Gehlen to host Oct. 29 diocesan Youth Rally

By JoANN AMMANN, Globe Intern
September 14, 2006

LE MARS - More than 1,000 students will gather for the Diocese of Sioux City high school youth rally on Oct. 29 at Gehlen Catholic High School in Le Mars.

The rally will begin with a welcome, gathering prayer and liturgy led by Bishop R. Walker Nickless. The day also includes lunch, keynote speakers, two rounds of workshops, dinner and a concert featuring two Christian bands, Seven Glory and Heath McNease, which is new to the rally's agenda.

This year's theme for the rally is "Catholic to the Core." Jessica La Fleur, the diocese's director of youth ministry, explained that the theme this year was selected from a nationally based event.

"The National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry has a theme every year," said La Fleur. "They have a lot of resources based around that theme, and we decided it would be easy to pull that idea in."

The workshops include a variety of aspects involving the Catholic faith and address different topics to interest everyone.

"They all center around the 'Catholic to the Core' theme. Talking about our Catholic faith and our Catholic identity," said La Fleur. "We have some on Catholic social teaching, sharing a witness to the Catholic faith, talking about saints, living the sacraments, morals in the media, and making Catholic choices. We have 22 different workshops."

Other workshops range from Dating and Rating, discussing good relationships; Bible Trivia, testing participants knowledge on the Catholic faith; Ready, Set, Pray, the opportunity to express your faith as an athlete; What is Different about being Catholic, hearing what is unique about the Catholic faith; and Choices, Choices, Choices, which includes engaging in an experience of moral decision-making.

The speakers for this year's rally are Shannon Cerneka and Orin Johnson, members of the team Oddwalk Ministries. Oddwalk Ministries also were past speakers at the National Catholic Youth Convention. The duo has released several CD's. They also offer workshops, retreats and also emcee's various different events.

"They speak about being Eucharistic people, and going through up beat and interactive music and witnessing," said La Fleur.

The rally has been an important part to the diocese according to La Fleur.

"It's just awesome. Sometimes we can do these things just because we've always done them and that's what's expected," said La Fleur. "This is really just an awesome event. It's a great opportunity for kids to have a different experience with their faith and something that also can challenge them to be something different. It's an opportunity to have the teenagers ears and give them a message of faith."

The event not only is one that allows youth to expand their faith life, it also impacts adults and those at the event.

"It's a neat and moving experience for me to see the youth and many adults celebrating the Eucharist, and it's a very unifying moving part," said La Fleur.

If interested attending the youth rally, people may contact their DRE or youth minister from the parish and form a group to go. People may also contact Jessica La Fleur at (712) 233-7561. Lunch will not be served, each member of the group is to bring a sack lunch. Supper, however is included in the cost to attend. The cost is $20 and groups may register until October 16.