Defiance parish hosts program for adolescent girls

Laurie Stevens Bertke — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 04:00:00 +0000

DEFIANCE—Defiance St. Mary is collaborating with Defiance College this fall to help adolescent girls ages 12 to 16 enhance their reading and writing skills.

The Catholic parish is hosting T-RUTH Academy for Young Adolescent Girls, a program operated by the college’s Division of Teacher Education.

The academy is for young girls who are struggling with reading or writing as well as for those who simply enjoy reading and writing. Participants work within a structured program to develop interpersonal and academic skills that enable and empower them to become productive and caring young girls in their community.

The free program began Sept. 17, and participants meet every other Thursday evening through Nov. 12.

Each girl receives a featured book, a diary and other mystery gifts at each session. They also participate in career exploration, mentoring and self-empowerment tea parties. The program’s culminating activity is to be the presentation of each participant’s work in the form of a book.

T-RUTH’s overarching theme is to teach reading and writing to young women while engaging them to reach their highest academic potential, guide them toward self-awareness and understanding of others, lead them on a path of discovering their truth, and empower them to build community with humility to serve others.

Mike Patin to speak in Defiance

Laurie Stevens Bertke — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 05:00:00 +0000

DEFIANCE—A new season of intergenerational faith formation in the Defiance Catholic community kicks off Sept. 15-16 with speaker Mike Patin, a motivator, coach, consultant, disciple and carrier of the Gospel message.

Mike Patin

Mr. Patin is to speak from 6:30-8:30 p.m. each evening at the Knights of Columbus Hall, 111 Elliott Rd., in Defiance, using energy, humor and stories to encourage participants to “Believe it! Pray it! Share it!”

The theme combines this year’s Generations of Faith topics of Creed and prayer with the diocese’s focus on evangelization.

Mr. Patin has spoken to more than 700 groups in more than 70 dioceses, addressing youth, adult and intergenerational audiences. Since 1984 he has worked with teens and adults in a variety of settings, and since 2003 he has worked full-time as speaker and consultant. To find out more about his ministry, visit www.mikepatin.com.

The Defiance Catholic community welcomes everyone to his presentations. For more information, contact Sr. Mary Dean Pfahler at Defiance St. Mary, 419-782-2776, or St. John, 419-782-7121.

Catholic Chronicle

Defiance parish hosts program for adolescent girls

Mike Patin to speak in Defiance