Jaycee Armosino

Hello everyone,
 
I am 17 years old and I am a part of the Youth Group Program here at Saint Catherine Church. I have been part of this parish since I was born; and, my family has been part of it for 43 years. My parents, grandparents, and brothers have participated in RCIA, the Arts & Environment Committee, St. Vincent de Paul, Liturgy Committee, Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist, the YLI, Children's Liturgy of the Word, and the Youth Retreats. I was baptized here in 2001, made my First Holy Communion here, and after eight years of Faith Formation, it was time to join the youth program and prepare for Confirmation.
 
I want to share with you information about the St. Catherine Youth Program. As some of you may know, Sunday afternoons kids planning on making their Confirmation meet at the Parish Center to attend a class, primarily run by youth leaders like myself. The youth program has an exciting vibe, it is a fun, informative, and enlightening program that encourages high schoolers to take the next step into adulthood in the Catholic Church. The first year of the program is a one-hour bi-monthly class run by the youth leaders. We get the kids comfortable with each other by doing fun activities with their peers and getting familiar with the program. The second year, students experience a much more structured class preparing them to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation. All of these kids get to experience three different retreats. On these retreats, they create new bonds, get a break from the real world, and, all while expanding their knowledge about God.
 
For me personally, the Confirmation program has increased my faith in God tremendously. I enjoyed my experience so much that I wanted to continue on to be a team leader. As a team leader, it is a my job to plan the classes, run the retreats, and much more. The kids in these classes come to me for advice, guidance, or simply to be just someone to talk to. It is rewarding knowing that I am a superior figure to someone; and, being able to help just one kid makes all the time I put into this program worth it. So, I encourage all of you parents that have kids to put them in this program. Thank You.