By John Purdy

Recently, over 100 young people from eight Atlanta parishes got together for about 30 hours to try to tell the Atlanta community about the special need of those without enough food. Their project was a “fast-a-thon” — which ran from 6 Friday evening, November 12, to 12 midnight of the next day. The event was held at the Our Lady of the Assumption auditorium.

The fasters started their “Atlanta Christian Youth Fast” with a prayer service to emphasize to themselves the need for strength and faith to be able to make it through the fast. It was after that that they congregated over at the Immaculate Heart of Mary gym for a fast-a-thon dance, featuring Ezra Pound, and received approximately $500 in donations.

At midnight Friday, the group was taken back over to Our Lady of the Assumption where they began an all-night vigil filled with group activities, jokes, prayers and very little sleep.

At 9:30 Saturday morning the hungry people were off again for a “supermarket blitz” at a number of supermarkets on Roswell Road, Buford Highway and Peachtree Industrial Boulevard. A very hearty thanks was expressed by the fast-a-thon people to these stores for their cooperation and participation. The fasters stood at the entrance to the stores and asked people as they went in to buy one extra item to donate to the poor as they came back out. The people responded very well and over 20 large boxfuls of food were contributed. About half of the food went directly to the Saint Vincent de Paul Society’s pantry for the poor.

Saturday afternoon was spent learning more about hunger and its causes, through several speakers and films. Father Bob Kinast, representing the Bread For The World Movement, had a presentation; Joe Flannagan from the Saint Vincent de Paul Society spoke; and the films “Hunger In America” (from CBS), “The Politics Of Hunger” and “Diet For A Small Planet” were shown. Dr. Lorraine Donaldson, Food Expert from Georgia State University, also spoke on some of the ways the young people could help cause a change in our society. Her talk was followed by another prayer service, which was about the time most of the fasters would normally be eating supper.

Saturday evening was again a time of entertainment for the young people, with a professional folk concert by Bob Lehman, followed by a “disco” dance with disc jockey Frank Murphy, a very talented 20-year-old part-time D.J.

After the young people settled down from the disco, they began the last few hours of their fasting with a Mass. The theme was “I Am The Bread Of Life.” The Mass was concelebrated by Father Seli; Father Steve Yander; Father McGoldrick and Father Marren, with music provided by Our Lady of Assumption’s folk group. Also helping out during the weekend were Sister Kathleen Lyons, RSM, Ginger Jones, the youth minister at Immaculate heart of Mary, and the coordinator of the fast-a-thon, Vie Thorgren, youth minister of Our lady of the Assumption.

Ms. Thorgren explained that the Christian Youth Fast had three purposes: 1) to raise money for the needy in Atlanta in the form of pledges for every hour the young people went without eating, (this money went to the Saint Vincent de Paul Society); 2) to call public attention to the hunger crisis; and 3) to provide a spiritual and educational experience for the young people who participated.

All three purposes were fully accomplished, with a total of $5,073 raised for the poor; news coverage from WSB Television, and many of the young people saying it was an experience that they wouldn’t soon forget. Ms. Thorgren said it was pretty special to her to see the changes some of the youths went through during the fast. When asked how he felt just before the fast was over, Joe Vigil, from Holy Cross said, “Hungry…but it really wasn’t that hard. I think I could do it again.”

The first Atlanta Christian Youth Fast closed with a “feast” consisting of sandwiches, fruit, chips and brownies.

After having only fruit juices for the last 30 hours, it was a feast indeed.

The young people who fasted came from the parishes of Our Lady of the Assumption, Immaculate Heart of Mary, St. Joseph, St. John the Evangelist, Holy Cross, Corpus Christi, Holy Family, and Sts. Peter and Paul, as well as from St. Pius X High School, Marist High School, Oglethorpe University and some Protestant churches in the area.