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CYX
Learning Sessions
NEW IN 2009: Revamped learning session format
for frosh-juniors, featuring rotating workshop-style
sessions.
Learning Session themes have also been brought into
compliance with the USCCB curriculum framework for high schoolers.
Dear Lord Baby Jesus: Merry Christmas! Gather
’round the yule log and grab a cup of eggnog as we
reflect on what Jesus’ birth in a manger 2,000 years ago
means for us today. (Presented by a group of former CYX
participants)
Why bad things happen to good people, and other
deep questions: The world is filled with bad stuff:
tragic death, terrorism, poverty, war, disaster…it makes
a person wonder if God truly exists at all. One thing is
certain: God likes it when we ask tough questions.
(Presenter: Fr. Ian Williams, Pastor, Sacred Heart, La
Porte and TAPT Board Member)
Want Drama? Try the Bible! Lights!
Camera! Action! Many screenwriters and actors have
studied in seminaries or rabbinical school. Their
knowledge of scripture and philosophy have influenced
their writing styles and acting. Think the bible is a
bunch of crusty old stories from thousands of years ago?
Deacon Martin will share how those stories are seen on
the big (and little) screens regularly!
(Presenter: Deacon Martin Brown, St. Casimir, Hammond)
The Fantastic Four: Sounds like an
action-adventure movie, doesn't it? A non-stop thrill
ride of action, suspense, and awe! Well, being
Catholic is kinda' like that...or at least it should
be! We will explore the Marks of the Church (one,
holy, Catholic, Apostolic). (Presenter: Stacia
Bolakowski, Campus Minister, Andrean High School & DRE,
Sacred Heart, Wanatah)
Teach us how to pray! Bible hero Saint Paul
had some good advice for his friends the
Thessalonians: pray without ceasing. In other words,
don't ever stop praying. Is that even possible? There
are literally thousands of different ways to pray in
the Catholic tradition. This session will give you
some new ideas about how you connect with God. (Jamie
Sandona, Youth Ministry Coordinator,
Whiting-Robertsdale Cluster & St. John Bosco, Hammond)
What’s So Amazing about Grace? How sweet the
sound! You know we used to live in paradise until Adam
and Eve just had to eat that apple. So now
we're all trying to get back. Good news for us: God
wants you back in that garden- with rainbows and
sunshine and all that good stuff- both now and
forever! (Presenter: Joe Kern, Youth Ministry
Coordinator, St. James, Highland)
Power Hour: One of the great things about being
Catholic is all the "smells and bells!" Ours is a
faith that appeals to your senses! This session will
take you on a reflective journey of the power of
Sacramental symbols. But don't expect a lecture...this
one will put the X in CYX! VERY experiential and
hands-on! (Presenter: Julie Volkmann, Hammond)
"I Get to Go to Mass!": You've probably
proclaimed those words exactly zero times in your
life! Sure, sometimes- many times- Mass is "boring,"
but if you reflect on the True Presence of Christ in
the Eucharist, the most boring Mass can be the most
profound, incredible experience. You'll have a chance
to ask Fr. Kevin tough questions about why we
Catholics “have to” (get to?!) go to Mass every
Sunday, and he'll explain in new ways what we take for
granted at the Altar. (Presenter: Fr. Kevin Huber,
Diocese of Gary)
A Story About Life: This session will challenge
you to look at life a little differently than you ever
did before. One life is lost, and another is left to
face the pain. A woman finds healing through Christ.
(Presenter: Kathy Druzbicki, Rachel's Vineyard Ministry,
Diocese of Gary)
Faith In Action:
As each one has received a gift, use it to serve
one another as good stewards of God's varied
grace…Whoever serves, let it be with the strength that
God supplies, so that in all things God may be
glorified through Jesus Christ (1 Peter 4: 10-11)
Everybody can be great. Because anybody can
serve…You only need a heart full of grace. A soul
generated by love. (Martin Luther King, Jr.)
In these sessions you will not only explore the rich
tradition of Catholic social teaching, you will LIVE
IT! Last September, record rainfall caused devastating
flooding throughout Northwest Indiana. During CYX
Saturday, incoming seniors and a team of adult leaders
will board a bus and head to a Gary-area worksite
coordinated by
LARRI
(Lakeshore Area Regional Recovery of Indiana) to
lend a helping hand to our neighbors in need. While
the specific work is not known at this time, tasks may
include: demolition, painting, landscaping, and muck
and guts. (Presenter: Fr. Kevin McCarthy, Chaplain, CYX
& St. Teresa of Avila, Valparaiso)
Embarking On Your Spiritual Journey: You are
coming to the end of the high school path. From here
there are dozens of other paths ahead-- each with its
blessings, struggles, and adventures-- and you have to
choose which path to follow! These learning sessions
will help prepare you and give you strength for the
journey. (Presenters: Jen & Phil Dietrich, St. Teresa
of Avila, Valparaiso)
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