“Shabbat” (Highschool Program)
Summary: “Shabbat” is new to the Cathedral since Lent of 2025 and cleverly named by the Highschool students who helped create it. We meet on Saturday evenings for Vigil Mass (4pm) with the opportunity for reconciliation before hand for those who are called to go. After mass we either go out to eat or go back to the youth room where I make dinner for the Students. They tend to ask for this more often because they get time to socialize and play games while dinner is being made. After we bless the food and eat we sit on the couches and discuss the Homily of the Mass or other topics of the church given the day. We break down the readings for the weekend and do some bible study trying to understand the messages put forth in the Sacred Scripture and how that can be translated into our lives. This usually gets a conversation going on whats going on in the Students lives and their Faith struggles and Glory Stories of the week. We delve a little deeper into the Theology and Philosophy of being Catholic and how our Faith is a responsibility as much as a gift. We focus our group talks on how the Holy Spirit is always present in what we do whether we acknowledge it or not and how to focus ourselves on Him instead of the misdoings of the World. We tend to tie our experiences to God’s Mysteries, Grace and Mercies rather then to secular understanding of loss and misfortune. Some weeks we do additional prayer services in addition to Mass, during lent we had a meditative Stations of the Cross where we spent time in prayer and meditation at each stop of the Passion to really embrace the feelings of each moment leading to Christs death and resurrection for our SINs. This is more of a Student led ministry where they end up discussing their Faith and Theology questions and navigate the evening the way that suits their needs. The Students came up with the name “Shabbat” after watching an episode of the chosen and comparing what our Jewish ancestors did to worship God to what we do; Evening service, a meal with family and friends, relaxing and socializing with those closest to you, and worshiping and talking about God. We usually meet from 3:30pm-8:30pm on Saturdays.
Patron Saints:
- * St. Paul
- * St. Jude
- * Blessed Virgin Mary
Key Principles:
- * Using Sacred Scripture to guide our lives.
- * Discussion of “Hot topics” in the church and our world.
- * Dinner and social time with brothers and sisters.
- * Focusing on how to live a Holy life in a world that isn’t always on that side, how to keep Faith and to be a guiding light to those in need.
- * Emphasis on Prayer and Spiritual Traditions.
- * Growth of the Spiritual foundation they have built in previous years.
Goals for the Future:
- *Grow the number of students who attend.
- *Participation in Mass and seasonal prayer services.
- *Pilgrimage to other parishes and Holy sites in our diocese.
- *Highschool Retreat.
- *Adoption of an act of service (food kitchen, homeless shelter, nursing home and hospitals.)