Hey folks, this will be the last post for this blog. The Parish has decided that they want all websites to be located on the OLPH website. So I'll be moving this site to the main OLPH site, located here.

Thank you all for your support of this site and please check out the new location, it may take a few days for me to get situated with the new page but I promise it will be up and running ASAP

Thank you, and God Bless.

Matt Hudson
Senior High Youth Coordinator
OLPH, Germantown, TN

"Jesus answered and said to her, 'Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again; but whoever drinks the water I shall give will never thirst; the water I shall give will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.' The woman said to him, 'Sir, give me this water, so that I may not be thirsty or have to keep coming here to draw water.'"
— John 4:13-15

Sunday is the Third Sunday of Lent, here are the OLPH Mass Times.
The Sr. High Youth will be ministering at the 12:30pm mass, come and celebrate with us.

6:15pm in Fr. Gresham Hall, is our regularly scheduled meeting, this meeting will also be led by two members of the Youth Group, so this Sunday is brought to you by you. Try to get their a bit earlier, the program will need to start quite promptly so that we can mingle afterwards.

Things to Look for at the Meeting:

• Volleyball Sign Ups
• DYC Registration Forms
• SEARCH Registration Forms
• Living Stations Sign Ups
• Next Youth Mass Sign Ups

Upcoming Events:

• March 7 - 8 Diocesan Youth Celebration
• March 8 Fresh Start in Chapel @ 7:30am
• March 8 Bunny Breakfast
• March 9 March Madness @ 2:00pm
• March 9 Living Stations for PRE Students @ 6:00pm

Deadline For Summer Trip Deposit is Sunday, March 2
$75 Non-refundable deposit for Summer Trip. Contact me for more info.

This past Sunday was a fairly short meeting. We discussed the "Principle of First and Second Things", or we tried. I tried to stay focused but the topic was so broad that I ended up skipping all over the place, talking about God as Trinity, and Love, and His unchanging nature, and many more things. The most important point that I was trying to get across was that once you put Christ first in your life He'll shine through everything that you do and make all those other or second things flourish. 

I did get some good feed back on the site, it seems you all enjoy having this type of reference and I talked about how I plan to use this resource as a place to find out what's going on with us as a Youth Group. There was also plenty of excitement about the upcoming Volleyball season and the Athletic Director and I are going to be getting things all together for registration this week; if you haven't already, email me if you're interested.

Youth Mass: Sunday February 24 @ 12:30pm in Church
I still need volunteers for all ministers at this mass
Contact me for sign ups

Diocesan Youth Celebration: Friday, March 7 - Saturday, March 8
Registration still available, join youth from all over the Memphis Diocese celebrate Jesus and the Church

Fresh Start: Saturday, March 8 @ 7:30am
We'll be meeting in the chapel for adoration and mass. Then we'll be helping with the Bunny Breakfast.

Bunny Breakfast: Saturday, March 8, 8:30am - 11:00am
Help hide eggs, serve breakfast, and play with the wee ones

March Madness: Sunday, March 9 @ 2:00pm in Gym
Come and play basketball against the Knights of Columbus, THIS IS OUR YEAR!!!

Living Stations: Sunday, March 9 @ 6:00pm, and Friday March 14 after Fish Fry in Church
Still need volunteers
Contact me for sign ups 

“… then from the cloud came a voice that said, ‘This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.’ When the disciples heard this, they fell prostrate and were very much afraid. But Jesus came and touched them, saying, ‘Rise, and do not be afraid.’ ” - Matthew 17:6-7

This is the Second Sunday of Lent, Mass Schedule is available here.

2:00pm will be the monthly Youth Commission meeting.

6:15pm we’ll be having our regularly scheduled Sr. High Youth meeting, topic may vary depending on attendance.

