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<WDG> Thanks for visiting St Marys Youth Online Magazine !! Its Summer, and everything that means. Events like the Second Annual Blessing of the Waves, The Carnival, weekly trips to the LBI and Six Flags will fill the calender for the next few months. Regular meetings will not be occuring, so check the events page to keep up with the schedule. In the new summer edition we will updating as events and stories come up. So be sure you check back in next month !Your continued prayerful support and encouragement have made this eMagazine possible. There are a few people in particular who need to recognized, Cindy Craft, our fearless Director of Youth Ministry, who has been the engine behind much of the progress. Monsignor Ken, who took the gamble and gave the green light for our web endeavors, and all of our contributors, writers and editors, for the hours of work and research they put in for the cause. Our cause, which is the Evangelization of todays Youth through new media, and bringing the message of the Gospel to areas and subjects that may have otherwise been overlooked, is our passion. For that, we thank Our Lord Jesus Christ for his Holy and Living Spirit for the strength, guidance and courage He brings. May His Light shine brightly in the darkness.
Lastly, thank you for the support and encouragment...It REALLY means a lot. If you experience any difficulty using the site or have any suggestions, please send us an email; jeff@stmarysyouthonline.com so we can correct it. And, of course, we would like your articles, commentaries, and photos ! Above all, we need your prayers, so a quick ‘Our Father’ or ‘Hail Mary’ for the success of the Youth Ministries would be greatly appreciated ! Click this icon to share the site with your freinds on all the major social networks...
On June 26, St. Mary’s Youth Ministry will sponsor its summer kickoff event, the Second annual “Blessing of the Waves”. The event will be held at the Maris Stella Retreat House located at 7201 Long Beach Blvd, Harvey Cedars. Rev. Monsignor Ken Tuzeneu, Pastor of St. Mary’s Church in Barnegat and Manahawkin will kick off the event with Mass followed by a Blessing of the waves, surfers, and lifeguards. The event will then continue with music, beach games & make sure you bring your wet suit, & surf board for a free surf lesson. Closing the event will be a barbeque of hot dogs, chips and soda. The event is aimed at attracting youth of all ages, however all are welcome to join us. For further information please contact St. Mary’s Youth Minister Cindy Craft. We look forward to seeing you there !!
The St. Mary’s Carnival is an oasis of sorts for folks looking for summer family fun in an economically challenged time. From Tuesday July 13th till Sunday July 18th, the parish center parking lot will be filled with excited children, teens, parents, and grandparents. Msgr. Ken attracts many aspiring pitchers to the dunking booth, and bells and buzzers will sound many times as he and other volunteers fall into its chilly waters. The St. Mary’s Junior and Senior Youth group volunteers will do their best to serve hot dogs, sodas and bottled water to carnival goers, as well as face-paint and “tattoo” people of all ages. The Octopus, Gravitron, Scrambler, Skat, bumper cars, Dragon roller coaster, Berry-go-Round, Carousel, Tea Cups, Slide, Ferris wheel and Fun House are just some of the rides and attractions at the carnival. The ring toss game, Flip a Chick and other games will keep everyone busy and determined to win a prize. So come on down and join in the fun and pray for good weather !!
<J Bruno> Passion, intelligence and conviction. Three words that could be used to very accurately describe David Ellefson. Dave is one of the founding members of the iconic band Megadeth. A band whose name was derived from the term used to describe the after effects of a nuclear war. The names significance, relating to the band means going in and totally tearing down the walls. As bassist, David has been a pillar of the Metal/ Thrash community for over two decades gracing more stages, magazine covers and venues than most could dream of. David was gracious enough to spend some time with us to give his take on a few things..Click the button to listen.
<J Bruno> <Photos David Molnar and Tim Albertson>Skillet drummer is the epitome of overcoming the odds. Born in Coventry, England on December 8th, 1989, Jen is one of the youngest, female touring drummers in the world. She began in a Church band at 13, and by the time she reached the ripe old age of age of 17 she ranked 12th in the 2006 UK Young Drummer of the Year Competition, the second woman to ever make it the final 12. And at 18 joined the US based heavy rock band Skillet. Jen was kind enough to correspond with us and answer some questions we had for her...READ MORE
<WDG>A quick look at stress. What is it and how to cope the Catholic Way.
There are two kinds of stress. The first is the stuff that happens to you that you have no control over. Like your grandma gets cancer, your friend dies, a giant snow storms cancels your basketball championship game. You have no control of these type of events, but they still stress you out. The second kind of stress is self-imposed. These are things that stress you out that you have some control over. This may include, your schedule is too busy, work, money, friend’s are doing dangerous or risky things, dating, sex, sports. Some things can really be in both categories at the same time. If homework is stressing you out, well, you are still going to get it, but the question is what is your attitude about homework or school. Your brother or sister may be driving you crazy, you can’t get rid of them, but how you respond to them is your choice.
(WDG) On Good Friday, this past lent. Saint Mary's Youth Ministry, under the direction of our fearless director, Cindy Craft, staged a Living Stations of the Cross performance and the Saint Mary's of the Pines Church. The event drew a substancial crowd and was greatly applauded. The teens who were involved played there roles in a reverent, convincing manner, bring to life the last days of Jesus' life for all to reflect on on the last, most solemn day of lent, in preparation of Easter Sunday.
