AYF HISTORY
2005: Embrace the Faith
Abbey Youth Festival draw youth from 7 states
Teenage Catholics “embrace the faith”
By Margaret Schonberg (Contributing writer)
Teens from seven states met at St. Joseph Abbey on Saturday, April 9th from 10a.m. to 9p.m. for the fifth annual Abbey Youth Festival (AYF) entitled “Embrace the Faith: Living Catholic Today.” The day of prayer and fellowship is sponsored by St Joseph Abbey and Seminary College, the Donum Dei Foundation and the Louisiana State Knights of Columbus.
“Each year is a new adventure in the world of AYF,” said Mimi Kelly, Abbey Youth Festival coordinator. “This year has been especially exciting, as the seminarians have stepped up to the plate to assume a fully responsible role in the planning of the event.”
Seminarians from both St. Joseph Seminary College and from Notre Dame have helped with all aspects of the festival from t-shirt design and computer graphics to ministering to the young people who attended.
Master of ceremonies Brian Butler is the Associate director for Youth Catechesis for the Archdiocese of New Orleans and co-founder of Dumb Ox Productions. Butler also is an author, editor and researcher.
Todd Sylvester, a youth minister from Mobile, Ala., has written and performed this year’s theme song, “Embrace the Faith.” He has sung at Marian conferences and youth gatherings from Maine to California.
Dave Sloan’s talk was called “God of Desire: From Dating to Courtship to Paradise.” And Danny Wilson, who is attending Notre Dame Seminary spoke on “Embrace the Faith with all you’ve got”.
The Rev. Beau Charbonnet, parochial vicar of St. Edward the Confessor Parish in Metairie, offered a talk entitled “Embrace the Eucharist.”
Seraphim is a praise and worship band that appeared at AYF for the fifth straight year. They have released two albums, “Come to Me and Receive” and “Holiness.” And Remembering December is a band that focuses on helping others to remember to include Christ in their everyday life. Members Matthew, Carl and Robert Stephens, and Michael Kratochvll formed the band in 2002.
Covenant 7 is St. Joseph Seminary’s own Christian rock band that started in 2003. Current members include Kyle Albarado, Kyle Sanders, Nic Matherne, David Bayardo, Robert Saxer and Aaron Levy. They have recently completed the CD “Beautiful Fear” which will be released at the festival.
Dismas, the feature Christian rock band, changed their name just in time for this year’s AYF. They are now called ‘Straw’ and performed at the dinner concert for a very enthusiastic crowd. The group has played for audiences at events throughout the Gulf Coast.
Local singer Kara Klein performed from her new CD, “A Touch of Your Grace.”
New this year is a prayer wall. Youth leaders provided photographs and contact information of young men and women serving in the military. They were remembered in the liturgies of the day. Teens were invited to take down their contact information and contact them and show their support.
Archbishop Alfred C. Hughes celebrated the Mass at 11:15 a.m., with Bishop Sam Jacobs from Houma-Thibodaux, Bishop Robert Muench from Baton Rouge, Abbot Justin Brown of the Abbey and the Rev. Gregory Boquet, rector of the seminary college. The Rev. Killian Tolg of the Abbey was liturgical coordinator.
Kelly, the event’s coordinator extended an invitation to all teens to attend next year’s AYF scheduled for April 1, 2006. Cost for the festival is $15 in advance; and $20 at the gate. For information, call 985-867-2254 or 504-849-2570, or visit the Web site at www.abbeyfest.org, or send e-mail to info@abbeyfest.org.
