Click one of the years above to view a write up of the relevant year's Abbey Youth Festival event.
Perhaps Archbishop Francis B. Schulte summed it up best when he asked, "Where's the press?," during the first-ever Abbey Youth Festival held on Saint Joseph Abbey grounds April 7, 2001.
Approximately 2,500 teens gathered in a large clearing behind the abbey church where they sang, laughed and prayed among their peers. Never before have large groups of teens gathered here in one place to worship God, reconnect with their Catholic faith and mingle with seminarians, priests and monks.
Despite the large turn-out for the event, the unique location, a celebrity guest and the participation of Archbishops Schulte and Alfred C. Hughes, local television stations, although invited, instead chose to cover large groups of rowdy college students enjoying their spring break vacation along the gulf coast. Nevertheless, the local newspapers, along with at least two Catholic newspapers recognized the importance of such an event and the positive impact on teens.
The day's theme, Catholic Survivor - Outpray, Outgrow, Outlove, was designed to give teens the tools and confidence necessary to stand above the world's views and boldly live out their Catholic faith. Notre Dame Seminarian Beau Charbonnet delivered a moving speech entitled "Out Pray Your Doubts." Charbonnet described how his life improved through his persistent prayer.
Matt Smith, of MTV's "Real World," asked teens to "Out Grow Your Fears." While a regular on the hit television series, where several people of varying personalities are placed together under one roof and then taped daily, Smith outgrew his fear of not conforming to other cast members' non-christian lifestyle and attended Mass each day. Although the camera crews rarely followed Smith to church, they did on occasion when Smith invited other cast members to join him. Smith is now a much sought-after speaker for Catholic youth functions.
"Out Love the World," was the theme of Benedictine monk, Brother Basil Burns', O.S.B., talk and homily. "You can't outlove the world until you realize how much God loves you," he said. "Everyone is empowered to love in a special way and you can't really outlove the world until you understand what that special way is for you."
Christine Baglow, wife of the festival's coordinator, Dr. Chris Baglow, Apostolic Formation Director at Saint Joseph Seminary College, challenged teens to choose abstinence rather than risk the difficulties sex outside of marriage can bring. In choosing abstinence, teens would choose to live in purity and truth which are great gifts to bring into marriage, she said.
Along with dynamic speakers, a local Christian music group, Seraphim, played throughout the day keeping teens and adults enthusiastically involved through praise and worship. Carolyn Arends, an internationally celebrated Christian artist and a two-time Dove Christian Music award winner, took center-stage for an evening concert.
After months of planning, Baglow's face was aglow during the festival as he proudly watched the day's progression from one spiritually moving event to another. Plans for the event began last June, receiving immediate enthusiastic response from seminarians, the seminary administration and the Benedictine monks of Saint Joseph Abbey. As the days leading up to the festival rapidly approached, enthusiasm seeped throughout the seminary, culminating in a day marked by high spirits, high fives and abundant energy.
"I thought it was a fantastic success for our first-time event," Baglow said. The day's events ended with nearly 3,000 flickers of light as each teen, seminarian, priest, monk and adult youth leader, held a candle during adoration.
Each teen received a medal blessed by Father Justin Brown, O.S.B., prior at Saint Joseph Abbey. As blankets and chairs were folded, bags packed and weary teens began the journey home, many were already talking about next year's festival. The second Abbey Youth Festival, planned for April 13, 2002, promises to be even grander.
It was a day of blazing sunshine, interspersed with periods of fierce thunderstorms. There were times of pumped up praise, intermingled with periods of intense prayer. Hand-waving and crowd-surfing went hand-in-hand with confession and adoration. Speakers held nothing back as they spoke the raw truth about what it means to be an authentic young Catholic in the new millennium.
The event was the second annual Abbey Youth Festival and the participants were 2,700 strong from seven states. On April 13, St. Joseph Abbey and Seminary College outside of Covington, Louisiana opened its gates to the flood of teens, young adults, youth ministers, priests, brothers and nuns who came together to celebrate their part in the body of Christ.
