In our Bourbonnais parishes, Viatorian Youth Ministry is offering frequent, impactful opportunities for youth to serve and lead, especially in support of people potentially accounted of little importance.
Prepping meatballs in the kitchen at Ronald McDonald House.
Coordinator of Viatorian Youth Ministry Amanda Fierce has an impressive docket available to young people to live and deepen their faith. “I try to offer a mix of events, hoping to draw young people in with social activities and inspire them to come back for more, especially the upcoming retreats,” Amanda said.
Last week, this shared youth ministry of St. George and Maternity of the Blessed Virgin Mary offered its first monthly visit to Ronald McDonald House at Comer Children’s Hospital in Chicago. “I ask the kids to set the menu. We make the meal from scratch, so there are lots of jobs for each kid to work on!” Amanda said, noting the group effort doesn’t stop with the kids. “We usually pay for the food out of the youth ministry budget, but this fall, we got a generous grant from our Knights of Columbus that will cover the first three or four meals.”
Firepit night means s’mores, both young people and Viatorians! Fr. Moses, Fr. Jason, and Br. John stopped by for a treat, too.
Over the weekend, the youth group was up at St. George for the first firepit night of the new school year. St. George Parish Administrator Fr. Patrick Render, CSV, helped serve the pizza, and MBVM Pastor Fr. Jason Nesbit, CSV, Parochial Vicar Fr. Moses Mesh, CSV, and Deacon Br. John Avellaneda joined in for fireside s’mores.
Fr. Pat relishes raising this community with Amanda. “This is the second year of cookouts at St. George, and this year’s crowd is much bigger than last year’s,” Fr. Pat noticed. “I think some of these relationships were fostered through Camp MOSH,” he added, a nod to the big summer service week coordinated by Amanda and the MBVM staff and parish.
Sunday morning brought the first youth-led liturgy of the year at MBVM, where young people served as hospitality ministers, altar servers, lectors, music ministers, and more. Amanda coordinates their Mass planning, and MBVM Director of Music and Liturgy Chris Lord directs the young people who take part in the choir. Sunday’s music ministry included two new junior high instrumentalists, returning singers and instrumentalists, and even a college clarinetist who continues with the group while attending Olivet Nazarene University next door.
From the piano, Chris directs the group of singers and instrumentalists in music ministry.
“The instrumentalists bring additional beauty to our sung prayer. We’re grateful for their faith lived in action through our music ministry!” Chris said. “We look forward to this special liturgy each month.”
Then, yesterday, Amanda began the group’s monthly visits to Mattea’s Joy in Bourbonnais, founded by Jamie Freedlund, a Bishop McNamara alum. “She and her husband had a daughter named Mattea Joy in 2009 who a had medically complex 8-month life and spent a lot of time at Comer’s Children’s Hospital,” Amanda explained. “After Mattea passed away, they started the organization to spread joy and support families who have hospitalized children.”
The youth group packs snack boxes – 160 total on this service visit – that are part of the welcome kits of food, parking passes, and additional supplies the organization provides to families.
Mattea’s Joy snack boxes are part of the supplies provided to families with children who are hospitalized.
“We focus on young people and give opportunities for them to show us what they’re capable of,” Amanda said. “On the last Ronald McDonald house trip, I asked for a volunteer to pray over the food before we served it, and one of the kids stepped up right away. My favorite part of the group effort is that kids who may not know each other well end up working closely together toward a shared goal.”
This Viatorian youth ministry founded in community, animated in service, and deepened in liturgy and prayer, with a special eye ahead to the upcoming Quest and Kairos retreats.
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Amanda (center, in striped shirt) values her support and collaboration with Viatorian pastors Fr. Jason and Fr. Pat and loves to hit the road to be hands-on serving alongside her young people.