A Few Things to look forward to:

• February 24 Sr. High Youth will minister at the 12:30pm Mass
• March 7 -8 Diocesan Youth Conference
• March 9 March Madness Basketball Game against the Knights of Columbus

St. Valentine was a priest in Rome around 300 AD, and the Roman Emperor at the time was Claudius II, who was later dubbed Claudius the Cruel. Emperor Claudius II believed that his army was being weakened by marriage. He felt that married soldiers were less inclined to battle because they would not want to leave their wives and families, so he outlawed marriages. The initial thought was that he would supply his soldiers with plenty of prostitutes to keep them satisfied.

St. Valentine held fast to the Church and her teaching and continued to offer the sacrament of Marriage to those who came to him. He married several Romans in secret, but was eventually captured by the Emperor. After speaking with the Emperor, Claudius II was so impressed with St. Valentine that he offered St. Valentine freedom, on the condition that St. Valentine would deny Christianity and join him. St. Valentine let Claudius II know who the Lord of his life was and was sentenced to a three fold death penalty; beating, stoning, and finally decapitation.

While awaiting his death, St. Valentine wrote to his community and requested that each pray “Your Valentine.” He also gave instruction to the jailer’s blind daughter, who was miraculously healed on the day St. Valentine was Martyred. To her, he left a note also signed “Your Valentine”

As most of us know, tomorrow is a special day for all those in relationships and those wanting to start a relationship. And many people will be wishing each other a good day by saying “Happy Valentine’s Day”. This thoroughly bothers me. I’m not a Valentine’s day Scrooge, I’m just a good Catholic. I have no problem with SAINT Valentine’s day, I have a problem with people not recognizing it by leaving out his title.

I realize that this particular Saint day has been overly secularized and has lost most of it’s meaning, but I’m not one to give up ground to the secular part of the world. If anything, this Saint especially, this day should be a niche in the secular world that the Church could use to evangelize, but we’ve given up too much ground and we must take it back.

I challenge you: tomorrow when you are addressed and wished a “Happy Valentine’s Day” wish them a “Happy St. Valentine’s Day.” Also, learn the story of St. Valentine so that you can relay that to those who ask. If you don’t know his story, look it up or simply read this page tomorrow.

So, let’s take one from St. Patrick and not let go of who St. Valentine is or what he has done and again, wish everyone a “Happy St. Valentine’s Day.”

God bless you and God love you.

We had Fr. Rick Potts speak to us this past Sunday. He didn’t spend much time focusing on the Parish Mission that he is MCing but he connected really well with everyone present.

His main focus was how the youth of the Church can connect with the whole of the Church. He discussed issues that he saw the Church could be better at focusing on to keep the youth interested and involved in the Ministry of the Church. He specifically addressed the seniors and expressed to them the importance of letting your faith shine through all that you do.

Fr. Potts was very enthusiastic and helpful to the group, his talk reminded me of something that Fr. Terry from St. Maximilian Kolbe Parish in West Chester, OH, had said once: “You cannont fit God in your life, God is too big, He’ll never fit, it’s impossible. You have to live your life around God.”

Living Stations: Sunday, March 9 & Friday, March 14
Need Volunteers
Sign ups at meeting

Youth Mass: Sunday, February 24 at 12:30pm
Need Volunteers
Sign ups at meeting

Diocesan Youth Celebration: Friday, March 7 to Saturday, March 8
Registration still available
Forms at meeting

SEARCH: February 22 - 24 & April 25 - 27
Registration Forms available at Meeting

This past Sunday at 2:30pm. Interested Teens and Parents met with me briefly and we went over the basics of the Trip. I still have a lot of information to get before we head out, but here is what I presented on Sunday:

• When: Friday, June 13 to Wednesday, June 18
• Where: Camp Ocoee, Cleveland, TN
• What: Retreat, White Water Rafting, Habitat for Humanity
• Initial Cost: $75 non-refundable deposit due on Sunday, March 2

I’m still collecting numbers for the trip so if you are interested in going and haven’t expressed interest yet, contact me via email at srhighyouth@olphgermantown.org.

Thanks all and God bless.