This year the crowd learned more about the trinity in discovering that we are all "Made for the Mystery." As the logo on the official festival t-shirt proclaimed: "The Trinity. It's that simple."
"The trinity really is the simplest thing in the universe," said Fr. Basil Burns, O.S.B., a monk at St. Joseph Abbey. "Think about this: humans, the universe, are all made up of millions of swirling cells. God is made up of only three parts. There is an eternal harmony, like the members of a band all playing together. It's your responsibility to bring that mystery to your brothers and sisters in Christ," Fr. Basil challenged the teens. Next the group heard from Fr. R. Tony Ricard, a priest from the Archdiocese of New Orleans. Fr. Ricard approached from the back of the field, strutting down the center aisle, brandishing a walking stick, working the crowd much like an old-time Baptist preacher, while speakers blared the Motown fave "I'll Take You There," setting the mood for his talk.
"If you are a child of the King, let me hear you say, 'Amen!'" he sang out. "If you claim your place in the heavenly kingdom, let me hear you say, 'Oh, yeah!'" The crowd shouted their assent.
Once on the stage, Fr. Ricard launched into a very hip retelling of the Creation story. As he announced each thing God created he shouted, "Boom!" at which the teens slapped their knees, snapped twice and said, "Whoop, there it is!"
After singing his own rendition of the Carman song, "Lazarus, Come Forth," he told the group, "If you've been living in the tomb, it's time to come out. I'm willing to drive the train. All ya'll gotta do is get on board."
Fr. Burns prepared to lead the teens in a prayer of baptismal recommitment by talking about the "mark of baptism." "In Jesus' time the Roman soldiers were branded for life. Baptism is like that," he said. "It marks you forever. You will carry that mark into heaven or hell some day.
After the recommitment prayer, Mass was concelebrated by Archbishop Alfred C. Hughes, Bishop Robert W. Muensch of the Baton Rouge Diocese and several priests.
"We need to recognize the light that triumphs over sin and evil by the power of the risen Lord," said Archbishop Hughes in his homily. "I want to issue a challenge to you. Are you willing to look at the light? Are you afraid?"
"'Do not be afraid, it is I,' Jesus said to the apostles in the boat. He says this to us today. We need holy men willing to proclaim God's word and celebrate it in sacrament," the archbishop said. "God grant you that grace. God grant His church that grace."
By Margaret Schonberg (Contributing writer Times Pycayune)
More than 2,300 youths will make their way to the fields of St. Joseph Abbey and Seminary College on Saturday for the third annual Abbey Youth Festival.
Students from Louisiana, Texas, Florida, Mississippi, Alabama and Tennessee have registered to take part in this year's event, with the theme "Seek Him - Face to Face."
Fliers have been asking the teens if they are "Looking for light? You are light. Looking for treasure? You are treasure. Looking for beauty? You are beautiful. Looking for love? Seek Him Face to Face."
The theme, chosen by seminarians, is based on references by Pope John Paul II to seek the face of Christ through prayer. It is depicted on the festival's T-shirts designed by seminarian Chris Decker of Baton Rouge.
"The Holy Father has called the culture in which we live 'a culture of death,'" said the Rev. Gregory Boquet, president/rector of St. Joseph Seminary College. "However, the environment and the surroundings of the abbey and the gathering of thousands of youth at this festival offer a resounding no to the current conditions in which we live."
One of the groups is from St. Mary's Catholic Church in Shiloh, Tenn., who had the choice of either going skiing or of coming to the festival. They chose the youth festival.
The 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. day of worship and praise is for young adults 13 and older. It features talks, music, skits and liturgies oriented to the interests and concerns of young people.
