Ann youth ministry Weekly Newsletter August 30th, 2020 22nd Sunday of Ordinary Time Vol II, Issue IX

Cover Page pg. 1 High School Formation pg. 6 Headlines pg. 2 Girl’s Discipleship Contact the Office of Youth Ministries Youth Ministry Requests pg. 6 Weekly Sunday Reflections Catechists Needed Free Audio Bible in Development Teaching the Blessed Developing Formation for 2021-2022 Newsletter Translation Faith Formation Registration Quinceañera Team Needed Youth Parent Portal What Did the Say? pg. 7 Sunday Readings pg. 3 John Paul II – Fides et Ratio:13 Jeremiah 20:7-9 Ecumenical Councils pg. 8 Psalm 63:2-6,8-9 First Council of Nicea – Creed & CAN:1-5 Romans 12:1-2 Bite Size Catechesis pg. 9 Matthew 16:21-27 Modern Dictionary Office of Youth Ministries pg. 4 Catechism of the Catholic Office of Youth Ministry Schedule Code of Canon Law Youth Faith Formation Program The Early Youth Fellowship Program Youth Article pg. 10 Youth Ministry Newsletter St. Sebastian Youth Ministry Podcast Saint Gregory I pg. 9 Saint Ann Sunday Reflections Newsletter pg. 10 Quinceañera Program Content Contribution Middle School Faith Formation pg. 5 Contributor The Ten Commandments Following Christ An Introduction to History The Sacramental Life of the Church An Introduction to the An Introduction to Confirmation

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time registration will be completed. Both the youth and

Headlines one parent must be present for the interview, and must be wearing a face covering and maintain social distancing Contact the Office of Youth Ministries requirements. You may always contact the Youth Minister by The Interview is broken into two parts, family calling (817) 295-5621 (ext. 7) or sending an e-mail to discernment and individual discernment. For the family [email protected] discernment, all members of the family are welcome to be present and participate. However, once individual Weekly Sunday Reflections discernment begins, we will ask that only one parent remain in the room for safe environment purposes, and all Saint Ann Faith Formation is beginning to other members wait outside while individual discernment produce weekly Sunday Reflections about the scripture is completed. readings each Sunday. These videos are between 5 and If you would like to schedule an interview for 10 minutes long and intended to give a few short thoughts your child, please check the Office of Youth Ministry about the passages for the week. schedule at www.stanninburleson.com/youthoffice and send an e-mail to the Youth Minister at Free Audio Bible in Development [email protected] or call the Office of Youth Ministries at (817) 295-5621 (ext. 7)

Saint Ann Faith Formation is working on producing a free audio version of the New American Youth Parent Portal Bible. Currently only the first chapter of Genesis is currently available. Due to the scope of the project, the There is now available a Youth Parent Portal on required accuracy, and the fact that this project will be the Saint Ann Webpage in the Faith Formation section of worked on as time permits, additional sections of the bible the webpage. To view the portal, go to may become available slowly. Releases of additional www.stanninburleson.com and click on the Faith sections will be announced in this newsletter. You can Formation tab. At the bottom of the side menu, you will see the future home of this Audio bible on the Saint Ann see an entry labeled “parent portal.” The parent portal Webpage under Faith Formation – Parent Portal. contains information relating to faith formation in general, as well as various resources which are provided Developing Formation for 2021-2022 to assist in forming your children’s faith at home, as well as in the Church. The Saint Ann Youth Ministry podcast

and newsletter can be found here, as well as a small, but Due to the COVID-19 Virus, Faith Formation this expanding section on the where your children can year looks drastically different than it has in years past, learn their stories. In addition, a section in the parent necessitating the exclusive use of a homestudy program portal is being developed for registration for CRE, Youth for all youth. While we do need to study the faith from Formation and RCIA. home this year, we are not expecting to indefinitely learn the faith from home. Thus we are already planning for what faith formation will look like when we return from this shutdown, and how we are going to face this “new normal” which already threatens us and the Church. As a result, the Youth Faith Formation section of this newsletter has been divided into two and moved behind our Office of Youth Ministries section. These two sections, Middle School Formation and High School Formation will give an explanation on how we will be approaching faith formation, and what classes will be made available for our youth. See Page 5 for more details.

