Parish Priest Fr Marcel Emeribe describes the Youth as “being in the Church of today and tomorrow”. For this to happen, youth of all age groups are encouraged to join and become active members. In the Parish we have Young Adult Groups, Senior Youths and Cadets.
Mass Servants
Youths are encouraged to be Mass Servants. Because youth are the church of today and tomorrow, a priest is assigned to orient, counsel and educate them. The priest meets with youth groups every week and works to connect and correct them.
He also meets those of them who have left the church. He encourages them to come back to the church. On the whole, responsible habits are built and inculcated in the youth so that they may look, see and act when there is need.
Connection with the youth is important. In the St. Mathias parish, we use various means and ways. One of such is sporting activities. Once or twice a week, we bring young people together through the game of football since they all love to play the game of football.
Other activities that garner the youth together are social economic groups generally called “njangis” and simple old fashion appeals. At the end of the activities, the youth are encouraged to attend Benediction and Adoration.
All in all, meeting with the youth, the Rev. Father or catechist prepares Youths to be tomorrow’s leaders. The priest in charge of Youth helps them to find a vocation, to be like the Child Jesus and he guides them to understand the consequences of the day-to-day actions that they take.
Mass servants
Many of the youth carry out church activities giving help in physical rather than financial contribution. Such activities include cleaning the cemetery, the church yard and the church from time to time.
For projects such as the New Church construction, youth participate in carrying sand and stone; they also clear and give help in some support services.
The CWA is the largest single church group in our parish and the most involved in all activities of the Church as a whole, and of the Parish.
Cadets of Mary
Cadets of Mary try to know and imitate Mary in her purity, humility, charity and obedience. The proof of their love is their desire and effort to lead others to know and love Mary.
The Association of the Children of Mary is spread throughout the world and the Cadets of Mary are part of this family. For this, they must be consecrated and to be consecrated, they have to move from one step to another. As it were, they “grow” through various stages.
Aims
• To honor Mary
• To know and imitate Mary in her purity, humility, charity and obedience by trying to lead others to know and love Mary.
• To become holy and pleasing to Mary and
• To bring others to Jesus through Mary.Motto
“To Jesus through Mary”
Structure and organization
There are four stages in Association of Children of Mary. These are the Junior Cadets, the Senior Cadets, the Aspirants and the Consecrated Child of Mary.
Junior Cadets receive the Cadet badge at their ceremony of Reception. The Handbook explains all that they must do and know before they are received. Senior Cadets receive a Miraculous Medal suspended from a green and white ribbon when they are admitted to this stage. They must show great understandings of the Cadet Laws and motto.
An Aspirant wears the Miraculous Medal suspended from a green ribbon. The Miraculous Medal shows Our Lady with rays of light streaming from her outstretched hands. The medal was shown by Our Lady to St. Catherine.
The Cadet Prayer begins like this: “O Mary, my mother and model, I place my desire in your outstretched hands that you may receive and give them to your son Jesus.”
Meetings are held weekly. The agenda is given in the handbook.
Activities include visiting the sick, the poor, the old and the handicapped and praying with them. The Cadets take gifts to the afflicted as a sign of love. The cadets, like any church group, also clean the church. Cadets sometimes come together at parish level and once a year at Diocesan level in order to foster more understanding and love for one another as followers of Mary Immaculate.