"Youth Fest 2003 gives youth from the entire Gulf region an opportunity to come together and share their faith with like-minded teens," said Mimi Kelly, coordinator of the festival and director of the MIR Group in New Orleans. "The youth ministers that I've talked to have been beside themselves with enthusiasm for their return to Abbey Fest 2003. I believe that these teens who come here are truly answering a call. They may not know it right now, but they are being called to be here and their 'yes' will certainly change their lives for the better."
Abbey Youth Festival 2001, founded by Chris Baglow, a professor at the seminary college, was devoted to the struggles facing teens who desired to remain faithful to Christ in today's world. AYF 2002 focused on Christ in the mystery of redemption. This year, the focus will be on Christ, the second person of the Blessed Trinity.
Back by popular demand is Bob Schrimpf as emcee. Schrimpf is the founder and director of The Gathering Catholic Youth Ministries in San Diego. It reaches more than 700 teens weekly.
Talk 1 is titled "Face Yourself" given by Brian Johnson, director of Youth Ministries for the Houston-Galveston diocese. He is a national and international speaker who talks about building self-esteem, improving cultural relationships and speaks to social justice issues. His talk will challenge teens to look inside and find Christ in themselves.
Talk 2 is titled "Face Your Fears," given by the Rev. Joseph Hirsch, director of Vocations for the Diocese of LaCross, Wis., and founder of the music ministry known as Heartstrings. Hirsch's talk will focus on facing the fears within and the sacrament of reconciliation. Hirsch is an accomplished singer and guitarist and will use these talents in his presentation.
Talk 3 is titled "Face Your Lover" given by Jason Evert and Crystalina Padilla, well-known speakers on Chastity for Catholic Answers. Evert is the author of the book "Pure Love" and host of a monthly radio show on "Catholic Answers Live." Evert and Padilla are engaged and give witness through their example.
The final talk will be "Face Him," given by the Rev. John Amsberry from the Archdiocese of Portland. Ore. Amsberry talks about the infinite, unconditional, relentless and tender love of God.
Nationally known Christian band "In Situ," (Latin for "in position"), from the diocese of Houma-Thibodaux will perform a Christian rock concert at dinner. The Slidell-based band Seraphim will perform throughout the day for the different liturgies.
Brian Butler and his Christian rock band from New Orleans will perform at lunch. Butler is a teacher at Rummel High School and co-founder of Dumb Ox Productions, an organization that aims to reach young people with a message of hope and truth through entertainment and education. Butler, along with William Bennett, wrote this year's theme song, "Face to Face." Butler also will offer skits and interactive intervals throughout the day.
New Orleans Archbishop Alfred Hughes will be the main concelebrant at the 11 a.m. Mass, assisted by Abbot Justin Brown of the abbey. The Rev. Charles Benoit will serve as liturgical coordinator. The evening will conclude with a candle-light adoration service.
The youth festival is sponsored by St. Joseph Abbey and Seminary College, with the help of grants from the Donum Dei Foundation of New Orleans, the Gloria Shearin and the Ivy A. Smith Jr. Charitable Trust of New Orleans and the Knights of Columbus state office.
Online registration is available at www.abbeyfest.org, or by calling 867-2254. Registration will be available at the gate for $20. All participants must have a completed liability release form in order to be admitted.
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Abbey Youth Fest 2003by Julie Mickles (Baton Rouge Commentator)
It looked like Woodstock, except there was no nudity, profanity, drugs or alcohol. But, there was a big open field filled with thousands of young people, who were jumping up and down to very loud music being played by scruffy looking guys with long hair. There were also dozens of priests, quite a few nuns, some Bibles, an archbishop and lots of praise and worship. It was Abbey Youth Fest 2003, held Saturday, March 22 on the grounds of St. Joseph Abbey and Seminary College near Covington.
For the third year in a row the monks, priests and seminarians of St. Joseph played host to almost 3,000 teen-agers from seven states. With blankets and sun-shading umbrellas, they sprawled out in an open field and listened to presentations based on the theme "Seek Him Face to Face."