Faith Formation Registration

Youth Formation Registration is now open. All youth, grades 6-12 who will be attending Faith Formation this year must attend a discernment interview, at which 2

Sunday Mass Readings Romans 12:1-2

Jeremiah 20:7-9 I urge you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy You seduced me, Lord, and I let myself be seduced; and pleasing to God, your spiritual worship. Do not You were too strong for me, and you prevailed. conform yourselves to this age but be transformed by All day long I am an object of laughter; the renewal of your mind, that you ay discern what is Everyone mocks me. the will of God, what is good and pleasing and Whenever I speak, I must cry out, perfect. Violence and outrage I proclaim; The word of the Lord has brought me Matthew 16:21-27 reproach and derision all day long. I say I will not mention him, From that time on, Jesus began to show his I will no longer speak in his name. disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer But then it is as if fire is burning in my heart, greatly from the leaders, the chief priests, and the Imprisoned in my bones; scribes, and be killed and on the third day be raised. I grow weary holding back, Then Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, I cannot! “God forbid, Lord! No such thing shall ever happen to you.” He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Psalm 63:2-6,8-9 me, Satan! You are an obstacle to me. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.” O God, you are my God- Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever It is you I seek! wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up For you my body yearns; his cross, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save For you my soul thirsts, his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my In a land parched, lifeless, sake will find it. What profit would there be for one And without water. to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? Or what I look to you in the sanctuary can one give in exchange for his life? To see your power and glory. For the Son of Man will come with his angels For your love is better than life; in his Father’s glory, and then he will repay everyone My lips shall ever praise you! according to his conduct. I will bless you as long as I live: I will lift up my hands, calling on your name. My soul shall be sated as with choice food, With joyous lips my mouth shall praise you! You indeed are my savior, And in the shadow of your wings I should for joy. My soul clings fast to you; Your right hand upholds me.

Jerusalem, the Holy City

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Office of Youth Ministries Youth Ministry Newsletter

The Saint Ann Youth Ministry Newsletter is a Office of Youth Ministry Schedule weekly publication which was started at the direction of The office of youth ministry schedule for the Trisha Vasquez as the Director of Religious Education. week is as follows. The Saint Ann Youth Ministry Newsletter was and is 8/30/2020: 9AM-4PM intended to provide weekly updates on the programs and 8/31/2020: Out of Office events taking place within Saint Ann Youth Ministries, 9/1/2020: 9AM-4PM provide information on other pertinent events throughout 9/2/2020: 9AM-4PM the Church, as well as share articles and information about 9/3/2020: 9AM-4PM the faith and the saints which parents can use to help teach 9/4/2020: 9AM-4PM the faith to their children and young adults. 9/5/2020: Labor Day Weekend Along with our patron Saint Ann, the 9/6/2020: Labor Day Weekend patron of the Youth Ministry Newsletter is Saint If you would like to schedule a meeting with the Maximilian Kolbe. Saint Maximilian Kolbe was arrested Youth Minister please contact him using information by the German Third Reich for resuming the publication provided at the top of page 2. of a journal which was critical of the Nazi party. He was sent to the Auschwitz concentration camp where he died Youth Faith Formation Program when he took the place of another man who was to be starved to death in a bunker. Saints Ann and Maximilian The Youth Faith Formation Program is designed Kolbe, pray for us. from top to bottom to both prepare our youth to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation and afterward prepare Youth Ministry Podcast them to use the graces from the Sacrament of Confirmation in living out their life as a Catholic with On August 26th, we released the 19th episode of great intentionality. the Saint Ann Youth Ministry Podcast. This episode was The Faith Formation program is carried out in titled “Can You Smell What the Rock is Cooking?” In two phases, Middle School and High School formation. this week’s episode, we talk about the scriptural context Each year rather than learning a standard set of topics, of Peter being given the keys to the kingdom, and how the they will choose two topics which they would like to learn Old and both point to and set up the about that year to prepare the to receive the Sacrament of authority which is given to Peter, and confer on him an Confirmation. In this way, our youth can take greater office which became known as the Papacy. ownership of their faith formation, and certain subjects All podcast episodes can be found on the Saint remain open to our youth, even if they did not attend Ann webpage at www.stanninburleson.com/podcast. particular classes in a particular year. This helps prevent Requests for special topics can always be made by any youth from being “left behind” because they missed sending an e-mail to [email protected]. a year in which certain topics may be discussed.

