Youth group begins in Weston County — Fire for faith lit within the youth of the community

A new youth group called Disciples on Fire has recently started up in Newcastle and Upton. Led by Christina Parks, a member of the Newcastle community since 2017, the group has really been on fire with recent service activities and rallies.

Corpus Christi Catholic Church has been a long-standing staple in the community, providing a space for parish members to gather. However, with Parks stepping in as youth group adviser, a spark has been ignited in the younger members of the church community.

Parks said she was inspired when she attended the National Eucharistic Revival in Indianapolis, where over 60,000 Catholics gathered to worship and strengthen their faith. Parks said that
the event was amazing and
life-changing.

“It was profound in ways that I have a hard time expressing,” she said.

The religious rally led to Parks’ own awakening. While she has long been a Catholic, the revival gave her ideas to bring back to the community.

“It was a reversion back to the faith, and it got me thinking of ways to give back to the community,” she said.

The message of the revival was to evangelize smaller populations and communities to foster good practices as Catholics. Parks set out to contribute to the community as a whole, beginning with a focus on the youth.

“The youth are an untapped resource,” Parks said. “They are the future of the whole community, not just the church.”

Parks noted that kids with any or no religious background are free to join the group and attend meetings. Youth from Newcastle and Upton are lucky enough to collaborate through the church.

“We have joined forces,” Parks said. “We combine as much as we can, but I understand that the kids have commitments.”

Parks’ welcoming attitude has played a big role in the recent movement within the local church. However, she attributes most of the happenings to the ambitions of the kids themselves. She claimed that she is just overseeing everything, but the kids come up with all the ideas.

“It is so divinely orchestrated; I can see it when we are together, and it is executing so nicely,” she confirmed.

While Parks is humble about her role in re-energizing the youth, she has surely inspired them. Newcastle High School student John Sandrini told the NLJ how Christina and Corpus Christi have touched his life.

“She is really passionate about Jesus and getting us excited about Him as well,” he said.

The kids have gotten the opportunity over the past couple of months to attend various retreats and gather with youth from around the area. They attended a youth rally in Rapid City and were the largest group at the Wyoming rally held in Casper in November. This year, Corpus Christi plans to take a group on a pilgrimage to Mexico to spread love, service and their faith. The kids who do not attend the Mexico trip will be encouraged to attend a rally in Denver.

“It has been good to be around people with the same goals and beliefs,” Parks noted about the rallies.

Parks also mentioned that the kids will pay their own way for the Mexico journey.

“This is not a trip that is being given to them,” she said. “That says enough in itself; this is how committed they are to be in service.”

Corpus Christi encourages the community to be generous when they hear about the journey and see the kids working to spread goodness.

Sandrini will be one of the youth making the trip to Mexico this summer. He said that 2025 is the Catholic Year of Jubilee and part of the fulfilment is going on a pilgrimage.

“It doesn’t matter how big or how small,” he said.

Sandrini plans to do some fund-raising with the other students going on the trip in the upcoming months.

Beyond their travel plans, the group has some activities planned in their own community. Parks mentioned a possible rosary walk through town. Sandrini confirmed the plan and said the kids want to go into town and say a prayer for the community.

“It is not really service, I guess; it is just praise for the Lord,” he said.

While the prayer may not technically be a service in the eyes of the public, the kids have given back to the community in tangible ways over the past couple of months as well.

Around the holiday season, they decorated and delivered cookies to the elderly.

“We just wanted to make them feel happy,” Sandrini said.

Corpus Christi’s pastor, the Rev. Brian Hess, said he has seen how Parks’ involvement with the youth has benefited both the children and the community.

“They are developing their relationship with Jesus while strengthening their service for others,” he said.

Hess also shared his urgency for kids to consider a relationship with the Lord. He believes that the youth group offered at Corpus Christi is a good opportunity for children looking to expand or start their faith.

“It is a beautiful and effective way to meet Jesus, as well as meet other kids with the same beliefs,” he said.

Sandrini holds the same respect for the group. While he is involved in other extracurricular activities, he holds the youth group in higher regard.

“Doing an activity that is more religious-based is good for the soul,” he said. “We are called the Disciples on Fire for a reason.”

Hess and Parks have noticed the fire in the kids and say they look forward to the future and fostering the kid’s relationship with their faith.

“They add so much joy to my life. I want to take that joy and spread it out into the community,” Parks said.