Youth Activities

Dead Theologian Society meets the second Sunday of each month from 6-9pm. Refresh your mind, body and soul! This is a jam packed night filled with sports, a teaching on a saint, a home cooked meal, Benediction and Night Prayer!
First Saturday of each month youth are invited to attend a Lifeline Mass at NET Ministries in St. Paul. See www.netusa.org for more information.
Fundraising! Take advantage of fundraising opportunities that can earn your way to catholic retreats, ski trips, World Youth Day and more! Cookie bake, car wash, ham and egg breakfast, donut Sunday, soup supper, soccer camp and family fun nights are a few of our fun fundraisers!
Youth Retreats- Steubenville North www.partnershipforyouth.org, Net Ministries www.netusa.org, The Schoenstatt Sisters of Mary vocation retreats, www.schsrsmary.org, and many more.
Camping- An annual trip to the Grotto of Redemption in West Bend Iowa www.westbendgrotto.com. Highly favored by our youth!
Lutsen Ski Trip- Great opportunity to experience our Creator’s beautiful creation a midst the snowy northern hills! Rest up before heading out on this exhilarating retreat! Watch the bulletin this winter for more details.
Youth activities offered throughout the year include opportunities for faith formation, Christian fellowship and charity through gifts of service to others. Other opportunities offered in the past that are likely to return include packaging food at Feed My Starving Children, prayer at an abortion clinic, Adoration, Theology of the Body study, movie nights, bowling, visiting religious communities, and living stations of the cross.
For More information Contact Tim and Molly Havlicek at 952-461-2933

Youth Group
Youth Group

The St. Nicholas Youth Group is a group of high school aged students who are socially active with each other while being committed to an increasing awareness of the Catholic faith, doing good for the benefit of others and acting as good role models for the younger children of the church and community. Any high school student grade 9-12 is welcome to join.

We have monthly gatherings that include a meal, devotion, fun activity and planning for upcoming events. We do a variety of activities throughout the year which involve service, faith formation, fundraising, socializing and fellowship. Some examples of activities include raking leaves for the elderly, ham and egg breakfasts, camping, movie nights, NET/Lifeline evenings, cabin beach parties, First Friday Adoration and holiday parties.

For More information Call the Church office at (952) 461-2403 or Tim and Molly Havlicek at 952-461-293
Vacation Bible School
Vacation Bible School

Vacation Bible School (VBS) provides children with an opportunity to grow in their faith and knowledge of God during the summer break through fun, interactive “hands-on” learning.

Children who are four years old by the beginning of VBS or who will be entering grades K-6 the following fall are invited to enjoy VBS.

Process of Enrolling Enrollment occurs during April and will be announced in the bulletin and in posters around the church; children who have participated in VBS in the past will receive a postcard invitation in the mail. Everyone is welcome to register during the specified weekend or to mail in the registration form during April to the office, Attn: VBS, St. Nicholas Church, PO Box 9, 51 Church St., New Market, MN 55054. Registration is done on a first-come, first-served basis, so late registrations may not be possible.

Time and Date VBS is held the middle of June during the morning hours

Structure VBS typically begins with an all-group opening. Then children rotate through different centers such as bible story, craft, music, snack and other options that change on a yearly basis, such as skit/video, games, saints, etc. Each day ends with an all-group closing. Each year a different theme is selected by the director.

For more information, contact: Parish Office at 952-461-2403
Dead Theologians Society
Dead Theologians Society

A local chapter was started at St. Nicholas in 2010 for students in grades 9 -12. We have had as few as 16 to as many as 40 students at one of these Sunday evening events.

DTS evenings are the second Sunday of each month (please watch your bulletins for any changes or revisions of the DTS schedule):

Evening begins on the St Nicholas Campus:
6:00pm – Fun and games – outside if weather permits
6:50-7:00 – snack time
7:00 – 8:00 – Teaching on a saint
8:00 – 8:45 – Hearty meal*
8:45 – 9:00 – Night prayer and benediction

*Parents volunteer each week to help provide the meal, if you are able to help provide a meal item or able to help in any way please contact Kathy Chlan, (952-652-6100 ext 507) or the parish office.

What is DTS (Dead Theologians Society)?
An evening of DTS combines a nice blend of social and spiritual time. The DTS format blends the two in an evening that keeps the interest of young people while helping them to grow in faith and community. The evening begins with activity of games, sports and fun at 6:00pm. After a snack the students at a DTS meeting are inspired through knowledge of the lives of Saints, to grow in their prayer life and deepen their knowledge of the Catholic Faith, in a way that engages them while allowing time to grow in community and socialize. After an hour meeting the students enjoy a hearty meal, with laughter and social interaction. The evening closes with 15 minutes in night prayer and benediction in front of the Blessed Sacrament.
What is “getting hooded” mean?
You might hear students who have attended DTS talk about “being hooded”. What does that mean? If you attend 3 meetings consecutively or at least 5 in the series you are hooded. The official DTS “hoodie” or “hood” is simply a black hooded sweatshirt of the style that almost everyone wears in cool weather or has in their closet. Clearly this is not a religious habit, we do speak of its connection to the religious habits of the past and present. Many religious orders took their habits from the common wear of the poor or commoner of the time. In our present time, a pullover sweatshirt with a hood attached is part of a young person’s normal clothing. What is common is again taken and made holy. The hooded sweatshirts are made holy insofar as it is a reminder of the mission and motto of the Dead Theologians Society. Black is a common and traditional color for a hoodie and it will never go out of style and is neutral, not a school color, but black was a color worn by so many of the great Saints, that are studied who were diocesan clergy or belonged to orders that had black as all or part of their habit, such as the Conventual Franciscans, Benedictines, Augustinians, Passionists, and Dominicans.
Altar Servers
Altar Servers

Alter servers assist the pastor (or visiting priests, bishops, deacons, etc.) at weekend Masses by serving at the altar, by helping in preparing the sanctuary/altar for the celebration of the Mass and by assisting at special masses (e.g., weddings, funerals, etc.) when needed.
The pastor will work with any boy interested in becoming an altar server to orientate him to his duties and to the sacristy.
The ministry of altar server is open to any boy, fourth grade through high school age. Altar servers must be reliable in attending the liturgies for which they are scheduled.
Contact the Parish Office if interested in serving.
Choir
Choir