Speakers included Brian Johnson, director of youth ministry for the Diocese of Galveston/Houston; Father Joseph Hirsch, vocations director of the Diocese of LaCrosse, Wis.; Father John Amesbury, a priest from the Archdiocese of Portland, Ore.; and Jason Evert and Crystalina Padilla, nationally known chastity advocates. Archbishop Alfred C. Hughes was also on hand to celebrate the outdoor Mass.
The evening concert was performed by In Situ, a Christian rock band from the Diocese of Houma/Thibodaux. Seraphim, a Catholic praise and worship band from the Archdiocese of New Orleans, provided music for both the Mass and the evening Benediction service.
When Jesus dominates, God's kingdom is at hand
By Elizabeth Perry (Contributing writer Clarion Herald)
Some 4,000 Catholic teens rock out under a sunny sky at Abbey Fest, March 20 at St. Joseph Abbey in St. Benedict. The theme was "Eternity Now: Conquer the World... Inherit the Kingdom." The day included talks by Matt Smith of MTV's "Thc Real World New Orleans," "The Gauntlet" and Life Teen; Father Stan Fortuna; music by contemporary Catholic bands Seraphim, In Situ, Covenant 6 and Dismas; and Mass celebrated by Archbishop Alfred C. Hughes.
Smith, 25, talked about what he does best - bringing the Gospel to a secular audience in some pretty weird situations. As one of the cast members of "The Real World New Orleans," Smith talked only about his faith and encouraged his house-mates to find God in their lives.
In "The Gauntlet" he was back with the same people, only they had to form a team and perform some outrageous stunts to compete against other teams for a $10,000 cash prize. In between bouts of capture-the-flag in a cow pasture and hanging by his knees from a trapeze, Smith once again tried to evangelize among his cast mates, a move that almost got him voted off the show. In the end, the one girl who tried the hardest to get him thrown off came back to him to talk about her resentment against Smith, which led to her talking about her anger at organized religion in general. "The person I didn't like, who didn't like me, ended up giving her heart to God," he said.
Smith was asked why he kept putting himself through "the gauntlet" 12 of reality shows to evangelize, especially when there are easier ways that don't involve cow patties. He said it wasn't a lot of fun, but some times boldness is the key when you want people to listen.
"There are 3,400 people here at Abbey Fest," said Smith. "But 12 million people watched 'The Gauntlet.' What did St. Paul do with his letters? He used the media to reach people."
Smith's day job is as the Webmaster and spokesman of www.lifeteen.com, and he said his daily life is a lot calmer than it appears. He does weekend speaking engagements around the country and is the self-proclaimed, "Greatest Online Web Minister."
During his homily, Archbishop Hughes talked about Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ," especially the flashbacks. Some of the most moving ones for the archbishop were of the Last Supper, the Beatitudes and Mary.
"Her calm interior prayerful engagement despite all that transpired invites you and me to a deeper understanding of Jesus' sacrifice," said the archbishop. "It's almost as though she is saying, 'Don't let this extraordinary sacrificial gift of his life be in vain. Accept the forgiveness he offers and live in him.'"
Eveb though he was dressed in gray from head to toe, Franciscan Father Stan Fortuna was one of the most colorful performers at Abbey Fest. His blend of rapid-fire rap lyrics and street slang had the teens enthralled and the adults wondering what was being said. Many teens had the same amused look on their faces, listening intently to the "Kingdom of God is Eternal" message and trying to reconcile it with the New York priest's street slang and bass guitar. Quoting Webster's dictionary, Father Fortuna said the kingdom of God is the realm in which God's will is fulfilled.
"Your room is your kingdom, and your brain is also your kingdom," he said. "We have to start letting Jesus dominate. God gives His Son to the world to free us from evil. If someone suggests you don't have to suffer - turn your back on that. That's the deal, man."
Abbey Fest ended with vespers, a candlelight adoration service and a rock concert.