Saint Ann Sunday Reflections Youth Fellowship Program With our increasing ability to produce audio and With the current situation with COVID-19, it is video multimedia, on August 16th, Saint Ann Faith even more difficult to host any sort of Fellowship Formation has began to produce the “Saint Ann Sunday programs. As Faith Formation gets underway, we will be Reflections.” These videos are intended to be short 5 to developing a plan to be able to offer Youth Fellowship 10 minute videos addressing the readings for the current until such a time that we can meet again in person. There Sunday and are published on the Saint Ann webpage the are limited opportunities for youth fellowship and we are day of the Mass. going to begin to working toward more options for While Saint Ann watches over all our endeavors, fellowship while classroom sessions are closed due to the we are considering placing our Sunday Reflections under COVID-19 situation. the patronage of St. Peter Chrysologus.

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Quinceañera Program Middle School Faith Formation

The Saint Ann office of youth ministries is in the process of providing a fuller, more developed and The Ten Commandments methodological Quinceañera program. Semester Offered: Fall of 2021 To receive a Quinceañera blessing at Saint Ann you must fulfill the following pre-requisites set forth by the Our youth have often been acquainted with the Diocese Fort Worth on page 4 of the Quince Años Ten Commandments in some form, even if rudimentary, Celebration Guidelines and Resources. since their childhood. In this course, our youth will be given the opportunity not only to relearn the Ten 1. The participant shall be baptized. Commandments, but come to a deeper understanding of 2. The participant should have received the how they apply to us as Catholics, and how they can bring sacraments of First communion and Penance or be preparing us to a deeper understanding of who God is, and our for the reception of the sacraments. relationship to him. 3. The participant (or family) should be registered Catechists: None members of the parish in which they are asking for the Quince Años celebration or ask permission from the Pastor to prepare at another parish. Following Christ 4. The participant should be registered in the parish Semester Offered: Spring of 2022 religious education program presently and the year to their Quince Años celebration or be in some faith formation The Following Christ class intends to help our process like or authorized home study. youth to learn to follow Christ in two ways. First, by helping us to understand in Scripture how Christ reveals If you fulfill these pre-requisites and would like to both the Father and Himself to us, and welcomes us to schedule a Quinceañera, please contact the Youth Minister. encounter him. Secondly, we explore how Christ reveals You may find the contact information on the top of Page 2. himself to us in the Saints, his Church, the Mass and the Eucharist. Catechists: None

An Introduction to Salvation History Semester Offered: Fall of 2021

An Introduction to Salvation History is intended to give an overview of the history of the faith, starting with the modes of revelation, the creation and fall of Man, leading up all the way through the Life, Death and Resurrection of Christ, and the founding of the One, Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church. Catechists: None

The Sacramental Life of the Church Semester Offered: Spring of 2022

The Sacramental Life of the Church is meant to introduce our youth to the grace and the sacraments, allowing them to understand what the sacraments are in and of themselves, how each sacrament fits within our Catholic life, and the effects each sacrament has upon its recipient. Catechists: None

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An Introduction to The Catholic Church Youth Ministry Requests Semester Offered: Fall of 2021

