Local News
XLT Southside Raises Joyful Noise To God
Published: September 18, 2003
FAIRBURN—Approximately one year ago on the south side of Atlanta, a cry was heard from the teenagers of this region.
Though small in number, these faithful teens wanted to be able to praise and worship together once during the week without having to travel two hours to do so.
With the support of their youth ministers and Barb Garvin, director of youth ministry for the Archdiocese of Atlanta, they began what has become a bi-weekly event that no one on the south side wants to miss.
Exalt (XLT) Southside is built on the same idea as the original XLT, which is held at Blessed Trinity High School in Roswell, except the teens have added a little spice of their own in the auditorium at Our Lady of Mercy High School.
This incredible night starts out with a period of praise music led by the LIFE TEEN band from Holy Trinity Church in Peachtree City.
Then a speaker from a selected south side parish gives a dynamic talk about the chosen topic for the evening. This talk is followed by a time of perfect worship in the presence of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.
The first XLT Southside of the school year was kicked off Aug. 19 with a tailgate party that involved Frisbees, jokes, music, food and many fun times. After the food had been devoured, the crowd migrated inside to begin the night of worship. The music brought everyone together in a prayerful mood that led into a great talk given by the popular R.D. Delgado of St. Philip Benizi Church in Jonesboro.
Pete Rorabaugh, the youth minister from St. Mary Magdalene Mission in Sharpsburg, said that the first XLT of the year was spiritually uplifting.
“Our first XLT of the year on the south side was energetic and inspired,” he said. “When we use our own hands to do God’s work, our labors are always blessed—and they were that night. (The Holy Trinity band) rocks, R.D. did a courageous job and Christ’s presence was profound.”
The selected theme for the evening and for the next few weeks is prayer. The teens quickly realized that the most simple and yet beautiful prayer known to man is the name of Jesus.
Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament was led by Father Joseph Shaute, parochial vicar at Holy Trinity and XLT Southside chaplain. Before entering the seminary, Father Shaute was a longtime parishioner of St. Ann’s Church in Marietta and one of the original core members of LIFE TEEN in the archdiocese.
The night ended with teens celebrating what they had experienced and who they had just met from parishes including St. Philip Benizi Church, Holy Trinity Church, St. Mary Magdalene Mission, St. Gabriel Church, Fayetteville, St. Matthew Church, Tyrone, Sacred Heart Church, Griffin, the Cathedral of Christ the King, Atlanta, and even a few familiar faces from OLM High School itself.
Teens who regularly attend XLT Southside were glad it had returned after a summer hiatus.
Jessica Horton, a junior at Our Lady of Mercy, said that going to XLT keeps her focused for the rest of the week.
“With the return of XLT Southside I felt as if all the hectic things going on in my life had disappeared,” she said. “I definitely needed that intimate time with Christ to put myself in a peaceful state of mind.”
Maria Gagliano is also a junior at Our Lady of Mercy. Having just moved to the Atlanta area from Alabama, she was moved by her first experience at XLT.
“Going to XLT for the first time was an awesome experience,” she said. “It was great to be able to praise Jesus together with so many other teens. I recommend it to everyone.”
Stephen Lenahan is a junior at Our Lady of Mercy High School in Fairburn.
