St. Basil Life Teen Parent News - May Edition

1. Life Teen last month

• We had a life night on the four marks of the Church - One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic. We brought meaning to these terms we say every Sunday in the Nicene Creed at Mass.
• Our life night on hypocrisy showed the humanity and divinity of the Church. While people in the Church will always be sinners (which is why we need the Church), the Church will never lead us astray when it comes to faith or morals.
• Our pro-life Life Night was fashioned around a few clips from the recent movie Horton Hears a Who, the Dr. Seuss classic. The points came across strong that "a person is a person, no matter how small." We prayed for the unborn and encouraged the teens to be loving and supportive of anyone who has had an abortion in the past to bring them back to reconciliation with the Church.
• On Good Friday over 60 of our high schoolers put on the Living Stations of the Cross for a packed church. If you've never seen it, come next year, but come early if you want a seat.
• One of our weekly Wednesday Prayer Group meetings focused on thinking through the issue of same-sex marriage.
• Confirmation for our 10th graders took place on April 24th with Bishop A. James Quinn. There were 134 teens and 5 adults sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit.

2. Life Teen this month

• Our last life night of the semester is on May 3rd, which includes wishing our seniors farewell. We will have many summer activities planned, so watch http://www.basilteen.com/ for the details.
• A police officer will speak at St. Basil's on May 5th at 6 p.m. to parents regarding the dangers of hosting events with underage drinking.
• Welcome graduating 8th graders and parents! We will have a Life Night just for 8th graders on May 31st, after the LT Mass, 6:30-8 p.m. Our incoming freshmen will be welcomed into the Life Teen family in the Parish Center, while the parents can learn all about the program in the Family Life Center.
• Our weekly Prayer Group and Bible Study will continue throughout the summer, every Wednesday, 7:30-8:30 p.m.

3. A few victories for God

• A memorable event on Spring retreat: the girls got together and prayed the rosary before bed.
• "A teen invited me to the Living Stations on Good Friday, and really wanted me to come, not because they are in it, but because its such a powerful reenactment of what Jesus went through and they wanted me to experience it." - LT Core member
• The number of teens who attend Wednesday night Mass is growing. More and more are showing up early for Eucharistic Adoration.

4. Parent Website of the month
http://www.basilteen.com/ - we made it easier to get to our main Life Teen site. It's shorter and easier to remember - basilteen.com - find ways to get involved, learn about service projects, download permission slips, and find the calendar of events.

5. Please support our teens with prayer and through the monthly Life Teen envelope. Our ministry of leading teens closer to Christ can't be accomplished without your help and generosity!

St. Basil Life Teen Parent News - April Edition

1. What is this blog?

• This is a place for parents and other interested parishioners to stay up to date about what is going on in Life Teen at St. Basil's. Find out what your teen is up to, what they are learning, and where you can get involved. We hope this will give you the opportunity to get more involved in the faith life of your teenager, and perhaps spark good discussions. We will also provide resources to you for parenting and your own faith development. As always, the most life teen information can be found on our life teen website, www.basilthegreat.org/lifeteen.

2. Life Teen last month

• Our weekend retreat had 125 teens. It was focused on St. Paul's conversion and journey. We discussed our own faith journeys, discussed the role of suffering in the Christian life, went to Reconciliation, and had a ton of fun.


• We had a life night on the Teaching Authority of the Catholic Church - although some of the lower levels of church teaching can change, some things never will. The Church is our steady rock through all the ages, especially amidst growing moral relativism.


• We had a life night on Euthanasia - We hold highly the dignity of every human life. It is immoral to purposely take the life of another person.


• We had a social which was an improv comedy night to build community and form friendships. Many teens today have friends who do not share their values, so it is important to give them that support network by establishing friendships at church.

3. Life Teen this month

• We will have life nights on the four marks of the Church, the humanity and divinity of the Church, and a pro-life life night.


• There will be no Life Teen Mass or life night on Easter Sunday


• Confirmation is April 24th.


• Our last life night is on May 3rd.
  
• An officer will speak at St. Basil's on May 5th at 6 p.m. to parents regarding the dangers of hosting events with underage drinking.

4. A few victories for God

• Things our teens are doing for Lent, in their own words: "praying before meals, giving up TV, giving up the internet, giving up complaining, praying for 15 minutes every day, working on my lack of discipline, spending more time with my sister, be nicer to mom & dad, take down the wall I have built up inside of me out of fear."

5. Parent Website of the month

• www.basilthegreat.org/lifeteen - our main Life Teen site with detailed info on all that we do. Find ways to get involved, learn about service projects, download permission slips, and find the calendar of events