Throughout the year, Youth Ministries offers weekend retreats and other opportunities where teens grow in their faith and develop their relationship with the Lord.
Vacation Bible School (VBS):
- Middle school students use their gifts leading into summer to create decorations for the camp at EDGE and Rock of the Church.
- Middle school students are “missionary leaders” for the preschool section of VBS throughout the week.
- Highschool Students volunteer for service hours to mentor and guide the elementary aged kids through the week. Taking on various roles and help with the set up and tear down of the camp.
Camp Hidden Lake:
- For those interested who are currently in middle school have the opportunity to go to North Georgia for LIFETEENS camp hidden lake.
- We take the lessons of the year and spend a week in depth discussing the topics and living our Faith through prayer, Mass, listening to Keynote speakers, pushing our physical capabilities through rope courses and out door activities, spend time observing God’s majesty of creation at the camps lake side in a week of spiritual emersion.
Camp COVECREST:
- Same idea and concept as hidden lake but in Tiger GA and for our high school aged students.
- Spending a solid week together allows us to deeply explore the nuances of our Faith and answer some heavier questions.
- Have a day of white water rafting, time to see waterfalls, and experience things that cannot be experienced in our city lives. Allows the youth to see God in nature.
Good Samaritan Project (GSP):
- For the last two years I have served in assisting the director of the camp to facilitate a camp based around service for high school aged students around our Diocese. This year we had nearly 300 high school students from 15 parishes. Having a Salesian influence the Camp focuses on community, prayer, teaching the Gospel, service, and play.
- Next year (2026) I am planning on bringing a group from St Jude to participate in the camp. The camp has a parallel influence and culture to our parish and I believe both will serve eachother well.
Lock in’s:
- To kick off the school year we will have a lock in, we also have one over Christmas break.
- These consist of games and activities, dinner and breakfast together, prayers and story times from the old and new testament, a midnight prayer service in the Cathedral, outside games, movies, a camp fire and we conclude with morning Mass.
- We stay up all night in this community building activity.
Contact Robbie Shafer at rshafer@cathedralofstjude.org
