together before they meet for a large group discussion.

For freshman Annie McGuire, this is her typical Sunday, as she is a member of Holy Trinity Life Teen. Life Teen is a Catholic youth organization in the U.S.

“It’s a great community,” McGuire said. “I get to know upperclassmen and deepen my faith with God.”

McGuire joined the group about half a year ago and is one of the 30 to 40 members.

“We get together and talk about a topic,” McGuire said. “One of our youth ministers talks, and then we get into small groups and dive deeper into it.”

Sophomores Clare Hansen and Emilia Olsen are also part of this youth group, as Olsen recently joined in November. “Just try a youth group even if you don’t think you’ll like it because the Lord works in mysterious ways,” Olsen said. Over the summer, McGuire helped put on an eighth-grade retreat, and she helped with the prep work and activities.

“It’s very enlightening,” McGuire said. “It just helps your

I get to know upperclassmen and deepen my faith with God.

FRESHMAN ANNIE MCGUIRE

FACES IN YOUTH GROUPS

“Youth group gives me an opportunity to expound on my Catholic knowledge and abilities. It’s another opportunity to meet other people from different schools, but we have a commonality of our religion.”

SENIOR ALLISON QUINN

St. Joseph in Shawnee “My favorite thing about my youth group is the service projects, including making Thanksgiving meals and delivering them to the homeless.”

FRESHMAN DON CARLOS ALVAREZ

C-10 Mentoring and Leadership in Kansas City

relationship with God deepen and you get to know a lot of people.”

From attending Camp Tekakwitha every year, senior Jack Elder learned about St. Michael the Archangel Life Teen from a cabin mate and joined the August before his junior year.

“The people there are super fun people,” Elder said. “You are welcomed with open arms.”

According to Elder, this youth group offers adoration Monday and Friday nights and men’s group on Wednesday nights and Life Teen night on Sunday.

“Some of my deepest friends are from there,” Elder said. “We go to small groups and have good discussions.”

Sophomore Grace McCallop joined the Open Door youth group when she was in sixth grade and has been a member ever since.

“It’s just a refresher in my faith,” McCallop said. “It is something for you to do, and it will just benefit you in different aspects of your life.”

This Christian group meets Wednesday nights and starts with games, before time for worship and a Bible lesson.

“I look forward to the unique messages and spending time with my friends,” McCallop said.

C You in the Major Leagues, also known as C-10, was founded in 2013 by Dayton Moore, who was the Kansas City Royals general manager at the time. After applying during the end of his eighth grade year, freshman Don Carlos Alvarez joined.

“My mom got an email and told me it could help with school,” Alvarez said. “They give out scholarship funds, so it helps with my schooling and everything.”

C-10 meets every Wednesday and focuses on helping high schoolers in the Kansas City area with leadership skills for the real world.

“My favorite part is definitely the service projects,” Alvarez said.

According to Elder, there are rewarding benefits from joining a youth group.

“It is cool to have a good group of people that encourage me in my faith and that I am able to have good conversations with instead of just surface level talks,” Elder said.

15% of students are a member of a youth group

according to an online survey of 174 students

This semester, math teacher Kayla Moylan began a prayer group that meets in the administrative conference room at 7:20 a.m. before Friday morning Mass. All women are welcome to join this group. Q&A with Moylan

Q: Why did you start this prayer group? A: “Since I got here, I wanted to start more intentional faith based groups. I think it’s really good for students to be able to have a place where they feel like they can go and other people get them and get their faith.” Q:What do you think are the benefits of joining? A: “I would say to grow your relationship with God. Also, to meet other people that want to grow in their relationship with God. We’ve actually had some nuns come, visit and pray with us. So, meeting religious nuns, which might be something that you don’t always get to do.” Q: What is your favorite part of leading this prayer group? A: “I’ve grown a lot in my faith, especially over the last three years, and it’s the most important thing to me. It’s really nice for me to be able to share that with other students and encourage them on their own journeys.”

HEARING THE WORD With the Gospel reading in hand, math teacher Kayla Moylan leads her prayer group through an activity to better understand God’s message before Mass on Dec. 9. | NATALIE MARTINEZ

“My favorite part of youth group was honestly just getting to hang out with other youth group members in whatever we did. We just hung out and it was great.”

SENIOR MARIALUNA SCHREINER CINTRON

St. James in Kansas City “I like hanging out with kids my age and also working with little kids, where we get volunteer hours. I also enjoy getting more experience in my Catholic faith.”

SOPHOMORE JULIA MEYERS

Curé of Ars in Leawood FAITH | 19