the catholic community of st. francis of assisi
Ministering To Our Youth
The Youth Ministry at St. Francis is an integral part of our faith formation ministries, fostering faith, friendship, and service. Tim Hetzel, Director of Youth and Young Adult Ministry, and Jess Montrella, Middle School Evangelization and Formation coordinator, spoke about the resurgence of youth ministry following the pandemic.
“For at least a year,” says Tim, “we had kind of a virtual youth ministry, or were trying to do virtual youth ministry when we’re on Zoom in our small groups. That worked as well as it could, and then when we got back, it was similar to how schools did it, which was sort of like ‘being in your cohort’ kind of thing. You didn’t really see the whole group.”
After all that, the ministry experienced staff turnover, which disrupted things. Tim says, “What we’ve been able to do is get back to a pretty solid foundation where we gather all of the youth together. High school meets in Fellowship Hall; Middle school meets in the community center; same night, same time, right after the 530 p.m. Sunday mass. So you can go to mass and then come to youth ministry.
Volunteer Spotlight: Pam James
Pam James can weave, and not just a great story! Pam has been in Weaver’s Guilds, each with over 200 members, in three different states, Colorado, Texas, and North Carolina, and has been an avid weaver and mixed media artist for a long time. Every two years, there is a convention where she says, “Every well-known weaver attends and is probably teaching a class.” This past year, the convention was in Wichita, Kansas, where she entered a piece in the Mixed Media category and won 3rd Place!
How does this correlate to her work at St. Francis? She weaves her love of art with her leadership of the ‘Care for Creation’ ministry at St. Francis. “I’ve always been a bit of an ‘eco-freak,’” says Pam,” I grew up with the idea that you mustn’t waste. My sister-in-law is kind enough to call me resourceful, but I’m just cheap! I’ve always asked myself, ‘Why would I throw that away? I can use that.’” She exclusively uses ‘recycled yarn’ in weaving, embracing the ‘reuse’ principle of Care for Creation.
Ministry Spotlight: Rosary
The focus of the ministry is in answer to Our Blessed Mother’s call for us to “pray, pray, pray,” as requested in her appearances at Guadalupe, Lourdes, Fatima, and Medjugorje. To accomplish this calling, prayer is held after daily Mass, as mentioned above, and, once a month, the ministry has a special gathering in honor of Our Lady. Eucharistic Ministers who serve at some of the Senior Living Centers also pray the Rosary before the weekly Communion Service. Other Rosary members have formed a Rosary Group at home, with family and neighbors. There are many opportunities to answer Mary’s call to pray the Rosary.
“The Rosary Ministry at St. Francis of Assisi is a witness to the power of prayer and is a source of strength to the community and a support for other ministries,” says Marian. She adds, “If you would like to get involved with the Rosary Ministry, please simply come! You may also sign up for the Rosary Ministry on Realm if you would like occasional updates. We look forward to meeting you.”
