Our Youth Ministry invites all teens in grades 6 through 12 of the parish, in both public and parochial schools, as well as their parents to share in our programs for students.

Classes meet during the months of September through May. Registration for classes is held in the spring or as new parishioners register.

• To be a family of Catholic faith made up of people young and old dedicated to developing and maintaining a religious education program that aids parents in the development of the Catholic faith of their children...a living, growing faith which will permeate daily life and lead to lives based on the scriptural teachings of Jesus Christ.  

• To assist students in becoming mature Catholics through experiential faith formation, participation in the liturgy and Sacraments, as well as serving those in need. We hope to promote a mature Catholic faith in our teens and in our parish which will foster a closer devotion to Jesus Christ and the Catholic Church.  

• The goals of this portion of our religious education program are promoted through a continuous curriculum. Our catechists and assistants are parents and other dedicated parishioners who volunteer their time and services. The children meet in a classroom setting and are taught through well-planned lessons, prayer, classroom activities and special programs and projects.

  This is a strong family-based program set in Catholic doctrine and tradition. We recognize parents as the children's first and foremost teachers of the faith and therefore expect involvement of parents at all levels of their children's religious education. 
     

Grades 6-8

Students in Grades 6-8 will meet Sunday evenings in September to May from 4:30-6:00pm. Building on the Religious Education program (grades 1-5), the goal of the junior high program is to provide the students with further understanding of their faith through physical, emotional and cognitive methods. Click on the heading above for more information. 

Confirmation Preparation Program

Confirmation classes are held every year beginning in September and ending in April. In the fall they participate in the Sunday evening YM programs while working on homework assignments and in the spring they attend Wednesday evening classes. This program is open to any high school student who has not yet been confirmed. Students must be registered and attend YM classes beginning in his or her 8^th grade year to participate in the Confirmation Preparation Program. Click on the heading above for more information.

High School

High School students have the opportunity to meet every Sunday evening starting in September and continuing May (with the option to continue through the summer) at 7:00 to 8:30pm. Our high school program invites the students to reflect on the Catholic faith through a couple of different programs. Click on the heading above for more information.

 Fees and Forms

The Youth Ministry Registration Fee is $110 if paid by July 15. After July 15th an additional late fee of $35 is added. For those students enrolling in the Confirmation program the fee is $160. These fees are used to operate the YM Program. However, this modest fee does not cover the entire cost and it is necessary to have some additional fundraising events to help defray expenses. 

2013-2014 Youth Ministry Froms

                                        Registration Form  CLICK HERE (pdf)
                                        Parent Volunteer Form CLICK HERE (pdf)
                                        Guest Form  CLICK HERE (pdf)
                                        YM Calendar (pdf)
                                        Confirmation Calendar (pdf)

Midwest Food Bank:
                        - MWFB Permission Form 4 - 16 - 13 (pdf)    

One Homeless Night:
                        -OHN Permission Form (pdf)


Staff & Office: 

Kim Hayes, Coordinator  of Youth Ministry 
Email: kim@stpatrickmerna.org

Youth Ministry Office
1001 N. Towanda Barnes Road
Bloomington, IL 61705
662.7361 ext. 223
Fax: 309.664.6167