It's That Time Again!

Dear Village Family,

I hope this finds you all well! It feels like it has been too longsince we got the Village Family together. For those who weren't ableto attend, we had an amazing time at Steubenville a few weeks ago! There were 13 of us who went down, with John and I supervising. We had a great time together and had some powerfulexperiences with our Lord in the Sacraments. The theme was worshippingGod- above all else! Pictures to come.

Coming up next week is the annual Ann Arbor Art Fair. As always, TheVillage will be sponsoring the annual Art Fair Parking Fundraiser hereat St Thomas. All proceeds collected go to our Village budget forsocials and retreats. Because of this yearly fundraiser, we are ableto break even on all youth programming! Without this extra income, StThomas would probably be unable to offer 3 retreats each year,exciting socials, our regular weekly meeting, or pizza on Adorationnights- not to mention the excellent junk food we all love. :) Intoday's economy- this fundraiser is a huge deal for St Thomas, and itdirectly affects you!

I need **teens** to cover a number of shifts from next Wednesday, July15th, to Saturday, July 18th. Teens always have a blast at Art Fairparking- playing board games, eating junk food and chatting under thetent! Teens are responsible for accepting payment and directing carsto appropriate spots. Please see the timeslots below and let me knowthis week when you are available.

I need **parents** to help out by covering one to two shifts next weekalso. I am able to be there for much of the duration of theFundraiser, but I am unable to cover all 42 hours in addition to setupactivities earlier in the week. This can be a great opportunity to dosomething for St Thomas with your teen! Adult Volunteers and Parentsare responsible for supervising teens and assisting as needed withaccepting payment and directing cars. Please see the timeslots belowand let me know this week when you are available.

Due to everyone's finances these days, we will not be going to CedarPoint this year. :( Instead, this August we'll be trekking away fromSt Thomas for an all night lock-in, which will cost less than $30!

God Bless,Beth

BBQ Pictures Online!

Just scroll through the pictures at- http://www.flickr.com/photos/findthevillage/3542987750/in/set-72157613407755809/

Village Barbecue Blowout!

You’re invited to celebrate the end of the school year at the Village BBQ Blowout! We’ll play sports in the gym while grilling up some hot dogs and hamburgers on the patio– then memories of the year and more games! (Mafia, anyone?!)

This year brought awesome times in Adoration, real service to the poor around us, invisible jump rope dancing at our New Year's Eve bash, lots of pizza, great talks on dating- underage drinking- and discernment, sweet rewards in the childhood favorite- sardines, and so much more! Let's finish out our year strong, as we gather to congratulate our graduates, Claire, Halley, Karen, and Natasha! Share your favorite Village memory of the year by leaving a comment here... :)

What: Village Barbecue Blowout!

When: This Sunday, May 17th from 4-7pm

Where: St Thomas Parish, entrance and pickup by school gym

What to Bring: Men- a desert to share, Women– a side to share

Our Villagers Are Famous!

http://www.livingstondaily.com/article/20090501/NEWS01/905010302/1002/NEWS17/Teen+tops+in+history+writing+contest
Mike won an award, and basically they wrote up a bio and published it! :)

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/06/us/06notredame.html?_r=1&ref=us
Halley was quoted by the NY Times in their cover story on Obama giving the Graduation Speech at Notre Dame! Although the article is a bit slanted, neat to see her on the center stage.
-->How do you think Catholics should respond to the Obama Notre Dame situation??

Village News: Discernment!

Dear Villagers,

Thank you to everyone for the warm wishes and congratulations for my wedding to Kevin! We are getting settled into our new place after an adventurous honeymoon out in San Diego. We saw all sorts of fun animals, walked along the Pacific ocean, and had some authentic bubble tea! The first two weeks of married life have been great- we are really happy. :)

Thank you to Village Volunteer's Katie and John for running our meeting last week on Christian Leadership. From your surveys it sounds like it was a really inspiring night!

This week's meeting, Discernment for Dummies, is all about making tough decisions. What college will you attend… and what will your profession be? Who will you marry…and where will you live? The good news is that God has a plan for your life! “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for good and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11) How can you know God's will for your life?? Join us Sunday as we discuss dummy-proof tips for spiritual discernment, followed by Eucharistic Adoration and then pizza!

