Inaugural deanery event draws 200 youth

IC photo/ Laura Vallejo

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Fr. Joshua Santos and the Youth and Young Adult consultors demonstrate dance moves at the beginning of the deanery event.

SALT LAKE CITY — The first deanery Youth Night for middle and high school students took place on Feb. 28 at St. Ambrose Parish. More than 200 youth gathered to worship and hear talks from Fr. Joshua Santos and Fr. Joseph Delka, who are the spiritual consultors for the diocesan Youth and Young Adults Council.

Almost 80 youth came to the Salt Lake Deanery event from Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish. Toñita Gonzales, a catechist at the parish who served as a chaperone for the group, said that she wanted to accompany them so they know they are being supported and encouraged in their journey of faith.

“It’s important that our youth participated today so they can know that first is God and always is God and then again is God, and he is with them every step of the way,” Gonzalez said. “I hope that they learn something and that they treasure this and take the Spirit with them. As youth, they have to be prepared to keep our faith alive.”

A group from St. Thomas More Parish in Sandy was also present at the Youth Night, the first in a series of such events sponsored by the diocese’s Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministry.

“This is just an amazing event to start off the Lenten season,” said Cathy Snowball, who accompanied the youth from St. Thomas More Parish. “We wanted them to be here today so they can continue growing in the Catholic faith. … It’s important that they see that there are many Catholic youth that they can relate to.”

Snowball said she hoped that by participating in the night, the youth can feel prouder of their Catholic faith.

“I am happy to be here,” said Mgomi Mgsunb, a St. Thomas More parishioner who attended the night with her sister Wereh. “I hope that I will have lots of fun.”

Mgsunb’s expectations started becoming a reality when Fr. Joshua Santos opened the night with some dances and singing.

Fr. Santos, along with the diocesan Youth and Young Adult consultors, first demonstrated the moves for a choreographed dance. All the attendees then were asked to follow their lead, which they did.

Bernadette Trujillo More, from Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Magna, said she hoped that the youth from her parish would receive an increase in grace by being present.

“I just want them to have grace; that’s a big thing,” she said adding that youth are in need of similar events.

“They really need these [events] for their souls. … In this day and age, with all that’s going on around them, they need things like this,” she said.

Fr. Delka spoke about the importance of prayer and what it really means to pray.

“Is praying just saying the words?” he asked the youth.

In answer, he said that anyone can recite words, but those words will have no meaning if they are just words, “but when we put out our heart, when we feel, then that is praying. … Praying is raising your mind and heart to God,” he said, paraphrasing St. John Damascene.

Junuee Castro, director of the diocesan Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministry, thanked everyone for being there and told them that this event was organized in response to their request at the Youth and Young Adult Summit that took place last fall.

  “We are here for you; we have put all this together for you, so I hope that you just had fun,” she said.