On Sunday, March 15, 2026, Our Cathedral took the opportunity to incorporate Graduate Sunday at the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy.

The Cathedral Youth Group is honored to recognize the seniors who will be graduating from high school in just a few short weeks. This year, we are especially proud to celebrate 26 Youth Group members who are graduating seniors. We have been truly blessed to have this outstanding group of young people participate in the many events and activities of our Youth Group.

Our Cathedral family extends its warmest congratulations to this bright and dedicated group of graduates. We wish them every blessing as they move forward to the next chapter of their lives and continue their education in college.

We were pleased this year to have 106 high school youth register to be part of the Youth Group program at our Cathedral. This number is truly remarkable and a great blessing for our parish. At the same time, it reminds us that these young people need the continued support, encouragement, and guidance of all of us as we work together to nurture their faith and growth.

Throughout the year, the Youth Group calendar is filled with many meetings, events, and activities. During these gatherings, our youth have the opportunity to get to know our clergy more personally while learning about our Orthodox faith and Serbian heritage. We also emphasize service and charity through participation in many parish, community, and Serbia homeland outreach efforts.

These activities include participating in charitable events such as the 5K Walk for the Marko Niketic Foundation, packing meals at Feed My Starving Children, visiting and assisting the elderly in nursing homes, and fundraising for Christmas gifts for Serbian children in Kosovo and Metohija through the Gift of Joy outreach. The youth also assemble college care packages, participate in Cathedral clean-up days, and volunteer their time helping at the Vrbica Retreat and SerbFest.

These opportunities to serve others not only strengthen their faith and character but also become meaningful experiences when applying for college, as students are often asked about how they have given back to their communities.

Of course, our Youth Group also enjoys spending time together socially. Some favorite activities included a speed boat ride on Lake Michigan, bowling outings, and fellowship at our regular meetings.

We would also like to extend our heartfelt thanks to our clergy, Executive Board and to all the parents. The Youth Group cannot thrive without your continued support. Your encouragement and guidance in keeping your children actively involved is invaluable. As our high school youth face many challenges in today’s world, it is important that our parish family provides them with a strong spiritual foundation.

The Youth Group would like to extend a special thank you to Milovan and Olivera Grcic for sponsoring many of our youth group activities over the past several years. Their consistent willingness to support our youth is truly a blessing. To provide a solid, impactful program, significant funding is required, and we are incredibly grateful to the donors who step up to meet these needs; your generosity alleviates the financial burden on the Cathedral account and ensures our programs can thrive. Additionally, we wish to thank the Marko Niketic Foundation and Grcic Law for their sponsorship of the graduate t-shirts also presented to graduates. 

Each graduate was invited to come forward to receive a personalized Orthodox Study Bible. Each Bible has been signed by our clergy and includes the following passage:

“This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous; do not be afraid nor dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

(Joshua 1:8–9)

May God bless our graduates, guide them in their journeys ahead, and keep them steadfast in faith wherever life leads them.