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The goal of The Mantle is to lead teens to encounter Christ
and to equip them to live as life-long disciples.
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NOTE FROM YOUTH MINISTER
Hi there, Parents! Happy Tuesday!
We are praying that you all had a great week!
This past Tuesday, we had our first open hours from 12-7, and had a great time hanging out after school.
This past Wednesday, we came together and played some games and then entered into a study on different ways to pray. We had an opportunity to pray in nature, with a clip from The Lion King, and then a song. God wants to speak to us in all things, we just have to learn how to listen in a new way.
On Friday, we had 4 middle schoolers and various high schoolers with their Catholic school attend the Ohio State March for Life. We started the day off by attending Mass at the Cathedral with 3 bishops, where they talked about the beauty and dignity of every life. We then walked over to the State House, where a Pro-Life Rally was held, then we marched! It was such a gift to witness this and truly see the Lord's Heart for every life, from conception to natural death!
On Sunday, we had an amazing night! A special thank you to the Kennedy Family for the pizza! We had fun being outside in the beautiful fall weather, hanging out with each other, playing a wild game of hula hoop islands, hearing a talk from our core team member Christy, and then having a Q+A panel. Christy talked with us about fullness of life and how Jesus is the one true satisfaction of every one of our desires. It is in Him that we can live the abundant life talked about in John 10:10. He has given us our desires and He desires to show us what He wants to speak and how He is calling us to live. Our panel consisted of 2 high school teens (Michael and Marley) and then two adult core team members (Christy and Otis). They did a great job of sharing experience and wisdom to our teens and the questions that they asked!
We love being back in the swing of things and are so grateful to God for the opportunity to walk with your teens!
Now that the year is fully in swing here is what our week to week will look like (Please also see calendar attached here at the end of this newsletter):
- Youth group is now from 6-8pm on Sundays
- Open Hours are on Tuesdays from 12pm-7pm (drop in any time to Ellie's office)
- Discipleship Nights on Wednesdays from 6:30-8pm
We also send teen contact with the Remind app. Please have your teen sign up at the link below to get the most up to date things for our schedule.
Lastly, Damascus has an amazing app for prayer, and we made a group for The Mantle! We are hoping that this is a great tool for our teens to use as they grow in prayer, to stay connected to other people from youth group, and to encourage and hold each other accountable! At the end of this letter here, you can see the link and have your teen sign up!
We can't wait to see you soon!
Thank you as always for your prayers & support for us, and please know of our prayers for you!
Please continue to read below for updates!
In Mary's Mantle,
Ellie Dills
edills@stbrigidofkildare.org
P.S. We will be having an All Hallow's Party with the amazing organization Run the Race on November 1. We would love to have you and your family to sign up for this amazing day of service and fun!
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WEEKLY PRAYER CHALLENGES + RESOURCES
This part of our newsletter includes weekly prayer challenges and resources related to the content that your teen received the previous Sunday. The hope and goal is that a) you as a family would be able to use this to talk about the content, and b) your teen would be able to continue to grow in and carry the content that they are receiving on Sunday throughout the week.
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LETTER FROM THE MANTLE IN UGANDA (IN 10.4.26 BULLETIN)
A Message of Thanksgiving to St. Brigid Parish
Dear clergy, parishioners, and friends of St. Brigid Parish, greetings from Uganda. As I write to you, I find myself thinking about St. Brigid Parish in Dublin, Ohio – the parish that welcomed me, supported me, prayed for me, and became a home away from home during my years of formation. Now, as a priest serving in Uganda, I have the great joy of seeing something beautiful take shape: The Mantle has started in Uganda. I want to say thank you! Thank you to every parishioner who contributed to the Mantle Uganda Mission. Thank you to those who prayed, encouraged us, gave financially, and those who advised us. Your generosity is not simply money being sent to Uganda. It is a message to a young person here that they are loved and prayed for.