This will be our last regular Village Meeting of the year, followed by our End of Year Barbecue Sunday May 17th! What dessert/side will you bring? Let us know!!

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Village News

Sunday's Village 5/3, Discernment for Dummies

No Village 5/10, Happy Mother’s Day! "Thank you, women who are mothers! You have sheltered human beings within yourselves in a unique experience of joy and travail. This experience makes you become God's own smile upon the newborn child, the one who guides your child's first steps, who helps it to grow, and who is the anchor as the child makes its way along the journey of life.” –Pope John Paul II, Letter to Women

End of Year Barbecue Blowout, 5/17 Join us here at St Thomas Sunday, May 17th from 4-7pm for our Village Barbeque Blow-Out. We’ll bust out some kickball and ultimate frisbee in the gym, grill out on the patio, play board games and share some memories from the year! Hot dogs, hamburgers, and tableware will be provided. Please Bring: Men: a desert to share, Women: a side to share.

Village News!

Dear Village Family,

Thank you to so many volunteers, parents, and teens who helped to make our Spring Retreat such a meaningful experience! We sent teens out Saturday morning for 4 hours of service in the local community. Some went to serve in a Detroit Soup Kitchen, others visited with the elderly at Glacier Hills, and a group baked muffins for a local soup kitchen. Everyone returned with powerful stories of how they served Jesus in the 'least of the brothers'.

Beyond the service, there were some beautiful sacramental encounters with our Lord, especially Reconciliation. Several said they were consumed with anxiety beforehand, but afterwards they felt a weight was lifted! The Christian life is too hard to be lived without the graces we receive in the Sacraments. We are strongly encouraged to go to Confession regularly, especially during Lent. If you weren't able to join us, and haven't been to Reconciliation in awhile- don't be afraid to go! Our Lord is waiting to extend His mercy and forgiveness.

This coming Sunday will be our last Village for a couple of weeks! Join us as we prepare ourselves for Holy Week by praying the Stations of the Cross. Our meeting will be from 5-6:30pm, as usual.

You are all in my prayers!

----The Village News----

Fully Alive, Spring Retreat Pictures Now Online
http://www.flickr.com/photos/findthevillage/collections/72157607096833965/

Village 4/5: Behold The Man
As we hear those words of Pontius Pilate, ‘Behold, the Man’, let us hear the call to come and adore our Lord through the Stations of the Cross. Catholics are especially encouraged to celebrate the Stations of the Cross in the Lenten season. Join us next Sunday at Village for a prayerful look at the sufferings Jesus bore for our sins.

No Village 4/12- Happy Easter!

No Village 4/19- Congrats!

Are You Fully Alive?

Our Spring Retreat is themed 'Fully Alive', after the moment in the Gospel of John where Christ says, "I have come that they might have life- and have it to the full." What does it mean to be fully alive? How can we discover the fullness of life that Jesus promises?

We will be mixing all the beloved elements of our Village Retreats with real service in the community. As Pope John Paul II once said, "life flourishes in the gift of self to others, in accordance with each person's vocation...so that all can share the gifts they have received, in a spirit of solidarity, especially with the poor and the needy."

Join us as we discover and serve Jesus in the poor! Be present for a powerful time of Eucharistic Adoration. Get excited for games in the gym, our late night Taco Bell run, and much much more! Registration deadline is this Monday 3/16 to avoid a $10 late fee.

This Sunday at our regular Village Meeting we will continue our focus on the three pillars of Lent: Almsgiving, Prayer, and Fasting. This week we will hear from Guest Speaker Mary Cavnar on Keeping the Fast!
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Fully Alive, The Village Spring Retreat, March 20-22ndThe Village Spring Retreat is a great opportunity to grow in your faith, worship God, and have tons of fun! The goal of this retreat is to discover the fullness of life in Christ through real service to the poor around us. This retreat will include Mass, Reconciliation, talks, service in the local community, small groups, Eucharistic Adoration, free time, games, and of course- our Late Night Taco Bell run! Deadline for to avoid late fee- Monday, March 16th. (Registration packet @ www.findthevillage.com.)