Good Morning Pax Christi Youth Ministry Family,
This Youth Update has a different tone than usual. I wanted to take some time for reflection, but more importantly we want to hear from you. We are 2+ months into a statewide lock down, school is wrapping up (or has in most cases), our state is in turmoil, and our nation is in unrest. As a parish we are in transition as our Pastor Fr. Thompson has been reassigned and we are waiting for Fr. Sauer to to arrive.
On the bright side we will hopefully be able to celebrate public Masses in the near future (we'll have details to you as soon as we know them). Yet, at the same time we don't yet have a date or a timeline for resuming activities or events of any kind here in Youth Ministry.
In light of all of this Dana and I want to take time to have a heart to heart discussion with all the parents and concerned adults out there. We'd like to listen to how you are feeling about the things going on, and discuss how we might be able to best respond to your needs and those of your teens and families.
Next Wednesday June 10th we invite you to join us for a video call from 7-8 pm. Follow the link below or click on the button to join the call at 7 on June 10th.
Between now and then we welcome any input and we would love for you to reflect on the following questions that will help guide our discussion:
- One thing you need most as a family right now is...
- Something your teen needs right now but isn't getting is...
- What questions do you have about what Youth Ministry has been providing the last few months? What ideas might you have for the summer? Beyond summer?
- What questions do you have about what Pax Christi has been providing the last few months? What needs do you have that the parish might be able to meet?
In the remainder of this update you'll find some of my own thoughts about what is going on in our state right now. I'm also including a link to Mass with Fr. Mike from yesterday; his opening message and homily are really good.
Continue to pray for us here at Pax Christi, and know that Dana and I pray for all of you.
Peace,
Zach Rawson
Peace and Forgiveness
Yesterday we celebrated the feast of Pentecost which happens to be the unofficial feast day for Pax Christi. However, it didn't feel like a feast day for a number of reasons 1) our Pastor, Fr. Thompson has now departed for his new assignment, 2) I prayed through the Mass sitting on my couch instead of kneeling in a pew, 3) our state has become an epicenter of much hatred and evil, among many others...
I grew up 10 miles from Minneapolis' 3rd Precinct, my sister now lives a mile from the grocery store where George Floyd lost his life last Monday, and my dad works at a hospital just blocks from where the violent riots began this past week. By no means do I know nor could I begin to imagine what it is like to be black in our nation, nevertheless this tragic loss of life hits close to home; I can't help but wonder, as you listen to the news and see the images on television, if it does for you as well.
I don't know if sharing my thoughts with you is anything more than therapeutic for me, and therefore selfish, so I hesitate to continue, but a friend of mine recently reminded me that silence is one of the tools the Devil uses to keep us divided.