In An Introduction to the Catholic Church, we welcome our youth to learn about the fundamentals of the Catechists Needed Church itself. It’s foundation, authority and history, as well as its liturgy and worship. We are going to be in serious need of Catechists for the 2021-2022 school year. Without the necessary Catechists, our youth will not be able to attend live faith An Introduction to Confirmation formation and restricted to the homestudy program for the Semesters Offered: Fall 2021 and Spring 2022 school year. If you are interested in serving as a Catechist, please contact the Youth Minister using the contact An Introduction to Confirmation is intended to information on Page 2. offer a preview of the Sacrament and help in the preparation process for those youth who have completed many or all of the courses offered in Middle School Teaching the Blessed Trinity Formation, or those who have discerned the Sacrament of Confirmation early. During this course the youth will We are currently looking for 6 Catechists who are learn about their vocations, the universal call to holiness, interested in teaching youth grades 9-12 about the Trinity how we live out our faith, and the Christians place in the for the 2021-2022 school year. This class is only a 15 world. week program, which will be taught twice through the Catechists (Fall): None year on Sunday. We will need three Catechists to teach Catechists (Spring): None this lesson in the fall, and three Catechists to teach this lesson in the spring. If you are interested, please contact the Office of Youth Ministries. You can find the contact High School Faith Formation information on Page 2. These classes will be taught on Sunday evenings. Girl’s Discipleship Semesters Offered: Full Year Program Newsletter Translation

Girl’s Discipleship is a girl only Faith Formation There has been a request for access to more Group for those who are already further along in both resources in Spanish. We would like to offer this their knowledge of their faith and their relationship with newsletter in Spanish for those who would like to read it, Christ. Girl’s who join this class are from various grade but at this time I am not currently fluent enough to levels from 9-12, and will be with the same group through translate this newsletter efficiently or accurately. If you their whole faith formation experience, going more in can speak and write both English and Spanish fluently, depth in their faith and exploring more topics than they and would like to translate the Saint Ann Youth Ministry would in general faith formation. Enrollment into Girl’s Newsletter for the Spanish community, please contact the discipleship is accomplished by invite. In addition to our Saint Ann Office of Youth Ministry for details. parish patron Saint Ann, the patron saint of the Girl’s Discipleship group is Saint Michael the Archangel. Quinceañera Team Needed Saints Ann, Pope John Paul II and Michael the Archangel, pray for us. Once the COVID-19 threat has been diminished Catechists: Sonya Wray, Catherine Fuchs. and we can return safely to classroom instruction, we are going to be looking for a team to teach about the Quinceanñeras. We are will be looking for 2 to 3 adult volunteers, and 1 or 2 candidates who have received their Quinceañera and have yet to leave for college. These classes will be intended to be taught over the course of three Wednesday evenings twice a year. If you are interested, please contact the Saint Ann Office of Youth Ministry at the information found on page 2.

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act of faith; it is here that freedom reaches the certainty What Did the Popes Say? of truth and chooses to live in that truth.

