Hundreds expected for Youth Mass
The second archdiocesan Mass in Celebration of Youth is set for 4 p.m. on Sept. 26 at St. Anne of the Sunset Church in San Francisco.
In 2009, the first year of the Youth Mass, organizers expected a few dozen participants and got 400 plus teens from San Mateo, San Francisco and Marin counties. Organizers expect a bigger turnout this year.
“We expected 50 people and they just kept coming. We just didn’t think it was going to happen like that,” said Janet Suzio, assistant superintendent of Faith Formation and Religion Curriculum in the archdiocesan Department of Catholic Schools. She said she kept popping her head back into the sacristy to tell Auxiliary Bishop William Justice that more and more teens were coming in.
“There is a deep spiritual movement in our youth that we haven’t seen in a while,” she said.
This year’s Mass is again at St. Anne Church, and Bishop Justice is again the main celebrant. There is plenty of parking, and the N Judah stops in front of the church for those taking public transportation.
St. Charles of Borromeo Parish in San Carlos, and Junipero Serra High School, have both committed buses to transport youth from San Mateo and other parishes are organizing car pools. A reception is planned for the teens afterward in Moriarty Hall downstairs from St. Anne church. The event is geared to high school-aged students, although parents and siblings are welcome.
And teens are encouraged to bring new pairs of socks for distribution to the poor via the St. Anthony Foundation. This year the theme is “Justice Calls: Invite Him in,” said Vivian Clausing, associate director of Youth Ministry and Catechesis for the Archdiocese of San Francisco.
The Youth Mass is a joint project of parish youth ministers and high school campus ministers, Clausing said. The idea is to “kick off the beginning of the year and welcome the youth,” Clausing said.
“Youth do want to be involved in our churches, involved in our faith,” she said. “And I think that the people that minister to the youth, the youth ministers and the campus ministers, want to make church relevant and inviting for them. They recognize that youth do have a spirituality.”
For more information or to volunteer:
Music: Katie Mojica Bysted at kmojica@siprep.org or J.R. Jaldon Jr. mjaldon@gmail.com Altar servers and hospitality ministers: Tom Martin at tmartin@ ihmbelmont.org or Kathy Grosshauser at kgrosshauser@ ihmbelmont.org.
Lectors: Angie Simonetti at asimonetti@mercyhsb.com Church banners etc: Sergio Vasquez at vasquez@sacredsf.org or John Ottersberg at jottersberg@ndhsb.org Collection and distribution of socks: Angie Simonetti at asimonetti@mercyhsb.com.
By Valerie Schmalz
From September 10, 2010 issue of Catholic San Francisco.
