St. Antony's in Robstown hosts Mini-Youth Spectacular

As part of their Centennial Jubilee celebration, St. Anthony Parish in Robstown hosted a Mini-Youth Spectacular on Nov. 8. The Diocese of Corpus Christi Office of Youth Ministry assisted with the parish put on the event.

Katherine Lopez, Director of Religious Education and Youth Ministry at St. Anthony's, worked with Jaime Reyna, Diocesan Director of Youth Ministry, in planning the collaboration of this diocesan event as a parish level ministry.

Lopez, along with many volunteers, welcomed the teens and Father Tony Blunt opened the event with a prayer. As teens entered the gym of St. Anthony Church, it was decorated with many "signs," including traffic signs, direction signs and location signs. The theme of the Mini-Youth Spectacular was "Lost and Found" (Lk 15:32).

Cooper Ray, from Spirit and Song and the Diocese of Dallas, was one of two keynote speakers. He "dazzled" the teens with a very upbeat icebreaker with song and dance, Reyna said.

"Cooper's talk was just as amazing and adults and teens approached him with many thank yous for his presentation," Reyna said.

Ray also shared the explanation of Adoration and told the teens to “not be distracted with noise or other people when seeing Jesus in the Monstrance.”

Joseph Cipriano, Youth Minister from Most Precious Blood Church, also made a keynote presentation. He spoke to the middle and high school teens about the parables of the “Lost Coin” and the “Lost Son”. He used images and quoted St. John Paul II and other saints in his talks.

"The teens were attentive and loved the pictures he used," Reyna said.

There was plenty of time also to have fun outdoors with the inflatable games and tricycles. Teens mingled and made new friends as they shared their experiences and how the Mini-Youth Spectacular was coming along for them.

The Mini-Youth Spectacular ended with a vigil Mass celebrated by Father Tony Blount. Father Blount participated in the recessional hymn while playing his flute. "Everyone commented that they enjoyed Father Tony’s homily and his flute playing," Reyna said.

After Mass, everyone was invited back to the gym for a few minutes to a surprise performance from “Uncut Diamondz,” a local Catholic rap duo. They rapped for everyone and tossed glow sticks and beach balls.

Everyone from the planning team to volunteers called this gathering a success, Reyna said.

The Mini-Youth Spectacular is a "smaller version" of the large annual Youth Spectacular that the diocese holds for teens, but this is more intimate and is located at a parish in the diocese.

"Priests and lay leaders really appreciate the diocese coming to the parishes and inviting other teens from surrounding areas to join in fun, praise and worship and prayer," Reyna said.

More than 150 teens from six parishes attended the event.