EMMAUS (jr high and sr high)
In his 1999 encyclical, Ecclesia in America, Pope John Paul II referred to young people as “the hope of the future”, adding: “There is need for pastoral outreach to young people wherever they are found: in schools, universities, the workplace, the countryside, with appropriate adaptation to their particular inclinations. At the parish and diocesan level it would be helpful also to develop a pastoral outreach that takes account of the changing world of young people.” OLMC has responded to this call by developing EMMAUS, a pastoral outreach for jr. high and sr. high students. 

The philosophy behind this youth initiative, however, is not one that focuses on a “program”.  As JPII once wrote, “It is not therefore a matter of inventing a ‘new programme’. The programme already exists: it is the plan found in the Gospel and in the living Tradition, it is the same as ever.” Thus, our stress is on a commitment to evangelize young people and to form them into mature followers of Christ.  Having said that, EMMAUS is a banner under which are young people can unify, and a sign that reminds them of their hope in Christ.

Currently, EMMAUS fosters three phases of youth formation: outreach, conversion, and discipleship.. We foster outreach through our primary gathering time at the Student
Mass on Sundays at 5pm, followed by food and fellowship. This night of Mass, dinner, and occasional live entertainment is life-giving, an excellent outreach to newcomers, and is open to all ages. Beyond Sunday nights, we also host Emmaus Sundays: a bi-monthly outreach for parents and their teens to experience community at OLMC.
We foster conversion to Christ through relational evangelization, weekly Bible study, and retreats. These endeavors encourage an encounter with Christ and a commitment to follow Him. That commitment is then fostered by discipleship, a process in which young people learn the teachings of the Church, become servants of Christ, and enter into profound brotherhood or sisterhood.

ST. PAULS OUTREACH
Planted in the heart of Tempe, AZ and bordering one of the largest universities in America, OLMC is compelled to “put out into the deep” at Arizona State University. Just this year we have launched a chapter of St. Paul’s Outreach (SPO) at ASU.  SPO, based in St. Paul, MN, has existed for almost 25 years and has brought the Gospel to thousands of university students across the country.  More than 100 SPO alumni serve the Catholic Church as priests or religious, and countless others are lay leaders in the Church, living marriage and family life as a vocation and raising their children in deep faith and strong character.  It is our hope that SPO ASU will bear even greater fruit in the years to come. 

Currently SPO ASU has 9 student missionaries, 2 formation houses (one men’s, one women’s), and 40 students involved.  These students are committed to spreading the Gospel on campus. They are serving others, building relationships, and leading their peers to a new life in Christ through social events, men’s and women’s nights, small groups, retreats, and mission trips. As a result, many students are experiencing an awakening of their baptismal faith and a call to mature in Christian holiness. 

I’d like to be an intercessor...
Most importantly, we need prayer warriors.  If you’d like dedicate time to interceding for youth and young adults either in your home or before the Blessed Sacrament, please contact Todd @ the parish office.