Youth group gets new beginning at Elizabeth Township church

By STACY WOLFORD
swolford@yourmvi.com

Lori DiMarco of Port Vue believes when one door closes, God is there to open a window.
It was her unwavering Christian faith that didn’t let her give up when her beloved youth group was abruptly closed last year.
Catholic by faith, she spent 17 years as a youth minister at St. Mark Roman Catholic Church in Port Vue under Father Jeremy Mikonis and Father Daniel Straughn. While the youth group served kids from the congregation, Lori said they also reached out to non-denominational youth and those from broken homes or considered at-risk.
“We really built the youth group up and took in the street kids who otherwise had really nowhere safe to go,” she said.
Under her leadership, the youth group flourished over the years.
But, after a merger and a change in leadership at St. Mark, so did the vision for the youth group. Last summer, Lori was devastated to learn she no longer had her position as youth minister.
Most recently, the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh announced the new parish, Saints Joachim and Anne, would bring together the parishes of St. Mark in Port Vue, St. Michael in Elizabeth and Queen of the Rosary in Glassport.
“The new leadership didn’t want to focus on at-risk youth or kids from troubled homes, so I was let go,” she said. “It felt like a piece of me died.”
Losing her beloved youth group left a huge hole in her heart, but she didn’t give up. Instead, she contacted officials at the Port Vue Borough Building and arranged to use space there to host meetings.
“We met in my backyard, in my house, just so we could keep letting the kids know we care about them,” she said.
The youth group continued to grow until the coronavirus pandemic hit in March. After statewide shutdowns, Lori lost her space at the borough building.
It was another devastating blow, but still, Lori did not give up hope.
It was during a chance encounter during a Living Hope Church service in Boston that sparked yet another new beginning.
Lori attended a Living Hope service for the first time in October to watch her niece and nephew, Morgan and Tyler Templeton, sing.
“I was just so moved and welcomed by Pastor Dan and (his wife) Wendy,” Lori said.
After Elizabeth Township Commissioner and businessman Rich Algeri bought the former First Presbyterian Church building in Boston, directly across the street from the storefront where Living Hope Church was renting space, everything came together once again.
Lori, an employee of Rich’s, who owns Rich’s Parkside Den and The Betsy Shoppe, said she cried tears of joy when he told her he bought the church and she could use a room for her youth group.
While COVID-19 safety measures have changed everything in today’s society, Lori is confident she can continue the mission of the youth group.
The group is open to teens from seventh through 12th grade and meets from September through May. During weekly meetings, the group engages in social activities, such as games or skits and discusses a topic pertinent to today’s teens.
“We talk about drugs, alcohol, confidence, suicide — anything that’s relevant to what they are going through and I integrate God into that,” she said. “Then we do one fun thing a month where we might go to the movies, ice skating, or snow tubing, which is now all pending due to COVID.”
Lori said the group also conducts one service project each month.
Lori remains a devout Catholic and now attends Mass each Sunday at the St. Patrick Church of Mary, Mother of God parish in McKeesport’s Christy Park, followed by service at Living Hope Church.
“Hopefully, integrating our new youth group with the others at Mary, Mother of God, and any other churches that want to do things together will benefit both the Catholic kids and the kids who don’t go to church,” Lori said. “It’s a win-win for all as they can each teach each other about their own personal circumstances and their life experiences. The most important message is that we are all God’s children.”

(For more information about the youth group at Living Hope Church, contact Lori DiMarco at 412-583-2293 or email her at loridimarco@gmail.com.)

(Stacy Wolford is managing editor at the Mon Valley Independent.)