ATAP: Integrating Catholic Faith with Engaging Learning Experiences
If you are unfamiliar, ATAP stands for “With God, all things are possible.” Blessed Sacrament, a Catholic church in Corona, Queens recently launched a new Catholic Education program, primarily focusing on the youth. Founded by Youth Director Jason Gallanio, he aspired to create a comfortable and garish environment where people ranging from middle school up to college can gather together. Students can participate in recreational activities, learn more about the Christian faith, and how the community can continue to adhere and uphold their teachings. This small community initially consisted of five managers and around fifty members, but as the months have progressed, it was clearly evident that the parish gained interest quickly. Now as of January, the parish holds a bustling thirty-five managers and staff (including myself) along with 300 active members.
The Inside of ATAP
ATAP meets every Thursday (for middle school students) and Fridays (for high school and college students) from 6:00pm to 8:00pm and enters the P.S. 280 Q’s gym in order to accommodate space for our large audience. From there, events vary, but the program usually begins with fifteen minutes of what we like to call “Bible Encounters,” an activity where each staff member collects around four members and teaches them about a specific part of the Bible.
Afterwards, we begin the main activity. This activity varies depending on what the event planners decide to hold in advance, however it requires participants to actively engage in a specific task they are given. The activities tie together with a main lesson about a topic about faith itself. The most memorable experience was when I was able to help manage a Squid Game parody where people would form a team and go through a series of games, and whenever a game is completed, a participant must go and select a Bible verse in order to commence the next game.
After the event, there is one hour of sports with specific designations for each sport. Additionally, our Youth Director also creates special events such as sports tournaments and field trips, mainly funded by the donations of our Church goers during Saturday and Sunday masses.
Personal Reflection
When I first arrived at the program, I was touched by the staff’s flamboyant personalities; their kindness and uniqueness created an amiable atmosphere where I can be myself, and with this impact, it inspired me to spread their lessons and plans rather than becoming only a consumer of it. I issued a meeting with a Youth Director and soon got promoted to a project coordinator.
With this I attended my first meeting and was assigned the arduous task of transporting boxes of Christmas decorations to the Church lobby along with my fellow staff members. Ironically, the three hours of dreadful labor felt more like a reward rather than a punishment. I was able to connect and relate to many individuals from diverse backgrounds, as we joked around and discussed numerous topics in general. I even got to see many disclosed areas of the church such as the chorus room and even the roof, which amazed me due to the Church’s sheer size. The work assigned to us seemed effortless due to not only our large workforce and communication skills, but also the fun that we had, and we were able to complete our task in a timely manner. The opportunity to be a part of a community of integrity and righteousness made a profound impression on me. I will continue to build the foundation of a large and elaborate group and make a lasting impact on society
