The MYP held their Opening Day event on Friday, September 26, 2025, at Holy Trinity Church in Whitestone, NY. The event was called, “New Year, New You,” and the theme was “finding and developing a friendship with others can lead to a friendship with Jesus.” The rector for the event was Dina DePaola, and the Team Members were Jean Bena Pedri, Cathy Bischoff Weinbaum, Eileen Haggerty & Mary Leavens.
After the teens signed in, they were asked to list some of their favorite things on posters around the room: Favorite Popular Song, Favorite Church Song, Favorite TV Show, Favorite YouTube & Favorite Subject in School. Then, they were placed in small groups to ’break the ice:’ How was your summer? What did you do over the summer?” They were moved to the Large Group where they listened to “You’ve Got a Friend,” with the lyric sheet to follow along with. This was a way to acclimate the new teens (mostly 8th Grade Religious Ed students) to the MYP theme.
The first talk was given by Jean, and it challenged the teens to think about the friendships in their lives. It started with reflecting on Jesus’s friendships, and how He chose a wide variety of people. Jesus, as a model for the teens, can help them make meaningful friendships.
The talk was followed by an activity where the teens made “Flatsy Friends.” They were asked to put characteristics they look for in a friend on the front, and characteristics they can offer to others on the back. They returned to their Small Group to share what they wrote.
The evening concluded with a Prayer Service, with one of the teens reading: “Jesus, thank you for showing us what true friendship is. Help us to be like you—loyal, faithful, and always there for our friends, in winter, spring, summer, or fall. Remind us that in you, we always have a friend. Amen.”
Following the event, Diana Roach (the 8th Grade Catechist at Holy Trinity) received a beautiful text from one of the teens’ parents, saying how excited their daughter is to be a part of the MYP. The event was a great success and continues the mission of the MYP!