‘Senior Prom’ brings together young and old at St. Anthony of Padua in High Ridge
It had been 20 years since Clarence Surmeier had a good reason to break out his white sports coat. But an invitation to prom seemed like the perfect opportunity.
He and his wife of nearly 50 years, Marilyn, picked up a pink carnation boutonniere for him and corsage for her, put on their dancing shoes and headed to St. Anthony of Padua in High Ridge on a stormy Saturday night. He wasted no time putting in his song requests: “Proud Mary” and “Lady in Red.”
“I like to dance, both fast and slow,” Surmeier said.
Surmeier was one of about 50 parishioners who attended “Senior Prom,” hosted by the St. Anthony youth group for parishioners ages 50+ on April 15 in the former school cafeteria. A member of the parish for 48 years, Surmeier believes it’s important to get to know people of all ages. He enjoys doing just that through his involvement in parish council, the Knights of Columbus, parish blood drives and even playing Santa Claus for the annual Christmas bazaar.
“We’re a friendly parish,” he said. “If you want to get to know your parish and parishioners, you’ve got to get involved.”
The event was planned as both a fundraiser for the annual Steubenville STL Mid-America youth conference trip and a way for the younger members of the parish to connect with the older crowd, said Andy Berra, volunteer youth group leader.
“We don’t have as many youth as we used to in the parish, going to Mass weekly. I think if they knew more familiar faces when they went to Mass, it would be better for them,” Berra said. “And doing stuff like this gets them connected, so then when they’re at Mass, the (older parishioners) can talk to the youth, and they know who each other are. That’s my goal — to get everyone to know everybody.”
Under twinkling blue and gold lights, teenagers from the youth group served snacks and dessert, took Polaroid photos in front of a “Prom 2023” backdrop, and mingled and danced alongside the seniors. From Elvis Presley to Justin Bieber and the 60 years in between, there was music for everyone. The “Cupid Shuffle” and “Cha-Cha Slide,” along with The Beatles’ “Twist and Shout,” were the cross-generational bangers guaranteed to get people grooving.
Eighth-grader Gaby Beck recently started attending the youth group after participating in the Luke 18 retreat in January. She smiled and
chatted with parishioners as she took their tickets at the door. She wanted to get to know the older parishioners more because “we’re in church with them every Sunday,” she said. “We all go to the same parish, so we see them a lot.”
Connor Mullenschlader, 19, greeted several of his fellow parish council members. He was a faithful part of the youth group throughout high school and wants to be sure that the youth are visible and involved in parish life again after the group had to scale back activities during COVID.
“For me, (the youth group) is small but mighty,” he said. “This place is so tight knit, where you know everybody. And the older parishioners are so welcoming.”
Beyond the senior prom, the youth group is already planning more ways to connect with older parishioners, including through service projects like helping out with yard work or car washing. Getting to spend time with parishioners who have experienced the ups and downs of parish life over the years is valuable for all of them, Mullenschlader said.
“They were the youth at one point, and they’re showing us, ‘Hey, this is what we did.’ So now, together, we can make the parish grow even more,” he said.
Father John Reiker, pastor of St. Anthony, stopped by the dance to spend time with parishioners — off the dance floor. He’s proud of the youth group for creating such a fun event that reflects the wider Body of Christ, he said.
“It’s who we are as Church, is universal — Catholic, all age groups, all kinds of people. So when young and old come together, it’s really good,” he said. “And it doesn’t happen enough, but we need to keep fostering those kinds of experiences where they can work together.”
Cathy La Rue, a parishioner for 21 years, spent most of the evening on the dance floor. It was her first prom ever, and she was grateful to the youth group for giving her the opportunity.
“They’re looking out for the older generation, because they know that’s where we are right now — we’re an older parish, so for them to put something on like this, it’s a great idea,” she said.
As a parish council member, she’s been involved in planning events that will appeal to parishioners of all ages, she said.
“It brings us closer together, and then that will spill out into the community — the kids will talk about it, and the adults will talk about it, and the word will spread,” she said.
“It could be considered a form of evangelization — it’s easier to do it in a fun, outgoing event like this rather than going knocking on people’s doors,” she continued. “We’ve talked in our parish council meetings about that: be a friend, make a friend and then bring them to God.”
