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ROSWELL--Over 400 students attended the first archdiocesan middle school
youth rally at St. Andrew Church Oct. 2, participating in games, activities and
sessions that focused on the theme “Finding Your Way.”
Decorated with road and construction signs, the parish center was the site
for the rally of sixth-, seventh- and eighth-grade students from 22 parishes.
The event was given by the parish in concert with the archdiocesan Office of
Youth Ministry directed by Matthew Robaszkiewicz.
Following Mass celebrated by Father Michael Kingery, parochial vicar at St.
Benedict’s Church in Duluth, the daylong event ended with dinner and a
dance.
Three presentations to the entire gathering focused on various aspects of
the main theme and were carried over to the small group sessions.
The first, presented by Lisa Fiamingo, co-youth minister at St. Francis of
Assisi Church, Cartersville, focused on “roadblocks and detours” that
young people encounter making it more difficult for them to follow the path
that God designates.
The second session, led by Carol Kruskamp, director of religious education
at St. Oliver Plunkett Church, Snellville, and entitled “Yield, Caution
and U-turns,” discussed ways in which they could avoid or extract
themselves from many of the situations discussed earlier in the morning.
In the final session, Father Kingery gave the middle-schoolers a “road
map” to help them in finding the way to God. The road map includes
Scripture, the Eucharist, the sacrament of reconciliation, prayer and other
ways that the church provides to guide people closer to Christ.
In each small group session, the young people participated in crafts and
activities to help them further reflect on the topics discussed.
Each person also created a representation of the many roadblocks and
obstacles they encounter in their lives by decorating shoeboxes with words,
symbols and pictures. These were placed around the altar and ambo during the
Mass.
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