To assist reason in its effort to understand the Pope John Paul II mystery, there are the signs which revelation itself Fides Et Ratio:13 presents. These serve to lead the search for truth to new On the Relationship between Faith and Reason depths, enabling the mind in its autonomous exploration to penetrate within the mystery by use of CHAPTER 1 reason’s own methods, of which it is rightly jealous. THE REVELATION OF GOD’S WISDOM Yet these signs also urge reason to look beyond their status as signs in order to grasp the deeper meaning Reason before the mystery which they bear. They contain a hidden truth to which the mind is drawn and which it cannot ignore without 13. It should, nonetheless, be kept in mind that destroying the very signs which it is given. revelation remains charged with mystery. It is true that In a sense, then, we return to the sacramental Jesus, with his entire life, revealed the countenance of character of revelation and especially to the sing of the the Father, for he came to teach the secret things of Eucharist, in which the indissoluble unity between the God. But our vision of the face of God is always signifier and signified makes it possible to grasp the fragmentary and impaired by the limits of our depths of the mystery. In the Eucharist, Christ is truly understanding. Faith alone makes it possible to present and alive, working through his Spirit; yet, as St. penetrate the mystery in a way that allows us to Thomas said so well, “what you neither see nor grasp, understand it coherently. faith confirms for you, leaving nature far behind; a sign The Council teaches that “the obedience of it is that now appears, hiding in mystery realities faith must be given to God who reveals himself.” This sublime.” He is echoed by the philosopher Pascal: “just brief but dense statement points to a fundamental truth as Jesus Christ went unrecognized among men, so does of Christianity. Faith is said first to be an obedient his truth appear without external difference among response to God. This implies that God be common modes of thought. So too does the Eucharist acknowledged in his divinity, transcendence and remain among common bread. supreme freedom. By the authority of his absolute In short, the knowledge proper to faith does not transcendence, God who makes himself known is also destroy the mystery; it only reveals it the more, the source of the credibility of what he reveals. By showing how necessary it is for people’s lives: Christ faith, men and women give their assent to this divine the Lord “in revealing the mystery of the Father and his testimony. This means that they acknowledge fully and love fully reveals man to himself and makes clear his integrally the truth of what is revealed, because it is supreme calling,” which is to share in the divine God himself who is the guarantor of that truth. They mystery of the life of the Trinity. can make no claim upon this truth which comes to them as gift and which, set within the context of interpersonal communication, urges reason to be open to it and to embrace its profound meaning. This is why the Church has always considered the act of entrusting oneself to God to be a moment of fundamental decision which engages the whole person. In that act, the intellect and the will display their spiritual nature, enabling the subject to act in a way which realizes personal freedom to the full. It is not just that freedom is part of the act of faith; it is absolutely required. Indeed, it is faith that allows individuals to give Pope Saint John Paul II consummate expression to their own freedom. Put differently, freedom is not realized in decisions made against God. For how could it be an exercise of true freedom to refuse to be open to the very reality which enables our self-realization? Men and women can accomplish no more important act in their lives than the

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presbyterate, it has seemed right to us that for the time to Ecumenical Councils come no such thing shall be done. For the catechumen himself there is need of time and of longer trial after The First Council of Nicea (325 AD) . For the apostolic saying is clear, “Not a novice; The Creed and CAN:1-5 lest, being lifted up with pride, he fall into condemnation and the snare of the devil.” But if, as time goes on, any THE sensual sin should be found out about the person, and he should be convicted by two or three witnesses, let him The Synod at Nice set forth this Creed cease from the clerical office. And whoever shall transgress these enactments will imperil his own clerical The of the Synod at Nice position, as a person who presumes to disobey the great Synod. We believe in one God, the Father Almighty, maker of all things visible and invisible; and in one Lord Jesus Christ, CAN 3 the Son of God, the only-begotten of his Father, of the The great Synod has stringently forbidden any substance of the Father, God of God, Light of Light, very Bishop, presbyter, , or any one of the clergy God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one whatever, to have a subintroducta dwelling with him, substance with the Father. By whom all things were except only a mother, or sister, or aunt, or such persons made, both which be in heaven and in earth. Who for us only as are beyond all suspicion. men and for our salvation came down from heaven and was incarnate and was made man. He suffered and the CAN 4 third day he rose again, and ascended into heaven. And If is by all means proper that a bishop should be he shall come again to judge both the quick and the dead. appointed by all the bishops in the province; but should And we believe in the Holy Ghost. And whosoever shall this be difficult, either on account of urgent necessity or say that there was a time when the Son of God was not, or because of distance, three at least should meet together, that before he was begotten he was not, or that he was and the suffrages of the absent bishops also being given made of things that were not, or that he is of a different and communicated in writing, then the ordination should substance or essence from the Father or that he is a take place. But in every province the ratification of what creature, or subject to change or conversion – all that so is done should be left to the Metropolitan. say, the Catholic and Apostolic Church anathematizes them. CAN 5 Concerning those, whether of the clergy or of the CAN 1 laity, who have been excommunicated in the several If any one in sickness has been subjected by a provinces, let the provision of the canon be observed by physician to a surgical operation, or if heh as been the bishops which provides threat person cast out by some castrated by barbarians, let him remain among the clergy; be not readmitted by others. Nevertheless, inquiry should but, if any one in sound health has castrated himself, it be made whether they have been excommunicated behooves that such an one, if already enrolled among the through captiousness, or contentiousness, or any such like clergy, should cease from his ministry, and that from ungracious disposition in the bishop. And, that this matter henceforth no such person should be promoted. But, as it may have due investigation, it is decreed that in every is evident that this is said of those who willfully do the province synods shall be held twice a year, in order that thing and presume to castrate themselves, so if any have when all the bishops of the province are assembled been made eunuchs by barbarians, or by their masters, and together, such questions may by them be thoroughly should otherwise be found worthy, such men the Canon examined, that so those who have confessedly offended admits to the clergy. against their bishop, may be seen by all to be for just cause excommunicated, until it shall seem fit to a general CAN 2 meeting of the bishops to pronounce a milder sentence Forasmuch as, either from necessity, or through upon them. And let these synods be held, the one before the urgency of individuals, many things have been done Lent, (that the pure Gift may be offered to God after all contrary to the Ecclesiastical canon, so that men just bitterness has been put away), and let the second be held converted from heathenism to the faith, and who have about autumn. been instructed but a little while, are straightway brought to the spiritual laver, and as soon as they have been baptized, are advanced to the episcopate of the

