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News from St. Mary's Youth Group, Birmingham

Jo French is the Youth Worker for St. Mary's Parish in Harborne, Birmingham.  Here she recounts some of the youth activities that have taken place over the last year:

 

St. Mary's meets every weekend for 2 hours in the parish centre. Our age group is mostly year 7-year 9, but we have a few older, past members who come along to run our tuck shop for us. Our weekly meetings vary each week - some weeks we have run sessions that gets our youngsters thinking and involved in appropriate activities and some weeks just enjoy being together as a group - we have designed fairtrade t-shirts, had a pizza evening, quiz nights once a term, spent time doing team challenges and games (with chocolate prizes!) and last term, a few of us went bowling!

A few weeks ago a few of our lads competed in Birmingham Youth Service's 5-a-side football tournament. It was a great afternoon, and our boys came third in their group! They all left discussing tactics for next years competition so watch this space!

The biggest highlight I think would have to be the Mass which our young people put together themselves for the parish in November. We were celebrating National Youth Sunday, with a focus on the environment. The youngsters led the prayers, readings, offertory and were involved in a short reflection about how we need to appreciate and care for our world.

We are finishing our year together on Sunday with a BBQ, some team-spirited games and a special liturgy to round things off. The youth group has been a great success this year and that is down to the enthusiasm and joyfulness of our young members. We are very blessed to have such a great number of young people within the parish, and to have so many attached to our Youth Group.  Each week they bring a new source of energy and liveliness to our meetings and we are all looking forward to a new start of adventures in September, hopefully with some new recruits!!

 

Jo French