Middle School Program

Middle School Program

 

Our middle school ministry serves teens in 6th, 7th, and 8th grade. Each program is created to celebrate our faith and life in a way that is fun and welcoming for all middle school age teenagers. The middle school years are a very important time filled with significant changes and new opportunities. It is our desire at St. Mary to tap into the raw energy and potential that middle school teens have and provide a safe, faith-filled environment for them to discover what God is calling them to.

Our middle school teens, if they have not already received the Sacrament of Confirmation, are involved in many programs within St. Mary. They have Religious Education during the week and participate in their Confirmation Teams doing service and spiritual works in the community.

The following are the programs we offer our middle school youth throughout the year that are not a part of their Confirmation requirements:

 


 

Middle School Youth Group

Youth Group is filled with food, games, powerful talks, presentations, icebreakers and fellowship. Our aim is to develop relationships with our middle school teens in order to accompany them in their faith journey through the sacrament of Confirmation and continue with them into high school. Each night will begin with a dinner served by our volunteer teams followed up by games and a talk with small groups. Middle School Youth Group meets on the 1st and 3rd Friday of each month in the Parish Life Center from 6:30pm to 8pm. Check our calendar page for specific dates.


Fight Club

“Fight Club” is designed to help young men in grades 7-12 strive for the virtues of purity and chastity. Through this fraternity, our young men will not merely be fighting for survival in the moral life, but thriving, leading their peers and becoming the next generation of Catholic men, to be pure and noble – the saints we need. In general, this group will include prayer, formation, brotherhood, and accountability.

“Fight Club” will meet at the same time as That Man Is You, the parish group for adult males.  Doors open at 6am for coffee and HOT breakfast (including all you can eat bacon) in the Parish Life Center. The formation talk will start at 6:40am, followed by discussion groups (fathers and sons will meet in separate groups) and the morning will end with confessions at 8am.


Feminine Genius

Feminine Genius is our young women’s ministry for middle and high school girls (grades 6-12). Twice a month, we will gather for Christian sisterhood and spiritual accountability. We aim to form a strong bond as Catholic women and lead one another to lives of greater virtue through prayer, accountability, and Catholic teaching! Feminine Genius is named after the teachings of St. Pope John Paul II in his 1995 “Letter to Women.” We will be using curricula from Endow to guide us through the year, and we will supplement those resources with the teachings of Pope John Paul II and other saints as we learn what it truly means to be a Woman of God in our modern society. Feminine Genius meets on the 2nd and 4th Thursdays each month from 6:30-8:00pm.


BASH

BASH is an annual gathering of middle school students throughout the Diocese of Arlington! Hundreds of 6th – 8th graders from all parishes gather to celebrate their love for God and their Catholic faith! At BASH, you can expect to hear music, play games, listen to inspirational talks, attend confession, and celebrate the vigil mass in an evening of fellowship and fun!

Learn more here: https://www.arlingtondiocese.org/youth-ministry/bash/


SUMMER EVENTS

Diocesan Kings Dominion Day

Every summer, St. Mary teens join middle and high schoolers from across the region in the annual Diocesan Kings Dominion Day! We start with 9:00am mass followed by a group trip to Kings Dominion and Soak City where we will spend a day of fun and fellowship with fellow Catholic youth!

Learn more here: https://www.arlingtondiocese.org/diocesan-kings-dominion-day/


Sports Tuesdays

In the summer, all middle and high schoolers are welcome to join us at Old Mill Park in Downtown Fredericksburg every Tuesday evening for fellowship and exercise! We meet from 6:00 – 8:00 pm and play games like soccer, ultimate frisbee, kickball, and much more! Please bring a refillable water bottle and comfortable clothes!


Chess Club


Join us for chess club in the summers! All rising 3rd through 9th graders are invited to meet in the Parish Life Center every Thursday from 2:00-3:30 to learn about chess, grow in sportsmanship and virtue, and engage in friendly competition. No experience necessary!