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Bite Size Catechesis The Early Church Fathers

The Modern Catholic Dictionary Baptism is a true sacrament instituted by Christ.

Baptism, Matter and Form. Natural water that is poured The Didache (written between 50 and 150AD) or sprinkled on a person, or in which a person is Regarding baptism, baptize thus. After giving the immersed, is the matter or material element necessary for foregoing instructions, ‘Baptize in the name of the Father, baptism. The pronouncing of the words is the form of and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit’ in running water. baptism, namely: “I baptize you in the name of the Father, But, if you have no running water, baptize in any other; and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” It is a disputed and if you cannot in cold water, then in warm. But, if the question whether in the early Church, besides the one is lacking, pour the other three times on the head ‘in foregoing, baptism was also administered in the name of the name of the Father, and Son, and Holy Spirit.’ But the Lord Jesus. What is certain is that the Catholic Church before the baptism, let the one who baptizes and the one early declared the necessity of using the Trinitarian to be baptized fast, and any others who are able to do so. formula for valid baptism. And you shall require the person being baptized to fast for one or two days. Catechism of the Catholic Church Chap. 7

1213 Holy Baptism is the basis of the whole Christian The Scripture life, the gateway to life in the Spirit (vitae spiritualis ianua), and the door which gives access to the other John 3:5-21 sacraments. Through Baptism we are freed from sin and Jesus answered, “Amen, amen, I say to you, no one reborn as sons of God; we become members of Christ and can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water incorporated into the Church and made sharers in her and Spirit. What is born of flesh is flesh and what is born of mission: “Baptism is the sacrament of regeneration spirit it is spirit. Do not be amazed that I told you, ‘You must through water in the word.” be born from above.’ The wind blows where it will, and you can hear the sound it makes, but you do not know where it Code of Canon Law comes from or where it goes; so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” Nicodemus answered and said to him, Book IV, Part I, Title I. Baptism “How can this happen?” Jesus answered and said to him, CHAPTER IV. Sponsors “You are the teacher of Israel and you do not understand this? Amen, amen, I say to you, we speak of what we know CAN. 872 Insofar as possible, a person to be baptized is and we testify to what we have seen, but you people do not accept our testimony. If I tell you about earthly things and to be given a sponsor who assists an adult in Christian you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you about initiation or together with the parents presents an infant heavenly things? No one has gone up to heaven except the for baptism. A sponsor also helps the baptized person to one who has come down from heaven, the Son of Man. And lead a Christian life in keeping with baptism and to fulfill just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the faithfully the obligations inherent in it. Son of Man be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.” CAN. 873 There is to be only one male sponsor or one For God so loved the world that he gave his only female sponsor or one of each. Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might e saved through him. Whoever believes in him will not be condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the verdict, that the light came into the world, but people preferred darkness to light, because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come toward the light so that his works might not be exposed. But whoever lives the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be clearly seen as done in God. 9