Your Gift Is Already Becoming A Blessing
The support for the Mantle Uganda Mission is being directed toward several important needs. We are purchasing two laptops and a projector, which will help with youth formation, catechesis, presentations, leadership development, communication, and future virtual meetings between St. Brigid and Uganda. At our launch for The Mantle held on August 27th, we had 137 young people attend our event. At the beginning of the conference, we provided food, t-shirts, scholastic materials, school bags, and sports equipment such as soccer balls, netballs, basketballs, water bottles, and scrimmage vests for both boys and girls. Ellie Dills called in this day, and she had the chance to talk with the kids about The Mantle, the story of St. Brigid, and sharing about Pope St. John Paul II’s Theology of the Body. The kids engaged with the content in talking to each other, asking questions to Ellie, and then entering into a time of Eucharistic Adoration to close out the day. On September 1st, The Mantle here in Uganda made an outreach visit to Namutamba Orphanage, where blankets and bed sheets were provided through the funds given. This is an important part of The Mantle vision: we do not want young people simply to receive from others – we want to teach them to become people who serve others We want our young people to learn that discipleship means looking beyond oneself.
The Parish Water Project
Another significant part of the support given from you all is the parish water project. The project is intended to help with the harvesting and distribution of safe and clean water. The plan includes water gutters, tank stands, water tanks, and installation and accessories. Clean water may seem like a basic thing, but here it can make an enormous difference in daily life. Your generosity is therefore reaching beyond a youth conference and program. It is helping address a practical need within the parish community.
Our Vision for the Future
Our hope is to establish a sustainable youth ministry in Uganda where young people can regularly encounter Christ, grow in their faith, develop leadership skills, participate in sports and community activities, and discover that they have an important role to play in the Church. We are very excited to share this ministry with St. Brigid. We hope to do this through regular communication and virtual gatherings. Imagine young people in Dublin and young people in Uganda praying together, sharing their experiences, learning about each other’s lives, and discovering that despite the distance between us, we belong to one family in Christ. A young person in Uganda may never have the opportunity to visit Ohio. A young person in Ohio may never have the opportunity to walk the roads of Uganda. But through The Mantle, they can meet one another though Christ.
We Ask For Your Prayers
We ask for your prayers. Please pray for The Mantle Uganda Mission – that it will grow into a lasting ministry that continues to bring young people closer to Christ.
Thank you, St. Brigid, for believing in this mission. Thank you for supporting The Mantle Uganda. May the Lord reward you more abundantly.
With love and gratitude,
Fr. Godfrey Ssebikyu
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CATHOLIC CULTURE CONNECTION
This part of our newsletter shares certain updates and/or relevant Catholic news! We pray that you can take this, learn from this, and use this with discussion with your family!
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October is the month of the Rosary! As Catholics, we honor Our Lady, specifically the Rosary, in the month of October. We want to encourage you and your family to see how you can grow in that together!
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All life is sacred. In light of various issues this week including but not limited to the Cornell 7 case, Christa Pike, and the Ohio State March for Life, we are reminded that every life has unique purpose and dignity. Even when there are horrible actions against others, we must be reminded that God seeks justice, love, and mercy, and He has created each and every one of us in His image and likeness! May our hearts grow to see this more each day.
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There is an upcoming Synod on Families, and all the bishops are headed to Rome. Bishops from all across the world will join each other and the Pope from October 7-14 to "proceed, in mutual listening, toa synodal discernment on the steps to be taken in order to proclaim the Gospel to families today." Please pray for them!
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Pope Leo speaks about AI and mental health. Pope Leo has had a lot of say about AI and has called everyone to be aware and vigilant. This past week, he shared that the Vatican will be organizing their own investigation and dialogue about the best use of AI. Pope Leo also shared his intention for the month, sharing, "Let us pray that the mental health ministry be established throughout the Church, helping to overcome the stigma and discrimination of persons with mental illnesses".