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Catholic Teens Gather for Abbey Festival Youth to celebrate 'Eternity Now' themeBy Margaret Schonberg
Contributing writer Times Pycayune
The fourth annual Abbey Youth Festival will be held Saturday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on the grounds of St. Joseph Abbey and Seminary College north of Covington.
More than 3,000 teens from across Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, Texas, Tennessee and North Carolina are coming to search for "Eternity Now: Conquer the World, Inherit the Kingdom."
One of the groups is from St. Rose of Lima in Milton, Florida. "These kids gave up their entire spring break to make the Abbey experience one that they will never forget," said Crystal Martinez, the group's youth leader. "I know that now that is going to happen," she said, thanking Abbey coordinators for being a "Godsend to my SWAT team (Students With a Testimony)."
"The Abbey Youth Festival is in keeping with the Benedictine charism, which is that of seeing Christ in the stranger," said the Rev. Gregory Boquet, president and rector of St. Joseph Abbey Seminary College.
"Who would think that bringing together over 3,000 relatively unknown people in a rather remote parcel of land would witness so strongly to the presence of Christ? Both the students and the monastic community are impacted by the strong manifestation of Christ in our midst," he said. "This is particularly seen at the end of the day when all of those gathered are reverently silent as we celebrate together in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament."
Each of the seminarians at St. Joseph's Seminary College, along with some from Notre Dame in New Orleans, are helping to put the event together, from working with stage, sound, first aid, computer graphics and art to ministering to the young people who attend.
This year's presenters will be:
- Mike Patin, a retired youth minister for the Archdiocese of New Orleans. Patin focuses on the value of encouragement. Patin serves as master of ceremonies for the festival.
- The Rev. Stan Fortuna has released numerous CDs of original music and is internationally known for both his music and his powerful preaching. Fortuna will speak about "Eternity Now and Forever: Life in the Kingdom."
- Matt Smith is the national spokesperson for LIFE TEEN and was a resident of MTV's "Real World" New Orleans house. He shows how a Catholic Christian can live faithfully in today's world. Smith will talk about "Conquering the 'Real' World."
- Mary Beth Bonacci delivers a message on love, relationships and chastity. Her Real Love video series is used in churches and schools throughout the United States. She has written two books and has a regular syndicated column. Bonacci's topic is "No Limit: Loving for Life Eternal."
- Jim Beckman from Littleton, Colorado., is head of a youth group that dealt with the tragedy at Columbine High School. Beckman will speak on "Shining in the Darkness: Inheriting Hope."
- Musical praise will be offered by "In Situ", Dismas, Seraphim and Covenant 7.
Archbishop Alfred C. Hughes will be the main concelebrant and homilist at the 11 a.m. Mass, assisted by Abbot Justin Brown and Father Boquet. The Rev. Charles Benoit will serve as liturgical coordinator. "I really look forward to celebrating Mass for the Abbey Youth Festival," Hughes said. "The gathering of so many young people is a great source of strength, encouraging them to live and profess their faith publicly because of the support of so many who want to do the same."
The evening will conclude with a candlelight adoration service.
Food is sponsored by Knights of Columbus councils, parish groups and friends of the Abbey and Includes pizza, hot dogs, hamburgers, french fries, grilled chicken sandwiches, jambalaya, snowballs, popcorn, lemon ice, cakes and cookies. An average meal is expected to cost $5.
The youth festival is sponsored by St. Joseph Abbey and Seminary College, with the help of grants from the Donum Dei Foundation of New Orleans, the Gloria Sheatin and Ivy A. Smith Jr. Charitable Trust of New Orleans and the Knights of Columbus state office.
Online registration is available at www.abbeyfest.org or by calling (985) 867-2254. Registration will be available at the gate for $20. All participants must have a completed liability release form (which is available online) in order to be admitted.
St. Joseph Abbey and Seminary College is at 75376 River Road north of Covington.
