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[Back to index of December articles] Youth lock in Washington Window For one night in November, Washington National Cathedral served as a home away from home to 320 fun-loving teenagers and their 60 chaperones from around the Diocese of Washington. The turnout for this year's Youth Lock In for sixth through 12th graders was the largest ever, said Paul Canady, the diocese's deputy for youth, with more than a third of the diocese’s 93 parishes taking part. And, thanks to the games and activities organized by the 12-member diocesan Committee on Youth, the event made staying up all night fun - even for (many) of the grown ups. "One of the feedback pieces we always get is that kids just love being in the cathedral at night," Canady said. "So this year's focus was on the cathedral itself." To that end the theme, "Our House… Come On Over," focused on the cathedral's moniker, "A House of Prayer for All People." Nine stations were set up in various locations, and groups of about 30 moved through them, taking part in an activity at each and also receiving a short history lesson about that part of the cathedral. At 1:30 a.m., the sleeping bags came out and the nave became a "sleep only zone" for those who were tired and wanted to rest, Canady said. But for those with the energy to keep going, the activities continued through the night in the Pilgrim Gallery on the seventh floor. Participants took in movies in the auditorium, played board games or grazed at the all night snack buffet. (Earlier in the evening, the teenagers had consumed 154 pizzas ordered from two different companies.) In one room, around 30 boys spent the night competing in an Xbox video game tournament, organized by Committee on Youth member Evan Witten. Witten, along with other committee members, had been planning the event since August. "The committee kids come up with the activities," Canady said. "We've never done a video game before, and so that was something that was a big highlight for the people who did that." Canady pronounced the all-night event a success, and said the committee is already evaluating feedback from participants in order to make the event even better next year. "We're really looking to move to a place where we can challenge young people," he said. "This isn't an area where claiming you're a Christian is the coolest thing to do, but we want to work to make that something you're proud of and claim that as a base for your values-based decisions." -Lucy Chumbley [Back to index of December articles]
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