Forming Students around Sainthood

Serviam Youth Nights
According to Elijah Kruppa (’24), the weekly Serviam! (I will serve!) youth nights are “an awesome apostolate, centered around forming students for sainthood and, of course, Eucharistic adoration, the Blessed Sacrament.”
 
Says Elijah, “We invite high school students from across Houston to St. Thomas on Tuesday evenings. The meetings include Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, dinner, and small group social time. Thanks to Mr. Allan DeLeon’s leadership, students are getting to pray more and learn about their faith.”

Catholic Initiation at STHS
Also, since last year, Mr. DeLeon, helped create an OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation for Adults) program at St. Thomas. “Students who have been struck by the beauty of Catholicism,” says Elijah, “now have the way to become Catholics. It’s in connection with Fr. Bart Reynolds at St. Michael's, and some of the classes are offered here during the school day.
 
We had students this year, including one from Western, who joined the Catholic faith through the OCIA program. It's really excellent the things that are happening. There were some guys who still want to pray a little bit more about it. We are praying that several will come into the Church next year, and we'll have a huge OCIA class. Mr. DeLeon's witness has really made a huge impact in our own St. Thomas community. Tons of guys are coming into the Church.”

Young men embracing the Church
We asked Elijah why he thinks many young men are embracing the Catholic Church these days. “I think our culture is so broken that people, specifically young men, are searching for something more. There's going to be groups of people in schools who do scandalous things. But now, I think guys are searching for something that brings peace, that brings joy, something that brings happiness. I think they are finding that in Catholicism.”
 
“Last year, a student went to Eucharistic Adoration for the first time, saying, ‘I've never seen and felt anything like this before. I felt such intense peace.’ And it drove him to join the Church at Easter Vigil. Tons of stories like that coming. I think there's a trend of young men who are searching for something more and are finding that in Catholicism.”