To the Young People

St. Gerard Parish is blessed with more than 150 youth Altar Servers. These 5 ^th – 12 ^th graders volunteer to serve at our weekend Masses and at School Masses. Next weekend we will offer a blessing for them (and the adult servers as well) as we thank them for their service and ask the Lord to work through them to help us pray well as a community of faith.

St. Gerard is blessed to have many of its young people involved in and assisting at the Parish. High School parishioners help serve refreshments after the Sunday Masses. They help plan and conduct Youth Retreats and serve as youth leaders for our Youth Ministry. A number are part of the Diocesan Teams that plan Jamborees and Leadership Camps. Some volunteer at St. Vincent de Paul. A number assist with the Parish Music Ministry. Many of our parish religious education and school students collect food for St. Vincent de Paul and provide pies and cards for our Community Dinners at Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter. Every First Friday first graders make special cards to be taken to the homebound parishioners. We have high school parishioners serving as evening and Saturday receptionists at the Parish Office. Many volunteer to work at the Parish Spring Festival. Our elementary age parishioners serve as greeters, readers, cantors and more at School Masses and the 6:00 PM Sunday Mass. The list goes on and on.

I am grateful for parents, teachers, staff, coaches and all who encourage our young people to be involved. Your encouragement, especially by the example of your own volunteer efforts, is helping to form the next generation of Catholics.

To the young people of St. Gerard I say: “KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK!”

Fr. John P. Klein, Pastor