The Tablet . Youth | Diocese of Brooklyn

Mission Accomplished for SJP Faculty

All 26 members of St. John’s Prep Mission Team successfully completed the mission they had assigned to themselves last fall. The team, which consisted of faculty, staff, friends and family of the St. John’s Prep school community in Astoria, spent their mid-winter February vacation in Louisiana constructing low-income housing for the displaced population of St. Bernard Parish.

The Mission Team received an enthusiastic send-off from family, friends and the Prep community, all of whom contributed over $20,000 to defray the cost of the service trip. Volunteers worked with Community Collaborations International and Habitat for Humanity in the small town of Violet, Louisiana.

At left, the Mission Team poses on the porch of a home they helped construct in Violet.

National Achievement Finalists Lauded at SFP

Carl-Frederique Constant and Ashley Parks, two seniors at St. Francis Prep, Fresh Meadows, were named finalists in the National Achievement Scholarship Program, an academic competition established in 1964 to provide recognition for outstanding Black American high school students. Students enter by taking the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test and meeting other published requirements for participation. Constant and Parks are two of 1,300 finalists selected from a pool of approximately 130,000 students across the country. Brother Leonard Conway, O.S.F. is pictured congratulating them.

Youth Views

The Church celebrates the feasts of Saints Patrick and Joseph, March 17 and 19, respectively. Are there any saints to whom you have a special devotion?

Annie Cassone
St. Saviour H.S.
Junior

St. Bernadette of Lourdes is a role model to me because she believed in the Virgin Mary and lived a humble life. And she was a positive influence on young nuns.

Theresa Geraci
St. Saviour H.S.
Junior

The saint that I have a huge devotion to is St. Jude. I look up to him because he is the saint of miracles, and when I grow up, I hope to become a doctor and find a cure for cancer.

Irenae Aigbedion
St. Saviour H.S.
Sophomore

I have a special devotion to St. Lawrence who declared that the people of Rome were the true treasures of the city. He had a witty sense of humor, even at his death. I admire him for his courage and sarcasm in the face of death

Dominique Keogh
St. Saviour H.S.
Sophomore

St. Anne is my favorite saint. Every summer I make a pilgrimage to her shrine in Canada with my best friends. I always feel a strong connection to her and the handicapped people I meet there are my heroes.

Erica Fredrickson
St. Saviour H.S.
Junior

I have a special devotion to the Blessed Mother, Mary. This is the name I chose for Confirmation. She was a terrific woman who survived many hardships.

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The Charismatic Renewal Office’s 20th Youth Confer-ence/Retreat is March 17, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. at Mary Queen of Heaven, Mill Basin. Guest Speaker: Father John Maduri. Celebrant: Father Jamie Gigantiello, pastor. Music: Life Teen Music Ministry. Call 718-859-7065.

Christ the King R.H.S. Musical Theatre, Middle Village, is proud to present Little Shop of Horrors, March 16, 17, 23, 24 at 8 p.m. and March 18 and 25 at 3 p.m. Tickets: $10. To purchase tickets, call 718-366-7400 ext. 330.

St. Gregory’s Theater Group, Bellerose, presents The Karaoke Lounge Musical Review, March 14 - 17 at 8 p.m.; March 18, 2 p.m. in church basement. Tickets: $15, adults; $14, seniors and kids. Call 718-989-2451.

The Drama Club at St. Sebastian School, Woodside, presents Mary Poppins, March 23 and 24, 7 p.m., in school auditorium. Tickets: $5 - $8 in advance; $10 at door. Call 718-429-1982 or buy tickets at school.

Girl Scout Retreat Day, March 25, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. at diocesan office building, Park Slope. Fee: $10, includes activities, lunch, two patches and Mass. Call Frances, 718-238-2871, or Mary Ellen, 718-494-5366.

Cathedral Seminary Residence of the Immaculate Conception will have an Open House, March 25, 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. for men who are high school age, college age or older. To register, call 718-399-5950 or e-mail vocations@diobrook.org.

Go hi-tech with your faith this Lent! Log onto www.YouTube.com, and search for Cardinal Justin Rigali, Archbishop of Philadelphia. The cardinal is posting his Gospel reflections for each Sunday of Lent as well as for Holy Week.

The Youth Group at St. Gabriel the Archangel, New Lots, has bilingual Lenten activities, Monday - Friday, 5 - 8 p.m. Register by calling 718-257-0612.

Reconcile yourself with God at the Lenten Reconciliation Service for youth from the Southeast Queens Cluster No. 6, March 31, 12 - 2 p.m., at St. Mary Magdalene, Springfield Gardens. Call Jeff at 718-527-3720.

The Duns Scotus Student Congress Team of St. Francis Prep, Fresh Meadows, was awarded the Father Ogle Student Congress Sweepstakes for the best student congress in the diocese for the 2007 season. Under the direction of Diane Haussermann, SFP’s team has been creating legislation dealing with current political issues and creating speeches to defend their position at the mock congress.

High school students from Brooklyn and Queens are invited to Senior High Diocesan Youth Day, April 28, 12:30 - 7 p.m. at Bishop Loughlin M.H.S., Fort Greene/Clinton Hill. Theme: “Walk This Way.” Enjoy workshops, music, liturgy, and keynote speakers Chris and Linda Padgett. Cost: $15 per person. Contact Marilyn Santos at 718-281-9584 or msantos@rcdob.org.

The Long Island Chapter of the Knights of Columbus will bestow five tuition assistance awards to students from Brooklyn or Queens (any academic year), who are attending a Catholic high school this fall. Each award will consist of a one-time payment of $1,000. Winners will be selected at random. For an application, contact your local Council or send a stamped, self-addressed envelope to: Tuition Award Application, LIC Knights of Columbus, 106-12 Liverpool Street, Jamaica, N.Y. 11435.

Catholic Awards Ceremony for Girl Scouts, Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts: April 29 at St. Athanasius, Bensonhurst. All scout applications are due March 30. Call Brian Long, 718-499-8400, for more information.

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