Walking with purpose: Youth events help Detroit kids own their mission as disciples

From Eucharistic adoration to music and national conferences, Detroit-area Catholic youths have plenty to inspire them

CLAWSON — As the weather turns colder, there have been plenty of opportunities for young people to rekindle their faith in Jesus this fall.

From destination conferences to Eucharistic adoration opportunities closer to home, youths in the Archdiocese of Detroit have had and will continue to have opportunities to grow in their faith, from the Holy Fire Great Lakes Conference that took place in Bowling Green, Ohio, to the upcoming National Catholic Youth Conference, Nov. 20-23 in Indianapolis.

Holy Fire Great Lakes

More than 600 youths from the Archdiocese of Detroit made their way down to Bowling Green State University in Ohio on Oct. 13 for the Holy Fire Great Lakes Conference.

The conference featured Catholic speakers Katie Prejean McGrady, Joe Melendrez and Brian Greenfield, along with Mass celebrated by Toledo Bishop Daniel Thomas and Lansing Bishop Earl Boyea, a former auxiliary bishop of Detroit.

“It looked like there were more than 1,000 (young people) there. I wasn’t so sure how many, but we had 20 students from St. Vincent Pallotti Parish (in Wyandotte),” said seventh-grader Mia Rossman. “There were a bunch of speakers teaching us about God, what it means to be Catholic. We danced along with praise and worship, celebrated Mass and listed to some really great talks.”

Fr. Mario Amore carries the Blessed Sacrament in a monstrance during Eucharistic adoration as part of a special “Come, Encounter Christ!” event Oct. 20 at Guardian Angels Parish in Clawson. (Valaurian Waller | Detroit Catholic)

Mia recalled a particular talk about how 80 percent of Catholics seems to be caught up in a maze, and they must rely on the 20 percent of Catholics who can cut through the maze — an allegory of the struggles and pressures today’s society puts on people of faith.

“The talks were really good, and I was surprised by how many songs there were that I knew from back home,” Mia added. “It helps you reconnect with your faith, to be that 20 percent who will lead the 80.”

Gabrielle Jenkins, a ninth-grader from St. Charles Lwanga Parish in Detroit, said the conference helped her focus on how much God loves her — a simple, but always powerful message.

“The big takeaway is that you are someone who is loved by God,” Jenkins said, adding the speakers “broke my heart in a way, talking about how much God loves us. I learned about Christ, about God, and how He will always answer our prayers, even thought the answer might not be what we expect.

“After going to the conference, I want to be move involved in my church, to be part of the spirit going through the church,” Gabrielle added. “I’m an altar server at my parish, and the speakers said that being a disciple is being someone who follows Jesus. When you are serving, you are following the priest, helping present the Gospel to the world. It puts into perspective my role in preaching the Gospel.”

Youths from the Archdiocese of Detroit attend the Holy Fire Great Lakes conference Oct. 13 in Bowling Green, Ohio. (Photo courtesy of Laura Piccone-Hanchon)

Anna Jackson, an eight-grader from St. Ronald Parish in Clinton Township, enjoyed the time for confession and Eucharistic adoration at the one-day conference, as well as listening to the various Christian music groups.

“It was amazing to be surrounded by other people who believe in God, who wanted to talk about God,” Anna said. “Coming back home, I want to keep listening to Christian music, making sure my friends know that I’m there if they want to talk about God. The entire conference was a day to get closer, to discover yourself, to get away from everything in your in daily life and to talk about God. That’s what was so amazing about it.”

'Come, Encounter Christ!' at Guardian Angels

Closer to home, Guardian Angels Parish in Clawson hosted a “Come, Encounter Christ!” praise and Eucharistic adoration event on Oct. 20, drawing more than 500 youths and their families.

Fr. Mario Amore, administrator of St. Aloysius Parish in Detroit, was the main preacher, while more than 10 priests from across the archdiocese heard confessions.

Laura Piccone-Hanchon, associate director of the archdiocese’s Office of Youth Ministry, said the event was a chance to incorporate young people in the archdiocese’s “Unleash the Gospel” movement and serve as a retreat for the archdiocese’s representatives to the upcoming National Catholic Youth Conference.

“We wanted young people who will be representing the Archdiocese of Detroit to have a common experience together and a deeper dive into an encounter with the Lord before going to NCYC,” Piccone-Hanchon said.

Fr. Mario Amore leads young people in Eucharistic adoration Oct. 20 during “Come, Encounter Christ!” at Guardian Angels Parish in Clawson. (Valaurian Waller | Detroit Catholic)

The Guardian Angels-hosted “Come, Encounter Christ!” event is the only one the Office of Youth Ministry hosted this year, but the dynamic preaching, praise and worship, accompanied by different lighting techniques and music, created a powerful night for Detroit-area youths and their families.

“It really gave young people an opportunity to be in an environment whey they could experience dynamic worship with very meaningful preaching,” Piccone-Hanchon said. “A lot of times, in our noisy world, it takes time to adore the Lord, to hear how Christ is speaking to young people through their families, through their lives. So this night was a chance to hear the Lord speaking to us, and for us to be intentional about hearing the Lord.”

Fr. Amore spoke about the role young people have in reshaping the Church to be more outward and mission-focused, and what it means to truly have a moment to be with the Lord, and have that moment change one’s outlook on one's place in the world.

“This particular event focused on Archbishop (Allen H.) Vigneron’s letter, Unleash the Gospel, and what it means to encounter, grow and witness Christ,” Piccone-Hanchon said. “Fr. Amore preached on different topics and the encounter in general. The encounter part is so key, the moment you decide to follow Jesus, because it helps you be intentional about what you do, and why you do it.”

National Catholic Youth Conference

From Nov. 21-24, more than 330 teenagers and their chaperones from the Archdiocese of Detroit will descend upon Indianapolis for the National Catholic Youth Conference.

Young people clap and sing during “Come, Encounter Christ!” at Guardian Angels Parish in Clawson on Oct. 20. Next month, local students will embark on a trip to Indianapolis for the biennial National Catholic Youth Conference. (Valaurian Waller | Detroit Catholic)

The three-day conference will feature daily Mass, Eucharistic adoration, praise and worship and talks from nationally recognized Catholic speakers.

Detroit Auxiliary Bishop Robert Fisher will celebrate Mass with Region VI pilgrims — those from Michigan and Ohio — on Thursday, Nov. 21, and other Detroit clergy, including Fr. Stephen Pullis, director of the archdiocese's Department of Evangelization, Catechesis and Schools; Fr. Tony Richter, pastor of Guardian Angels; and Fr. John McKenzie, associate pastor of the National Shrine of the Little Flower Basilica in Royal Oak.

“This will be a very powerful, profound experience that only happens every other year and gets a great reception every time,” Piccone-Hanchon said. “Whenever our young people go, they come back and are excited for the next one to come around; they just have this fire within them. It really is a great chance to provide intentionality about encouraging young people to really discover their faith, to be excited about their faith. Every time they go, they come back to their parishes, their communities, with a real desire to be intentional about their discipleship with Christ.”