GOYA

 

This ministry creates an environment for high schoolers to deeply engage in their Orthodox Faith, and inspires them through discussions, service projects, activities, and fellowship to incorporate those teachings into their daily lives. Meeting them at a pivotal point in our children’s lives, this ministry helps them take ownership of their faith as they move closer to college and adulthood.  

GOYA meets weekly at the church on Monday evenings from 7:30 - 9 p.m. from September through May.  The theme of the 2025/26 year is "Here I Am, Lord. Send Me" (cf: Isaiah 6:8). Click the registration link and view our 2025/26 schedule below.  We welcome and encourage our high school youth to join us! 

 

2025/26 Calendar

For more information, please email GOYA@ascensiongoc.com; or contact Pastoral Assistant John Anton at janton@ascensiongoc.com.

ASCENSION and METROPOLIS
UPCOMING & PAST YOUTH EVENTS



CLICK HERE TO VISIT THE NYC GOYA TRIP WEBPAGE

COMING SOON!

 

  • ORATORICAL FESTIVAL! ATTENTION ASCENSION 4th - 12th GRADERS! Do you like to write? Draw? Chant? Present in front of an audience? Don’t miss the opportunity to show your God-given talents and express your faith as a writer, speaker, artist and vocalist by participating in the 2026 St. John Chrysostom Oratorical and Fine Arts Festival. This year, Ascension's Parish Festival will take place on Sunday, March 15, following Divine Liturgy. Submissions are due to Ascension on Wednesday, March 11. Submissions that advance from the Junior and Senior Divisions (grades 7-12) will present at the Metropolis Oratorical Festival on Bright Saturday, April 18, hosted by St. Mary's Church in Minneapolis, MN. More details, including this year’s topics, can be found on the Oratorical webpage of our website.  or by contacting our Oratorical chairpersons, Zoe Maglaras & Nectaria Zouras @ oratorical@ascensiongoc.com.

  • COLLEGE CARE PACKAGES
    GOYANs and Jr. GOYANs look forward to this tradition of assembling college care packages for college freshmen in the fall each year from our parish. This long-standing tradition atAscension lets our freshmen know we're thinking of them when they're away from home!  This year, our Jr. GOYAns and GOYAns gathered on October 13, 2025 to pack and  the project expanded to include not just freshmen, but all Ascension undergraduates. 25 packages were prepared and sent, with more college student outreach planned for the months ahead. We thank all the parents who donated to this project and we continue to pray for our college students as they study, discern their path ahead, and grow in their faith.

  • GRADUATE SUNDAY TAKES PLACE IN JUNE EACH YEAR
    Ascension’s annual graduate tribute took place in 2025 following Liturgy on Sunday, June 15th and honored graduates of Middle School, High School, College, Graduate and Post-Graduate programs. SEE PHOTOS HERE

  • JR. OLYMPICS takes place each year at Saints Constantine & Helen Church, Palos Hills, with a full offering of more than 15 competitive events for youth between 7-18 years old.  Team Ascension participated in the 44th Annual Metropolis of Chicago Jr. Olympics over Memorial Day weekend, May 24-25. See photos HERE!  Visit our Jr. Olympics webpage.

  • FANARI FALL, WINTER, LENTEN camps are offered by the Metropolis of Chicago.  These camps take place at the St. Iakovos Retreat Center in Kansasville, WI  for 5th - 12th graders and activities include: Worship, Orthodox Life, Fun activities like Olympics, tubing, and much more! Stay tuned to THIS WEBSITE  for more information and registration dates. Read more at the Fanari Website and see schedule to the right below.

  • FANARI SUMMER CAMP Fanari Summer Camp is the Metropolis of Chicago summer camping ministry, available for rising 6th grade through rising 12th grade campers. The Summer camp program has four individual sessions each year, running from mid-June through mid-July. Each year, 150-160 campers join each week of Fanari Summer Camp for growth in their faith & friendships, while having a ton of fun along the way. Some of our most enjoyable activities include: Worship, Orthodox Life & Bible Study, Boating & Swimming, Summer Olympics, dances, field trips, and much more!  The 2025 Summer Camp Registration opened March 10. More info to come regarding 2026 dates.

    2026 SESSIONS
    Registration for Summer Camp typically opens in March.  See dates on the flyer to the right. 
    CLICK HERE for more information!

  • METROPOLIS OF CHICAGO SEEKING COUNSELORS & LEADERSHIP TEAM MEMBERS:To learn more about the Fanari Leadership Team and Lighthouse Counselor Applications within the Metropolis of Chicago, click HERE.  Applications are due Nov 10, 2025.

  • FANARI Staff applications opened last year on February 10, 2025, and closed April 28.  All counselors must be at least 18 years old and be roughly one year past their date of high school graduation (ex. after freshman year of college).  Apply HERE

  • LIGHTHOUSE FOR HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS: Lighthouse is a week-long summer camp ministry for Orthodox high school seniors offered by the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Chicago, administered by Orthodox clergy and laypeople who work with campers to prepare them in a Christ-centered way forthe social, emotional, practical, and spiritual challenges they will face in college.  This summer, it will take place Saturday, June 21 - Saturday, June 28, 2025.  Lighthouse registration for HS Seniors opened on March 10, 2025 at noon.

