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Welcome to St. Patrick Youth (SPY)
teens encountering the heart of Jesus
Saint Patrick Youth (SPY) Group
Marlene Lopez
Youth Ministry/Confirmation Coordinator
Want short update reminders sent to your phone?
Parents/ Guardians: text @spyways to the number 81010
Teens: text @spylife to the number 81010
En Espanol: text @spypadres to the number 81010
WHAT'S HAPPENING AT SPY?
Highlights and Upcoming Events:
Current Highlights:
- Middle School Rally Price Reduction!
- Sign up for Fishers of Men Discipleship retreat 5/23-5/25
- Sign up to help with fundraising to earn money toward summer SPY trips!
SPY Calendar for April:
- 4/13: SPY Palm Sunday Tenebrae Prayer Service, 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.
- 4/18: Live Stations of the Cross
- 4/20: Easter Sunday - No SPY
- 4/23: Dive Deep! Scripture Study, 6:45 – 8 p.m. (last one!)
- 4/26: Middle School Youth Rally
- 4/27: SPY, 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.
Live Stations of the Cross
Living Stations of the Cross
Good Friday, 3pm
Middle School & High School Roles Available
As is tradition at St. Patrick, SPY Ministry is granted the opportunity to perform a Live Stations of the Cross prayer on Good Friday at 3pm. If your teen would like to participate in this event this year, please sign up below.
New this year: Opportunities for our middle schoolers to participate as well!
Mandatory Practice Dates:
- Friday, 4/11, 5-7:30pm
Event Time Commitment:
Friday, 4/18, 1pm-3:30pm
Roles Available for 6th-7th Middle School:
- Readers
- Singers
- Town Folk/ Men of Jerusalem
Roles Available for 8th-12th High School:
- Roman Soldiers
- Pontius Pilate
- Weeping Women
- Mary of Magdalene
- John
- Simon
- Readers
- Singers
- Men of Jerusalem
- Thief GESTAS
- Thief DISMAS
Roles Descriptions:
- Pontius Pilate: The Roman governor who condemned Jesus, representing authority and the complexities of the situation.
- Barabbas: The prisoner who was chosen over Jesus by a crowd in Jerusalem to be pardoned and released by Roman governor Pontius Pilate
- Simon of Cyrene: The man who helped Jesus carry the cross, symbolizing assistance and compassion.
- Mary Magdalene and John the Beloved: Followers of Jesus, representing faith and support.
- The Men of Jerusalem: Representing the crowd that followed Jesus.
- The Weeping Women: Representing the women who mourned Jesus.
- Gestas: The impenitent thief
- Dismas: Also known as the "Good Thief," represents repentance and faith as he asks Jesus to remember him and is promised Paradise
- Lector and Cantor: Guide the actions of the actors, providing narration and leading the prayers and songs
- Also Needed: Costume Help & Donations!
- Please email Marlene for details.
Middle School Youth Rally
April 26, 7:30am - 5:30pm
St. Anthony Marie de Claret, Kyle
Current 6-8th graders
PRICE REDUCTION THANKS TO GENEROUS DONORS!
$60
The Diocesan Middle School Youth Rally is an annual conference that privdes an opportunity for our middle school teens to gather with other teens from all around our diocese to worship together, hear from amazing speakers, including keynote speaker Megan Copeland, play games and experience Adoration with the larger churchy.
Transportation: We will caravan down together from St. Patrick to St. Anthony
Informational Meeting: 4/13 - 6:30 p.m.
Cost: $60 - covers the conference fee, lunch, SPY t-shirt, & Rally Shirt
Fishers of Men Discipleship Retreat
May 23-25, Eagle's Wings Retreat Center
Current 8-11th graders
This retreat is open to all current 8th graders, as well as our current 9th, 10th, & 11th graders! Start the summer off right with a retreat with the goal to intentionally form our teens into selfless disciples. There will be lots bonding and building bridges into their faith. With campfires and singing, games, and opportunities for reconciliation and Mass. This retreat will be one to remember!
Cost: $150
(Limited partial scholarships available, with hours of work completed for Faith Formation)
Informational Meeting: 4/13, 6:30pm
Registration Deadline: 5/16, 6pm
NCYC (National Catholic Youth Conference)
Indianapolis, IN
November 19-23
This transformational event is an opportunity to journey on a pilgrimage with over 22,000 Catholic youth & chaperones at a nation-wide conference.
Informational Parent Meeting: 4/13, 7:30-8:30pm (Classrooms B & C)
Cost Estimate: $1,750 (less with fundraising & scholarship!)
High School Teens: Currently in 9th-11th grades
Please plan to attend the parent meeting to collect information on our teen essay application, initial cost estimates including travel expenses, payment timeline, timeline of travel, and the required pilgrimage pre-prayer meeting dates withour teens.
PLENTY of fundraising opportunities available and scholarships will be available through the summer.
Steubenville - Lonestar
Irving, TX
June 20-22, 2025
Encounter Christ with Catholic youth from across Texas. Experience a life-changing Catholic youth conference. Join us June 20-22 in Irving, TX. Leading Teens to God. Find Jesus.
EVERY TEEN DESIRES TO BELONG – SIN AND SHAME CONVINCE THEM THEY DON’T.
THEY’RE NOT ALONE. OTHERS HAVE THE SAME STRUGGLES THEY DO.
THE WORLD SAYS THEY MUST CHANGE TO BELONG – GOD MEETS THEM WHERE THEY ARE.
