Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
Temple student spreads the faith
Temple student leads youth group in spreading a message of integrity, faith
It’s become the most popular group to bash: teens and young adults. You know, the self-absorbed generations with minds pickled by an overload of technology, too jaded to care about anything that can’t be texted or Tweeted. Meet the Lambs of God, a group of concerned 13- to 22-year-olds who are doing their best to alter that prevailing assumption. The organization that meets every Tuesday at 7 p.m. at St. Patrick’s Catholic Parish on DeKalb Street in Norristown has not only revitalized the long dormant youth group tradition at the church, it’s spreading its message of integrity and faith all through the community.
When three parishioners, Miguel and Gloria Sigala and their son Angel, approached Rev. Augustus “Father Gus” Puleo about starting a youth group more than a year ago the pastor couldn’t have been more supportive of the idea, he said.
“I told them I definitely wanted a youth group,” Puleo said. “We had a group here a long time ago but it died out. I wanted to see this happen because, honestly, I’m very nervous about that age group across the country and I think we need to make them more involved. It’s a real important age group because they’re reaching adulthood and deciding things, and we lose kids in the church to the streets, drugs, alcoholism and other things.”
The group, formed to explore as many of the religious, cultural, social and community service possibilities that are open to them, was originally supposed to be welcome ages 16 to 22, but the age requirement was soon lowered by three years, Puleo recalled.
“We found that a lot of younger kids wanted to join, which was wonderful. It’s nice to have the younger kids because they’ll be influenced by the older ones, who pull them into their interests and get them involved.”
With his parents and church member Maria Gonzalez in charge of things, Angel, the young co-founder of Lambs of God, has emerged as a real “hotshot in the group,” Puleo said, laughing .
“He is really an exceptional kid … that was very clear from the beginning.”
If 19-year-old Angel, a Plymouth Whitemarsh High School graduate and soon to be a sophomore at Temple University, indeed lends a uniquely vibrant energy to the group, you can be sure it comes naturally to him, like his love of the expressive and spirited tradition of Mexican dance.
“I started dancing with a dance company in Mexico when I was 6 years old, and when I came to the states I joined a company that focuses on Mexican folklore as well,” said Angel, who now runs a Mexican dance instruction group with his dad at St. Patrick’s, Wednesdays, 5 to 8 p.m., and Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.
“The Mexican community in Norristown is so big so we wanted to make sure that people learned about their culture, and dance is a great way to learn that. Luckily, we were able to get the support of the church to have our practices there, and the response of the Mexican community has been great.”
These days Angel, who lives in Conshohocken, focuses on carving out enough time for his studies as a theater major at Temple, while finding the time to teach the dance techniques he began honing in Mexico, and helping the Lambs of God youth group stay on course.
So far, the group’s 20 members have organized a few fundraisers, visited shrines, and even enjoyed a carefree day of fun at Dorney Park in Allentown .
“We went to a Catholic retreat in New York,” Angel noted. “The group really enjoyed the experience and I know everyone learned more about their (faith.)”
One of the primary reasons the group was started was to provide a venue for the young members to share their issues, Angel said.
“We felt there are a lot of issues that teens face and sometimes we don’t have someone to talk to. With the support of the church we were able to expand that and make sure that we could bring our religion to the teens of Norristown, to get them to know more about their religion so that they could grow as a person through that. But we are open to all people 13 to 22. If they also want to be a part of a church, that’s fine, but we want anyone to feel free to come and join us.”
While the age gap between 13 and 22 may seem unusually wide, bonds form easily between the younger and older people, said Angel, who is already look- ing ahead to when he turns 23 and will assume a different role as mentor to the teens and young adults who were once his peers.
“That occurred to me, about the age difference, but it ’s worked out that the older kids sort of took a leadership role and lead the meetings and try to get the little ones involved. And that’s how we’ve all been able to bond. I hope as the group keeps growing my goal would be to stay on in the role of mentor,” he added. “Because when I was younger I would have liked to talk to someone who went through the same issues as I was going through. Having a mentor is always a good idea. And I want to be a mentor, for someone as well.”
Angel credits Puleo with much of the progress the group has made since its inception.
“Father Gus has really supported us with our events and I don’t think the youth group or the dance group would have grown as much as it has if it were not for him. So I’m very grateful to him. He makes sure we have everything we need, and if there are trips or events coming up he’s always there being involved and trying to get us involved.”
Following the 12 p.m. Mass on June 28, St. Patrick’s youth group will host an open house, featuring music, refreshments and guest speakers, in the school building at St. Patrick’, 714 DeKalb St., Norristown. For more information, call 610-2721408.
So far, the group’s 20 members have organized a few fundraisers, visited shrines, and even enjoyed a carefree day of fun at Dorney Park in Allentown .