High School Youth Ministry

ENCOUNTER CHRIST  ACCOMPANY YOUTH
               CULTIVATE FAITH                 

The parishioners and pastor of
St. Mary Magdalene Catholic Church
welcome you!

“Dear Young people, you are not the future but the now of God”!
(Pope Francis, Closing homily at World Youth Day, January 27, 2019)

The youth ministry program at St. Mary Magdalene is designed for high school teens.  We invite all young people in grades 9-12 to continue their journey of faith by joining us in our weekly gatherings, retreat weekends, annual mission trips & conferences and social justice/charitable works opportunities.  Together, we will grow in our relationship with God through Jesus and the Church, deepen our friendships with each other and solidify our commitment to bring the light of Christ into the world.

We strive to meet the guidelines of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Archdiocese of Atlanta.

RENEWING THE VISION – A FRAMEWORK FOR CATHOLIC YOUTH MINISTRY- USCCB:

  1. Three Goals
    1. To empower young people to live as disciples of Jesus Christ in our world today.
    2. To draw young people to responsible participation in the life, mission, and work of the Catholic faith community.
    3. To foster the total personal and spiritual growth of each young person.
  2. Themes for Comprehensive Ministry with Adolescents
    1. Advocacy, Catechesis, Community Life, Evangelization, Justice & Service, Leadership Development, Pastoral Care, Prayer & Worship.

In order to accomplish these goals, and assist the youth in cultivating their faith, trained members of our core team (adults), peer ministers (high school juniors & seniors) along with the youth minister collaborate as a team in planning, praying, and accompanying the teens.  We seek to be instruments of God’s love and to be dedicated disciples of Jesus!

To get involved, contact:

Pixie Smith
Director of Faith Formation & Youth Minister
psmith@smmcatholic.org
678-854-9987


Confirmation

The Archdiocese of Atlanta guidelines for the Sacraments of Initiation considers the 10th grade year as the norm for the reception of the Sacrament of Confirmation.  There is a two-year prerequisite of foundational religious formation as well as a free-standing immediate preparation requirement.

2021 Summer Mission

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The week of July 11 – 14 was a busy one for SMM youth and core team members.  Since we were still limited on travel for summer mission work, we decided to participate in local charitable works.  Fifteen of us lived out the theological virtues of Faith, Hope and Charity by serving our parish, our community, and our world.

* We assisted in our parish Patriotic Music program.

* We worked on building walls and re-designing the Children’s department at the Clothes Less Traveled thrift store in Peachtree City.

* We clothed, wrote prayers and prayed over 50 stuffed animals (donated by Clothes Less Traveled) for Mission Snuggle.  The stuffed toys are distributed by members of Mission Snuggle to a wide variety of local and worldwide agencies who encounter children dealing with struggles and/or trauma.

* We cleaned a large number of hand tools for Tools for Empowerment, sponsored by the Salesians Missions.  The Salesian Missionaries are dedicated to caring for poor children throughout the globe in more than 130 countries. The tools enable poor families to be self-reliant and provide a way for them to make a living for themselves.

* Along with the CCW from SMM, we prepared bulk rice and canned vegetables for distribution at the Midwest Food Bank in Peachtree City.

* We entertained residence at the Benton House care home.

* We did yard work for a parishioner with health issues.

* We made 150 sandwiches that were sent to the St. Francis Table soup kitchen at the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Atlanta.

* We ended the week with Mass on Wednesday followed by Eucharistic Adoration.  We would like to thank Fr. Terry and our Music Ministry for making our time with Jesus so special by accompanying us with inspirational reflective music and prayer.

Pixie Smith
Director of Faith Formation & Youth Minister
psmith@smmcatholic.org
678-854-9987