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And here's what we've done so far this year in S.W.A.T. |
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 GREAT AMERICA
What a fun day at Great America! And what a great reminder that God is the ultimate engineer, creating order and force in this world and granting humans knowledge to build rollercoasters like the Raging Bull and Superman. SWAT participants enjoyed many other blessings, like water rides and air-conditioned restaurants on a hot summer day. And not to overlook the delicious wonder of funnel cakes! |
 SOUP KITCHEN
A brand new group of teens, adults, and families participated in SWAT's night of service at the Waukegan soup kitchen. Through prayer and great teamwork we served a meal to individuals in need and completed all the prep and clean-up work to support this ministry. Thank you to everyone who joined the team! |
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 SHADOW STATIONS OF THE CROSS
Youth Ministry's version of the traditional Stations of the Cross prayer experience uses backlighting, shadow projection, and dramatic narration to tell the story of Jesus's arrest and crucifixtion. This year, pre-recorded shadow scenes were presented on the large screen while a dedicated team of live narrators led the congregation in prayer. |
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SOUP KITCHEN
Serving at the Waukegan Soup Kitchen gave us the opportunity to meet and serve many individuals and families in need of a good meal. We prepared and served a meal of soup, sandwiches, salad, and dessert. We prepped and cleaned the dining room area. And of course we met some wonderful people.
Guiding theme for the night: In the Service of Life |
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 ALL-NIGHT SKI TRIP
What a great night! Joining hundreds of teens from all over the Chicagoland area, 18 teens and 3 adults from St. Joe's spent the entire night skiing and snowboarding at Chesnut Mountain Resort in Galena, IL. That's right...this wasn't an overnight ski trip, it was an all night ski trip! With music inside the lodge and bon fires out by the slopes for warmth, the time flew by...and then we all crashed and slept on the bus ride home. |
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 TO SAVE A LIFE 3-PART MOVIE EVENT
S.W.A.T. went to the movies to see the new film, To Save A Life, and spent some times discussing relationships, suicide, faith, and the question "What do I want my life to be about?" If you haven't gotten the chance to see this movie, check it out while it's still in theaters. It's getting rave reviews for being bold and honest and exposing a lot of struggles that teens in this day and age experience every day.
VISIT FANDANGO to read a plot summary, fan reviews, and rating info and to watch the movie trailer and clips. |
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 SOUPER BOWL OF CARING
Thank you for supporting the Souper Bowl of Caring! Teens from St. Joe's who were generous with their time and parishioners who were generous with their donations together raised $2,558.37!! Donations were sent to support the St. Joseph Food Pantry, Waukegan Food Pantry, and Catholic Relief Services for aid to Haiti.
Souper Bowl Prayer:
"Lord, even as we enjoy the Super Bowl football game, help us be mindful of those who are without a bowl of soup to eat" |
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 VICARIATE SERVICE DAY
High school students from St. Joe's joined other teens from the region to serve throughout Lake County. Service projects included sorting donated toys at the Catholic Charities warehouses in Waukegan, Christmas carolling at Condell Hospital, cooking dinner for the firemen of Gurnee at the firehouse, decorating and carolling for Christmas with mother and their children at local women's shelters, and more. The day of service closed with a pizza dinner and a teen mass hosted at St. Paul the Apostle Church in Gurnee. This is an annual event, so if you didn't get to attend this year you can certainly plan to share your gifts at this same event next December.
Prayer of Selflessness:
Beloved God, teach me to be generous,
To serve You as You do deserve,
To give without counting the cost,
To labor without seeking rest,
To spend myself without looking for any other reward other than that of knowing that I do Your Holy will.
Amen. |
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SOUP KITCHEN Serving at the Waukegan Soup Kitchen gave us the opportunity to meet and serve many individuals and families in need of a good meal. We prepared and served a meal of soup, sandwiches, salad, and dessert. We heated up the kitchen washing dishes. We prepped and cleaned the dining room area. And of course we met some wonderful people.
Scripture passage: Matthew 25: 31-40 |
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 WORLD'S LARGEST CORN MAZE
This evening was a flash back to simple fun of the past. After stopping for dinner at a classic 50's style drive-in, we proceeded to get lost in the corn. Searching our way out by the light of the stars served as a beautiful setting to reflect upon the many ways that Christ finds each of us when we feel lost and guides us along our unique paths of life and faith.
Scripture passages: Matthew 18: 12-24 Matthew 5: 13-16
Matthew 9: 27-31 Matthew 20: 30-34
John 9: 1-7 |
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 MOVIE NIGHT
"Freedom Writers" was the featured film of the night. We watched the movie, snacked on some pizza, and shared some dialogue about perserverance, relationships, and where God is leading us in our lives.
Scripture passage: Hebrews 12: 1-13 |
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CLICK HERE to see a few highlights from last year.
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