Youth Article

St. Sebastian By: Katlyn Garcia

St. Sebastian is the patron saint of Then, due to the way Diocletian soldiers, athletes and those who desire treated Christians, Sebastian chose to a saintly death. Sebastian was a guard renounce him. Sebastian, already under the Emperor Diocletian who did knowing where the emperor would be not like Christianity and sentenced all due to his previous job, confronted Christians to death. Although Diocletian on a staircase and insulted Sebastian was a Christian he was able him. Diocletian was not prepared for to conceal it for many years. During Sebastian and was silent for a moment. those years Sebastian helped The emperor quickly regained his imprisoned Christians and converted composure and sentence Sebastian to a many people to Christianity. second execution. Eventually, Sebastian was This time Sebastian was beaten to discovered and outed to Diocletian. He death and did not survive. His body sentenced Sebastian to a public death, was dumped in a sewer where it was where he was used as a live archery expected to never be retrieved. Later, target. The soldiers struck him so many Sebastian appeared in a dream to a times he was described as a porcupine. woman named Lucina. In the dream he Even though Sebastian had to endure a told her to retrieve his body. Lucina very painful execution, he persevered found his body and buried him in the and survived after being struck with catacombs beneath . dozens of arrows. Sebastian thought to In later centuries Sebastian’s be dead, was left in the field he was remains were moved about and executed in. Later, a sympathetic separated to become relics in museums. Catholic woman named Irene of Rome, Sebastian was named the patron saint of rescued him and nursed him back to soldiers, athletes, and those who desire health. a saintly death because he showed dedication to God, even in the face of certain death.