THEY HAVE AN IMPORTANT PLACE IN THE CHURCH. THIS EVENT WON’T BE THE SAME WITHOUT THEM.
Informational Parent Meeting: 4/13, 6:30 p.m.
Estimated Cost: $650 (before fundraising)
On-Time, Non-Refundable Deposit: $150 (from 3/2 - 3/30)
Late, Non-Refundable Deposit: $165 (from 3/31 - 5/4)
Remainder Deposit: $75 (due 5/4)
High School Teens: Currently in 9th - 11th grades
Limited fundraising opportunities & scholarships available.
Life Teen Summer Camps
Eagle’s Wings – Burnet, TX
Middle School Dates: 6/15-6/20
High Schol Dates: 6/29-7/4
Informational Meeting: 4/13, 6:30 p.m.
This is a Life Teen camp. SPY chaperones will be in attendance for our teens, but the camp will be run by Life Teen camp counselors.
WELCOME HOME
This is what every teenager hears the moment they step onto the grounds at a Life Teen Summer Camp. Though we’ve been saying it for years, we simply aren’t just saying it. From your dining room table to the altar at your home parish, we understand the importance of teenagers having a sense of home — a place of belonging and peace and safety. Whether you’re raising a family or building a parish community, we know how much effort you put into creating a physical, emotional, and spiritual place that others can call “home.”
Our goal is simple: to be a continuation of that effort — to extend your home’s reach into a teenager’s summer camp experience.
We may not know what a teenager’s life is like when they arrive at camp but no matter their questions, doubts, or struggles they may be working through, they are always welcome.
This is their home, away from home.
Cost: $750
PLENTY of Fundraising Available!
SUMMER SPY EVENTS
It's time to start planning all of our Summer SPY events! Get the information now on costs, dates, fundraising, etc., so we can -both- plan ahead.
Parent Informational Meeting: 4/13, 6:30pm
Don't Wait to Sign Up!!
Do so now for the best prices!!
- H/S: SPY End of Year Retreat, Fishers of Men - Eagle's Wings, Current 8th-11th graders: 5/23-25, $150
- M/S: Camp Beyond Me, St. Thomas More, Incoming 6th-8th graders: 6/9-13, $225
- M/S: Life Teen Middle School Camp, Incoming 6th-8th graders: 6/15-20, $750
- H/S: Life Teen Steubenville, Lonestar, Incoming 9th-12th graders (currently registered SPY teens): 6/20-22, $650
- H/S: Life Teen High School Camp, Incoming 9th-12th graders: 6/29-7/4, $750
- M/S & H/S: VBS Camp Counselors, Incoming 6th-12th graders: 7/11, & 7/14-18, $25
- SPY Leadership Retreat, Incoming 9th-12th graders (currently registered SPY teens): 8/1-3, $125
- H/S: SPY Fall Retreat, Cedarbrake, Incoming 9th-12th graders: 8/22-24, $150
- H/S: NCYC Pilgrimage, Incoming 10th-12th: 11/19-23, $1,750
****Fundraising available on any summer event over $250. Some scholarship assistance available for certain events!****
Parent Prayer Small Groups
As part of our efforts to form the full family at St Patrick, we offer prayer small groups for the parents of our SPY middle and high school teens on Sunday evenings.
The beautiful blessings we hope these Sunday night meetings provide are the gift of knowledge, equipping you to discuss the same topics your teens are learning during our SPY Nights, and the regular opportunity to pray for each others' families, and work through the challenges that come along with parenting youth at this age.
Once you are assigned a small group, we pray that you will form relationships that encourage you to continue to stay in contact with each other, even beyond our Sunday SPY Nights!
Sunday SPY Night Dinners
*Food Drop Off: Sundays, 6:00-6:30pm, unless otherwise indicated.
Our teens are HUNGRY! Hungry for their faith and for food!
We need your hlep feeding them so that they can more openly learn about our faith with full bellies.
Consider donating your time/treasure by:
- volunteering
- food for meals
- funds for supplies
SPY: Teen Participation in Mass
SPY: Teen Participation in Mass
We would love to have our teens take the lead at the Sunday 5 p.m. Mass before our SPY nights. This is a great way for your teen to be more involved in our parish and engage on a deeper level during Mass.
We need our teens in the following areas:
Choir Members (singing or playing an instrument)
Greeters / Ushers
Lectors
Extraordinary Ministers (post-Confirmation teens only)
Candle Bearers
Altar Servers
Sacristans
Consider Donating to SPY!
Once a week...
Once a month...
Once a year...
It all makes a difference in our ever-growing program!
Amazon Wishlist: http://stpspy.org/amazonwishlist
Weekly Meal Donations: Sign Up Here!
Sponsor a SPY: https://pushpay.com/g/faithformation
Please be sure to note you would like your donation to go to SPY in the memo line & send a screenshot or email to Marlene so that we are aware of your generosity!
We're Recruiting Adult Disciples (Volunteers+)
Join our SPY Team!
Our Program is growing and we need your help!
Whatever your talents or skills, we would love for you to be a part of our team!
Not sure you have any talents or skills to use towards working with teens??
Oh, but you do! And God is calling YOU!
Current Areas of Need:
- Fundraising Team
- Retreat & Special Event Logistics Team
- Teen Outreach Team
Don't see an area that interests you?
Do not fear! We still have a place for you here!!
Email Marlene Lopez:
ym@stpatrickhutto.org
