Photo By Lee Depkin

LILBURN—More than 500 middle schoolers attended the Middle School CatholicFest for a day of prayer, worship, fun and fellowship.

Students from Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church, Carrollton, create a poster as part of the activities at the Middle School CatholicFest. Along with arts and crafts, the day included adoration and talks. Photo By Lee Depkin

The daylong celebration took place at St. John Neumann Church, Lilburn, on Saturday, March 7. It drew young people from 22 parishes in the Atlanta Archdiocese.

Terrilyn Donohue, the middle school youth minister at Prince of Peace Church, Flowery Branch, said the day lets young people spend time with each other in a way that is both fun and builds their faith.

“On Saturday, I had one girl joyfully tell me that she obtained a phone number from someone from another youth group. New friends were made,” said Donohue in an email.

Middle school can be a difficult age as the children grow in adolescence. And Donohue said a challenge for middle school Catholics is claiming an identity.

“Their hormones are changing and they truly don’t know where they fit in—in life, in their families, in their communities, in their schools,” she said.

Middle School CatholicFest allows them to build a community with others going through the same stage of life, she said.

Jen Tarnowski, the middle school youth minister at St. Oliver Plunkett Church, Snellville, said youngsters face pressure to fit in with the crowd.

“This pressure to fit in can lead students in the wrong direction—bullying behaviors, drugs and alcohol, poor school performance, and all types of unhealthy relationships,” she said in an email.

The March 7 Middle School CatholicFest included teens from 22 parishes in the Archdiocese of Atlanta. The daylong event included speakers, fun and carnival games, along with cotton candy and treats, and prayer. Photo By Lee Depkin

These types of days allow middle schoolers a fun, no pressure day with other Catholic students from around the archdiocese, she said.

Both Tarnowski and Donohue said their parishes have activities to help the middle schoolers experience service and form good character.

Tarnowski said with as many as 175 middle schoolers at St. Oliver Plunkett Church, the program brings service opportunities to the young people. It organizes several service “stations” at the church to work on different service projects, from making sandwiches for a shelter, to bagging travel-sized hygiene products for families at the children’s hospital.

“Hopefully these experiences allow them the opportunity to not only see the importance of, but especially feel how amazing it is to help others in need,” she said.

Donohue said she enjoys helping form the young people and see them grow in service and faith. She recently learned how a boy wrote about his joy at serving as a leader at a lock-in retreat with younger students. The retreat experience was important to him, so he wanted to make sure others had a positive experience.

“Our retreats bring out the best in our youth and give them the opportunity to not only grow in community but to grow in their relationship with our Savior as well. When we see that growth, it is truly a blessing and definitely a feeling of success for us in leadership,” she said.

Bishop Luis R. Zarama was the celebrant for the closing Mass at the March 7 Middle School CatholicFest, held at St. John Neumann Church, Lilburn. Shown left of Bishop Zarama and serving at the Mass is John Huynh, youth ministry coordinator for the Archdiocese of Atlanta. Photo By Lee Depkin

The young people heard from speakers too. Catholic musician Sarah Kroger and blogger and bassist Dom Quaglia talked to the crowd. Bishop Luis R. Zarama spent time with the young people and he celebrated the closing Mass. The day was organized by the archdiocesan Office of Formation and Discipleship.

Young people from participating parishes included: All Saints Church, Dunwoody; Corpus Christi Church, Stone Mountain; Holy Trinity Church, Peachtree City; Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church, Carrollton; Prince of Peace Church; Sacred Heart Church, Milledgeville; St. Anna Church, Monroe; St. Bernadette Church, Cedartown; St. Clement Church, Calhoun; St. Francis of Assisi Church, Blairsville; St. James the Apostle Church, McDonough; St. John Neumann Church; St. John Vianney Church, Lithia Springs; St. Joseph Church, Marietta; St. Jude the Apostle Church, Atlanta; St. Marguerite d’Youville Church, Lawrenceville; St. Matthew Church, Winder; St. Oliver Plunkett Church, Snellville; St. Patrick Church, Norcross; St. Peter Chanel Church, Roswell; St. Thomas More Church, Decatur; and Transfiguration Church, Marietta.