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800th Anniversary of St. Francis. This past Sunday, October 4, celebrated the 800th anniversary of the amazing saint, St. Francis of Assisi. Catholics around the world celebrated him in a special way, especially in this huge anniversary.
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THIS WEEK!
- October 6 (Tuesday): Open Hours
- Stop by in Ellie's office any time from 12pm-7pm to do homework, hang out, play a game, or talk!
- October 7 (Wednesday): Games + Holy Rosary Study
- Teen Room / 6:30-8:00pm
- October 11 (Sunday): Men's + Women's Night
- Hendricks Hall / Chipotle / Separate night after dinner based on gender! / 6:00-8:00pm
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MANTLE MEAL SIGN UPS
A huge part of our ministry is FOOD (can you imagine that for high school students?!?). We are so beyond grateful for the generosity of our parishioners and Mantle parents for the ways that they provide meals so that our teens can encounter Christ in a new way on Sundays!
We would be so grateful if you would consider joining us in this mission by providing a meal! We are looking to fill our meals for the whole year, and just this semester we just need two more sign ups!
We are particularly looking to fill October 25, which is coming up fast!
Please let Ellie know if you have any questions.
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DAMASCUS SUMMER CAMP 2027
Hello St. Brigid Families,
Damascus Summer Camp 2027 Pre-Order registration opened September 1st at 9AM. Because our group placed a Pre-Order, your camper has early access to our reserved spaces before general registration opens.
These spots are first come, first serve with our parish. Please register by October 31st at 5 PM. There are 40 high school spots remaining and 22 middle school spots. After this deadline, any unregistered pre-order spaces will be released and made available to other groups and the general public.
Attached here are the links to register plus our code for you to be able to do so:
High School Registration Link
Middle School Registration Link
Group Registration Code: BRIGIDARE27
If you have questions about registration or financial aid, contact Damascus Registration Customer Service:
registration@damascus.net
(740) 480-1288 ext. 1
We can't wait for your child(ren) to attend camp and to encounter our Lord in a new way!
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SPIRIT OF PEACE COUNSELING OPPORTUNITY
Are you looking for an opportunity for faith-based counseling for your teen and/or yourself?
Emily Knuth is a current staff member at Damascus Mission Campus and is currently pursuing her Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Grand Canyon University. She is currently in her practicum stage of her master's program, and is working with Christian therapists with Spirit of Peace. With this, her rates are lower and she is an excellent therapist!
Below here is her description and link to the website to make an appointment:
Emily has been approved by the State of Ohio Counselor, Social Worker, and Marriage and Family Therapist Board as a Counselor Trainee (License #C.2608057-TRNE). She is pursuing her Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Grand Canyon University. Emily is passionate about working with adolescents and adults as they navigate life's challenges, helping clients find hope, healing, and lasting growth. She utilizes Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to help clients identify unhelpful thought patterns, develop healthy coping skills, and create meaningful, lasting change. For clients who desire it, Emily enjoys thoughtfully integrating Christian faith into the counseling process. In addition to her clinical training, Emily has extensive experience mentoring and supporting young adults through leadership development and ministry. She strives to create a compassionate, supportive, and nonjudgmental environment where clients feel heard, valued, and equipped to navigate life's challenges with greater confidence and resilience. (Clinically supervised by Jennifer Shonk, LPCC-S (License# E.1200441-SUPV))
Contact Emily:
Phone: 614-442-7650 Ext. 01
Email: emily@sopcc.org
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LINKTREE INFORMATION
Are you looking for resources from past talks, our schedule for the year, or photos of your teens at youth group?
Take a look here for anything that you need! If you can't find it, please let me know! Please also take a look at our pictures from September! They are updated!
Also, we are excited to share that we added a new resource - The Mantle Video Resources. In the link below, you can take a look at all the videos that we recommend for various topics!
| | Questions & Prayer Intentions? Reach out to Ellie Dills at edills@stbrigidofkildare.org. | | | | |
