Middle School Encounter 2023
Join youth in grades 6-8 and experience God through community, learning, and prayer, sponsored by the Archdiocese of Seattle’s Youth Ministry. A day of of journeying in faith as pilgrims of hope through lively general sessions, engaging workshops, and a fun-filled gathering of the universal Church.
We are invited to encounter the love of God.
We are called to be with others and for others.
We are anointed as the generation of hope.
Learn more about our keynoter, Father J. Augustine Wetta, OSB here.
SCHEDULE:
9:30 – Doors Open / Registration
10:30 – Welcome / Opening Game
11:00 – Keynote Session 1: DON’T FOLLOW YOUR DREAMS
Saint Benedict’s 5th Century guide to humility offers the antidote to the epidemic of stress and depression overwhelming modern young adults. But the language of The Rule of Saint Benedict is medieval, and its most passionate advocates are cloistered monks and nuns. How then does this ancient wisdom translate into advice for ordinary people?
11:45 – Lunch
12:30 – Activity Rotations: Games, Letters of Hope, Prayer Experience
1:45 – Break-out Sessions (By Grade)
6th Grade: Praying the Psalms (presented by Danielle Curl, Sacred Heart Enumclaw)
7th Grade: Holy Spirit Inspired (presented by Sarah Riggio, Our Lady of Guadalupe Seattle)
8th Grade: Apologetics…Monk Style! How to never lose an argument and still keep your friends (presented by Fr. Augustine Wetta, OSB)
2:15 – Parish Time
2:45 – Keynote Session 2: FAIL! LIFE LESSONS FROM LOSERS, HAS-BEENS, NOBODIES, AND OTHER GREAT SAINTS
Saint John the Baptist wore home-made clothes and ate bugs. Saint Edward the Confessor was one of the worst politicians in history. Saint Philippine Duchesne was a missionary who converted no one…and that’s just the beginning. The Catholic Church has a long, rich tradition of failure, and you can be part of it! Virtue won’t make you popular, but it may make you a saint.
3:30 – Open Mic
3:45 – Prepare for Mass: Praise & Worship
4:00 – Mass with Archbishop Etienne
5:00 – Blessing and Dismissal