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Pope Saint Gregory I

Pope and

The Western Roman Empire had been dissolved become the Prefect of Rome as his father had been before in 476 leaving Rome in the control of Theodoric the him, gaining the office at the age of 33 in 573. When his Great. Rome and much of Italy for a time after, would be father passed away, he converted his family villa into a occupied by Roman Chalcedonian Christians along with monastery dedicated to Andrew the Apostle, where he the occupying Gothic Arian Christians. Unlike the became a and operated as prior. Vandals and the earlier , these Gothic Arians Some time afterward, Pope Pelagius II ordained were considerably more tolerant of Trinitarian Gregory a deacon and enlisted him to help heal the Three Christianity. Chapter schism which was still active and nearly as old as In 535, the launched a Gregory himself. Although he bemoaned leaving the campaign against the Goths. In 536, General Flavius monastic life, Gregory made one of the , Augustine, Belisarius managed to recapture Rome after roughly 59 prior of Saint Andrew. Despite Gregory’s efforts however, years of Gothic rule. In 540 AD, a mere 4 years after their little was accomplished. Later in 578, Pelagius II sent liberation from the Goths, a Roman Senator named Gregory as part of a delegation to Constantinole to ask for Gordianus Anichus and his wife Silvia, had a son whom military aid against the invading . he named Gregorius. Gordianus was at one time the Due to Byzantine forces being engaged in the East this endeavor failed, but in 579, Gregory was appointed as Prefect of the City of Rome and held a position in the apocrisiarius to Pope Pelagius II, a very high diplomatic Church. A few years after Gregory’s birth, in 543 AD, an office. Gregory was already in ill favor of the court due to imperial decree was issued accompanied by the Tome of his writings against John III Scholasticus regarding his . There were still Christian writers at this time, legitimacy as the of and during his who rejected the Ecumenical of time as apocrisiarius, but despite this, Gregory became well 451 AD which had taken place nearly 100 years liked by the upper class, being considered a spiritual father previously. This decree was meant to reconcile those who to many of the people of Constantinople. While he worked had rejected this council, but instead resulted in the to gain relief for Italy from the Lombard invasion, he had beginning of the Three-Chapter schism. little success. Around this time, a serious plague swept through Instead, Gregory would become embroiled in a Italy, killing roughly one third of the population. While heated dispute with Patriarch Eutychius of Constantinople the Western Roman Empire had been wiped out for over about the corporal nature of Jesus after the resurrection. As half a century, Italy was gradually being retaken from the a result, Emperor Tiberius II ordered Eutychius’s works Goth’s by the Eastern Roman Emperor Justinian I, ruling burned. Shortly after, Gregory and Eutychius became ill, from Constantinople. However, in 546, the Ostrogoth with Gregory recovering while Eutychius passed away. King Totila besieged the city of Rome, and Gregory’s Gregory left Constantinope in 585 and returned to his family fled the city, leaving for their estate in Sicily. King monastery. In 590 AD, Pope Pelagius II died from the Totila emptied and sacked the city of Rome, tearing down plague in Rome and Gregory was elected Pope in his place. a third of the defensive walls. He left a small contingency Within two years of his election, Gregory’s mother there while he continued to fight around Italy. In 547 Silvia would pass away. Pope Gregory appreciated the Belisarius retook Rome, and hastily rebuilt the walls, but office of Pope as much as he had the office of apocrisiarius, wishing to return to his monastic life. Despite this, he re- did not pursue King Totila’s forces. energized the missionary work among non-Christians of In Sicily, Gregory was well educated, in large Europe, sending a mission to England under Augustine who part due to the efforts of his mother Silvia. Gregory he had left as prior of the monastery of Saint Andrew. He excelled in his education and was considered to be second consecrated Augustine as the first of Canterbury to none in his achievements. He had a great love for the in 597 with the task of evangelizing the Anglo-Saxons who Church, and developed a deep respect of the monastic life, resided there. Gregory I issued many liturgical reforms to especially the vow of poverty. In 549, King Totila the Pre-, and promoted spiritual singing besieged and captured Rome once again, finally inviting which today bears his name as . the surviving residents of Rome to re-occupy the died in the year 604 AD, and was abandoned city. Gregory and his family accepted this acclaimed a Saint shortly after his death. He is the patron of invite, returning to Rome. Musicians, singers, students and teachers, and his feast day Gregory continued his studies, becoming a is September 3rd. His mother, also a saint has a feast day of government official, raising quickly through the ranks to November 5th.

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The Newsletter

Content Contribution

We are currently looking for content contributors who may want to write on various subjects pertaining to the Youth Formation, Youth Fellowship and Youth Ministry programs. All youth from grades 6-12 are also welcome to create content for the Newsletter for which they will receive service hours. Publishable submissions will range between 300 and 500 words.

Contributors

August Klein: August Klein is the Youth Coordinator at Saint Ann Catholic Church and currently writes the entirety of the Saint Ann Youth Ministry Weekly Newsletter. He published the first issue on February 4th, 2020 at the direction of the Director of Religious Education, Trisha Vasquez. August is a revert to Catholicism. After leaving the church around 2001, he returned to the Catholic Church with his family at the end of 2014 the last Sunday of Ordinary Time before the beginning of advent. In 2015 after Lent, he had his children Baptized and his wife Kelly joined the Church the following year through RCIA. During his children’s first year of faith formation, August began to fill in for teachers who could not make it on a given day and was subsequently asked to teach his own Children’s Faith Formation starting in 2016. In 2017 he was asked to help teach Youth Confirmation and with parent formation for Children’s Holy Communion. In 2019 when his children began attending Middle School Faith Formation, August was again asked to teach Middle School Formation, during which time he was hired as the Youth Coordinator for Saint Ann Catholic Church. His patron saint is Saint Augustine.

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