(FELICIA MASSARI) While the beautiful means we employ today to teach our children the Catholic faith is effective, I cannot help but be nostalgic about the Baltimore Catechism, a book I still have. It was the way I learned (in part) the truths of my faith. I know quite clearly what a sacrament is, for instance. It is “… an outward sign instituted by Christ to give grace.” I am so grateful to have learned the way I did, though it seemed repetitive and not especially exciting at the time. The memorized words became very meaningful as I grew, and the depth of my understanding intensified with each new sacrament received. I understood the beauty and power of the graces received, and I am grateful for grace.
Grace is another gift of God not completely understood. Certainly the word itself can be found in various prayers, and even during mass. But what is it? And why is it so important? The Baltimore Catechism describes it as “…a supernatural gift of God bestowed on us by the merits of Jesus Christ for our salvation.” It is a spiritual gift, and there are two forms of it – sanctifying, which “makes the soul holy and pleasing to God”, and actual, which is received in order to avoid sin. As a child, I pictured grace as molten gold, flowing into the soul. Perhaps I wasn’t too far off. Grace is certainly a priceless gift. It enables us to love God and neighbor, and fight off the temptations to stray from a good and holy life.
(Jeffrey Bruno) Are you? Well… if you have a pulse, feel like taking a trip to Taco Bell or are contemplating where this question can possibly be going, chances are you‘re not dead in the regular sense. So why pose the question then? After all an article is presumably written for those who are alive…READ MORE
(Mark Hart) I’m not scientific. I don’t know how to do a scientific survey.
I should have paid more attention in high school science class.
None of these truths, however, kept me from doing a survey this past week.
(Mark Hart) Who says faith and science can’t work together?I was beginning to notice how contagious negativity can be and how dangerous negativity is to the Christian walk.
I don’t consider myself a negative person. That being said, when people around me grow increasingly negative, it begins to wear me down over time. I lose my perspective. My patience begins to fade along with my smile. Before you know it, I’m in an all out, tug-of-war with satan for my joy. Can you relate... READ MORE
“Amazing Love, how can it be
That You, my King, would die for me?
Amazing Love, I know it’s true,
And it’s my joy to honor You…”
(Felicia Massari) This is a stanza from one of the songs to be sung by the children at St. Mary’s Vacation Bible School, July 6-10th. Cutting out paper flowers one evening with some of the volunteering teachers in preparation for VBS, we started familiarizing ourselves with the songs which we in turn will teach our eager VBS kids. This song reminded me of the feast of Corpus Christi.....READ MORE
(Dumb Ox) A. Guys are visual. They were created by God in this way, and since they are visual and physical people, it is easy to think that this is the reason they are obsessed with thoughts about female body parts. But the real reason they are sometimes obsessed with these thoughts is because they are taught to lust. With the media and advertising ads jam-packed with sexual messages, it is no wonder guys seem to be obsessed with the female body. Guys are taught to use women for their own pleasure. But even this side of male sexuality—the frequent tendency to focus on a woman’s body… is not all bad. Check this out. ....READ MORE
(Greg Iwinski) It’s a good thing I go to Mass, because that seems to be where God always tells me what blog about. And the question that’s weighed on my heart so far this week is this: “Am I eagerly awaiting Christ?” Advent is all about waiting for Christ, both in the past (check out the Gospels) and in the future (when the skies open and world ends - see: last Sunday’s readings). But what about the present? We’re waiting for Christ at the two ends of ‘A.D.’ but are we waiting for Him right now?.
...READ MORE
<by ALL>
If you follow the news at all, you've probably heard talk of Preven-the new emergency contraception pill. "Birth control" such as this has become society's answer to the rise in unexpected pregnancy. Many say abortions will decrease as we get better birth control methods on the market. Can the pill, Norplant, the IUD, Depo-Provera, and emergency contraception really decrease abortion?
Not likely. One of the ways that these chemicals and devices work is to prevent the newly conceived human embryo from attaching to the lining of the uterus. You may hear the inaccurate term "fertilized egg" used to describe the living human embryo. But once fertilization has taken place, there is no more "egg." A new tiny person has been formed and is traveling on his or her way down the fallopian tube to enter and attach to the womb. Once there, the baby receives nourishment, and the growth hormone progesterone needed for survival.
But, if the contraceptive device prevents the newly conceived child from attaching to the uterus (womb), what happens? Without nourishment and room to grow, the child cannot survive and he dies in the first 1-7 days of life.
This is what we call an early, chemical abortion....READ MORE
<by Jessica Harris> As the body of Christ stands in the middle of a sexual revolution in an already over-sexualized culture, many are scratching their heads thinking, “Where did we go wrong? How did we, while promoting purity, raise up a generation of sexual addicts?” It is a perplexing situation, isn’t it? Can I propose the solution is that we need to rethink our own take on purity? Here is a thought: We have been teaching the wrong purity! The wrong purity?. ..READ MORE
<By Lucas Kwong>
When Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Little Richard first menaced the hardworking and God-fearing establishment of 1950s America, the prospect of rock ‘n’ roll retreating into stodgy conservatism must have seemed as ridiculous as the prospect of the Soviets giving democracy a shot. Thus, “Rock Hits Wall,” a recent Popmatters article about the decline of creative rebellion in popular music, made me wish I was one of those wide-eyed, plaid-clad adolescents of yore, living in an age when the sonic possibilities of rock ‘n’ roll seemed inexhaustible.
The article in question suggests a fundamental opposition between rock’s ostensible ideological leanings and its current aesthetic preferences...READ MORE
