New group in northern Utah encourages children's faith

Courtesy photo/Ashley Mitchell

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Fr. Joseph Minuth, parochial vicar of St. Joseph Parish (Ogden), helps carve a pumpkin at Luke 2:40's October activity.

OGDEN — A new group aimed at helping young Catholic families strengthen their faith is thriving in northern Utah. Luke 2:40 is the brainchild of Father Joseph Minuth, parochial vicar of St. Joseph Parish (Ogden). Families from the parishes of St. Joseph, St. James the Just and St. Florence meet monthly for activities to learn together and enjoy each other’s company. Among the group’s activities has been a children’s Stations of the Cross, which was held on Feb. 19 at St. Joseph Catholic Church. Another is scheduled for March 26.

During the Feb. 19 event, children ages 6 to 11 participated as readers and candle bearers. Close to 30 children from different families attended.

“As a group of young Catholic families, we’re trying to teach our kids more about the Catholic culture and the Catholic traditions,” Fr. Minuth said.

Based on the Scripture “And as the child grew to maturity, he was filled with wisdom; and God’s favor was with him,” Luke 2:40 began at St. Florence’s last September with a pizza party organized by Fr. Minuth to get some families together.

“I was meeting a lot of young families and they didn’t know each other, so I was trying to just connect them,” he said. “We started to want to encourage the Catholic faith for our children and more than just Sunday Mass. We wanted them to see all the culture and riches and tradition and such.”

After the pizza party, St. Joseph’s parishioner Ashley Mitchell and Fr. Minuth planned a pumpkin carving activity and tribute to All Souls Day “to be a fun event but also rich in experience,” he said.

Mitchell, a committee of seven other young mothers and Fr. Minuth now organize the monthly events, which have included a family Jesse tree decorating party and a sledding activity. During the pandemic, the group follows social distancing practices.

Christine Gonzales, a member of St. Joseph Parish, brings her three oldest grandchildren to the Luke 2:40 activities even though they aren’t being raised in the Catholic faith. Her grandson Ryder was a reader at the recent Stations of the Cross.

“I try to do my best with my grandkids, so I am involved with Luke 2:40,” she said. “It’s wonderful for me as a grandmother to be able to take my grandchildren to these events because otherwise they wouldn’t be exposed to family events to do with the Catholic faith.” The children love the activities, she said.

For the March 19 solemnity of St. Joseph, Luke 2:40 is sponsoring several events at St. Joseph Catholic Church. They will decorate a table to honor the saint and will host a story time at 5:30 p.m., followed by a men’s talk at 6 p.m. and a women’s talk at 6:30 p.m.

The second children’s Stations of the Cross will be held on Friday, March 26 at 5 p.m. at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Ogden. Other planned events include a Divine Mercy Sunday Sundae Social (tentatively planned to be held at St. James the Just Parish April 11 after services) and a crowning of Mary on May 1 at St. Florence Catholic Church.

The group hopes to expand its activities to include monthly parents’ nights “to encourage one another, learn parenting techniques, learn how to grow in the faith together,” Fr. Minuth said. Dates will vary; events will rotate between the different parishes. They also hope to organize a family camp in summer 2022.

All young Catholic families in northern Utah, along with grandparents and grandchildren, are invited to participate in the Luke 2:40 activities. For information, email LukeTwoForty@gmail.com.