Middle School Youth Group are ‘Transformers’
Students gather for a group shot at a Transformation Tuesday program.
Transformers show off the fruits of their breakfast-making efforts after a recent meeting at St. Patrick Parish in St. Charles. Students in middle school and above may take part.
Transformer regulars prepare eggs for their after-Mass breakfast.
Volunteers prepare sausage for a Transformation Tuesday breakfast.
January 16, 2015

ST. CHARLES—“Trans-formers” ... That’s the name given to middle school students at St. Patrick Parish, here, who attend Transformation Tuesday each week at 7 a.m. before school.

The day starts with Mass in the chapel at the parish’s Crane Road church where students join adults who are regular daily Mass-goers.

The program was organized by parish youth ministry director Mike Zak.

St. Patrick School seventh-grader Fiona Siepman describes the group this way:

“I used to hate waking up early on Tuesday mornings. The thought of school, homework, tests, it was enough to make me want to roll over and fall back to sleep until the weekends.

“But that all changed this year because when my religion teacher announced the start of Transformation Tuesday ... I knew that Tuesdays had finally acquired a meaning in my life.

“When the next Tuesday rolled around, I was at the church by seven for the Mass and I haven’t missed a Transformation day yet.

“I always have a blast there with my friends, the priests, and Mr. Zak.

“On cold breakfast days we eat cereal, bagels, donuts, muffins, and waffles. And once a month, we don our too-large aprons and get to work in the kitchen cooking up eggs, sausages, French toast, and avoiding Mr. Zak’s ‘quality’ bacon grease bread (Yuck!).

“This once a week slice of heaven allows me to grow stronger in my faith because I get to spend extra prayer time in the church and meet God in all the wonderful people I see every Tuesday morning.

“It is a truly wonderful experience and I am blessed to be able to go to it.

“The Mass is quiet and simple but it is in this simplicity that I get to meet God and get a chance to nurture the seed of faith he has planted in my soul.

“For any junior high or high school student who is interested in coming, it takes place at the church on Crane Road from 7-8 a.m. and we eat breakfast in Dempsey Hall.

“But if you need to leave early, that’s okay. Just make sure you pay attention during Mass because Mr. Zak quizzes you before breakfast.

“Hope to see you there!”

Info: Mike Zak, mikezakym@gmail.com, 630/338-8050 or
630/215-5577.