"This type of event is tremendously gratifying to me, not only because as an event coordinator, I'm happy when a plan comes together and works, but this particular event is helping to build the church of tomorrow," said Mimi Kelly. "These kids are our future. They gather on these ground one day out of the year and they find thousands of other teens just like themselves, who really seek the truth. Not the truth that the world gives, but God's truth," Kelly said. "There's a difference, and these kids know it."
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.
By Aimee Maciver
Special to the Clarion Herald
Once every spring, St. Joseph Abbey becomes the study in contrast. The tranquil monastery grounds erupt as seminarians break from their studies to give guitar-heavy rock concerts and the cheering of 4,000 keyed-up teens drowns the usual chatter of nature.
Abbey Youth Festival, now boasting six years of success, marks the happy annual collision of monastic contemplative with teen culture for a youth rally unlike any other.
This year's event, themed "Set Ablaze: Daily Living in Christ", fell on April 1, a date that inspired Archbishop Alfred Hughes to pull one over on the crowd as he celebrated mass. "I have disappointing news. The speakers for this evening, Jim and Kerri Caviezel, will not be able to attend," Archbishop Hughes announced solemnly. Then, with a grin: "April Fool's!"
The joke was a relief to the participants anticipating the keynote address of "The Passion of the Christ" star, Jim Caviezel, and his wife, Kerri. Both spoke about the challenge of practicing their Catholic faith while living in Hollywood.
Kerri Caviezel, who works at a crisis pregnancy center, tickled the audience with the story of how she met her husband on a blind date, then emphasized that God's plan always surpasses our own.
"I had no idea where that blind date would take me in the long run," she said. "My plan would have been good, but God's was better." Sharing the details of how she and her husband had recently adopted a son from China, she encouraged teens to become active in the pro-life movement.
Jim Caviezel called the audience to embrace redemptive suffering. He described the physical torment he endured while filming "The Passion," including sustaining a shoulder separation, suffering hypothermia, being struck by lightning, having to sleep with heavy latex make-up, and being accidentally scourged by another actor.
"What I learned," he said, "is that if you don't pick up your cross and carry it, you'll be crushed by the weight of it.
He cautioned the audience not to succumb when tempted to believe that suffering indicates a lack of God's love.
"Some of you have lost your homes; others of you are hurting, confused, and angry, wondering if God loves you. But listen... because you suffer, he loves you more. The suffering are the closest to him."
Some suffering, Caviezel pointed out, comes from being faithful to God in a "world entrenched in sin." He told stories of praying his way through Hollywood's many temptations, including humanity's great desire to be liked.
"You are not made to fit in, but to stand out," Caviezel said. "You might be so unknown that no one ever knows your name. God will reward you. Be saints!"
The Caviezels were not the only entertainment-industry veterans to appear at the festival. Prominent Catholic musicians Steve Angrisano and Tony Melendez rallied teens to choose Christ and to support each other. Born without arms, Melendez has played guitar by boot for audiences across the world, including his famous performance in 1987 for Pope John Paul II.
"If you can endure a hurricane, you can endure a lot more," Melendez said. You must be part of changing each other's lives.
The festival coordinator, Mimi Kelly, also featured skits from the Archdiocese of New Orleans' Teen Cross Committee; concerts by Chrism, Remnant, and Covenant 7; praise and worship by Thomas Schneidau and Seraphim; and Mass concelebrated by Archbishop Hughes, Bishop Robert Muench of Batn Rouge and Benedictine Abbot Justin Brown. Attending priests and Abbey monks offered the sacrament of reconciliation throughout the day for a steady flow of teens seeking absolution.
Participants had a final taste of monastic life when the event closed with vespers sung by Abbey Monks and Schola (the Abbey Seminarian Choral Group), Candlelight Eucharistic adoration and benediction followed, returning the field to its ususal sereneity, at least until next spring (March 17 to be exact!).