  • Fanari Camp FACEBOOK Page and Instagram

  • IONIAN VILLAGE announced the dates for the Summer 2026 programs: Session One: June 16 – July 5, 2026; IV NEXT:  July 5 – 15, 2025; and Session Two: July 15 – August 3, 2026. Registration opens on December 17 2025. Ionian Village is the international camping ministry of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America located in Peloponnesus, Greece. Each 20-day session is open to young people who will have completed grades 9 through 12. For more information, visit www.ionianvillage.org/

  • CROSSROAD SUMMER INSTITUTE PROGRAM
    Are you an 11th or 12th grader looking ahead to the summer?  Learn more today about the CrossRoad Institute Summer Program, a 10-day academic institute made just for you! Travel to Boston, New York, or Southern California to connect with other Orthodox Christians as you prepare to make big life decisions and start new adventures. Apply by December 10, 2025 to save $50.  Learn more at https://crossroadinstitute.org/, or call 617-850-1310 .

  • SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
    Visit the Young Adults webpage and scroll to the bottom for information about local and national scholarship programs.  Here are a few scholarships applicable to High School students:

  • Panhellenic Scholarship Foundation. THE PANHELLENIC FOUNDATION 2025-2026 APPLICATION IS OPEN! The Foundation will accept applications for its 2025-2026 Scholarship program from eligible undergraduate students of Hellenic through January 31, 2026.  The Foundation's mission is to promote education by providing scholarships and educational programs to Greek American students who, guided by the values of their Hellenic upbringing, have the potential to become life-long significant achievers and contribute meaningfully to society.  Scholarships are available to undergraduate students.  Each year the Foundation awards $250,000 in Scholarships at a Gala held in June.  For more information, visit https://www.panhellenicsf.org/apply.  There is also an internship alliance program.  Find out more HERE.

  • FAITH ENDOWMENT SCHOLARSHIP FOR ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE for graduating high school seniors.  The 2025 FAITH SCHOLARSHIP FOR ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE application is available to download with a deadline submission of June 24, 2025. Visit thefaithendowment.org/scholarships. Eligible applicants must be active members of a Greek Orthodox parish and graduating high school seniors.

  • John G Adinamis Memorial Scholarship:
    Memory Eternal Funeral Directors awards two $1,000 scholarships annually in honor of John G. Adinamis, supporting students who exemplify high character, academic success, and a commitment to service. Applications typically open in the spring with a deadline of end of May.  For more information, visit  https://jgamemorial.org/

  • AHEPA OFFERS LOCAL AND NATIONAL SCHOLARSHIP opportunities for current high school seniors and college/graduate students.  Applications open in the fall and typically stay open until mid to late March.  For more information, visit: https://ahepadistrict13.org/district-13-education-scholarship (LOCAL PROGRAM) and/or https://ahepa.org/education/ (NATIONAL PROGRAM)

  • AHEPA LOCAL SPORTS AWARD BANQUET & SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM: The 13th District of AHEPA sponsors an annual Sports Award Banquet which honors Greek American and AHEPA family high school and college athletes who have played any sport on their high school or college teams. HS Seniors may also apply for a scholarship. The awards Banquet typically takes place in June at Fountain Blue Banquets. Applications are due in May. Please visit https://ahepadistrict13.org/athletics/Current-Sports-Award-Packet.pdf for more information.

    AHEPA Athletics NATIONAL Scholarship Application AHEPA has a proud history of awarding scholarships to a number of deserving scholar-athletes competing at the high school and college levels. These scholarships are funded through the generosity of Ahepan(s) and or their families, often in honor of an active and committed Brother or in the memory of a deceased Brother. The grants recognize and reward the accomplishments, academic and athletic, of young Greek Americans who will be the community’s future leader(s)! An applicant must be nominated by a member of the AHEPA family.  Applications are typically due in March or April of each year.    CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE MOST RECENT 2024 PROGRAM. 

  • Y2AM Ministry At Home Resources   Check this wonderful resource out!

  • GOA Center for Family Care Comfort Food for Families

  • SUMMER PROGRAMS

PAST & ANNUAL EVENTS


  • YOUTH SUNDAY 2025 SLIDE SHOW - HIGHLIGHTS THROUGHOUT 2024


  • YOUTH SUNDAY was held on February 2, 2025 and was a fun and memorable day in the life of our Ascension Parish as we celebrated and honored our parish youth. What a joy it was to see our young people serve as chanters, acolytes, readers, greeters, ushers, and servers! We express our heartfelt gratitude to each of them and pray for our Lord to continue to guide them as they journey to His Kingdom. A special thank you also to Dina Boufis Papas and Gus’ Grille in Lake Bluff for the delicious food they served during Coffee Fellowship. Enjoy our youth ministries 2024 photo slideshow featured at the link above. 
  • COLLEGE CARE PACKAGES
    GOYANs and Jr. GOYANs look forward to this tradition of assembling college care packages for college freshmen each year in the Fall from our parish. This long-standing tradition at Ascension lets our freshmen know we're thinking of them when they're away from home!    For more information, please reach out to Pastoral Assistant and Youth Director, John Anton @ janton@ascensiongoc.com | 847.482.1200, x4.

  • HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS’ RETREAT was held November 22-24th at the St. Iakovos Retreat Center.  Cost is $250/camper.  The goal of the retreat is to connect to Christ, build relationships with friends and mentors, and learn how our faith can help navigate our life.  Click HERE for more information.
           
 

  • DIVE FOR THE CROSS In 2024, our annual Dive for the Cross Event took place on January 21 at the Wheeling Park District indoor pool.  See photos HERE.  In 2023, we held the event on Sunday, January 15th from 4:30 - 6:30 p.m. at the Highland Park Rec Center Pool for K-12th Graders.  See photos HERE.

  • YOUTH SUNDAY 2022, 2023:  Witness the exuberance our youth brings to Ascension's Parish life by watching a video presented at our 2023 celebration which highlights our 2022 youth programs and events HERE.  See photos of the 2023 Youth Sunday HERE.  The 2022 Youth Slide show is available for viewing HERE.