December 1, 1999
Youth group plans jubilee trip to Rome
By Carol South
Herald contributing writer
How do baby-sitting and Rome go together?
When you are a member of the St. Patrick's Catholic Church's Youth Union, it is a natural match. Thirteen members of the group will be heading to Rome this summer to participate in the Pope's Millennial Celebration and Year of Jubilee, joining other youth groups from around the world. They might also run into groups of youth from St. Joseph's of Mapleton or the Sacred Heart Church in Elk Rapids, the only other churches in the Diocese of Gaylord sending members of their youth groups.
To raise the estimated $3,000 each required for the trip, members of the St. Patrick's Youth Union are doing anything and everything to get the money squared away in time. During the four Fridays of Advent, they will be hosting baby-sitting at the church, giving parents a chance to shop or prepare for the holidays. Although their first gig last week drew only two children, they are hoping the idea will catch on and they will raise some more funds.
"We've hosted spaghetti dinners, French toast breakfast, garage sales," said Joe Alpers, 15, who is planning to go on the trip. "My brother and I found out about this trip last year and we wanted to go. We'll get to see the Pope."
The Pope has invited youth groups from around the world to participate in the Jubilee celebration. An estimated one million people are expected to attend the Papal Mass on Sunday. The celebrations will last for a week and each day will have activities for youth. Side trips to places such as Florence or Assisi are also available, though most of the week will be spent in devotional activities.
For Stacey Popp, coordinator of youth ministry for St. Patrick's Catholic Church, this trip will be THE youth trip to end all youth trips.
"I went to Denver with a group from St. Mary's as an adult chaperone a few years ago," said Popp, who works part-time as a cashier at Meijer's. "It was amazing. It was a sea of faces and a sea of music and all the kids there had one thing in common: praising God."
From that trip, the seed was planted for Popp and she knew she wanted to take a group of kids to the Pope's millennial celebration in 2000. Since starting at St. Patrick's three years ago, she had been looking for a way to make the kids in the Youth Union come together as a group. This trip seemed like a goal they could work on together.
"This is not a vacation, not a trip to Disney World," Popp said. "To take a pilgrimage like this is something different, like a faith walk."
The Youth Union is open to youth in the parish in grades 7-12. They meet weekly at alternating times to accommodate kid's busy schedules. Recently, members of the group went to a national Catholic Youth Conference in St. Louis, sort of a dry run for the big trip to Rome next summer.
"The trip to Rome is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for these kids," said Popp, who has lined up eight chaperones to accompany the kids. "Many of them have never even been out of Michigan, now they will be heading to Europe. It is very exciting."