Bloomingdale church creates a Link to youth

When David Heimann took over as director of youth ministry at Bloomingdale's St. Isidore Catholic Church in 2008, he envisioned a youth center that would give young parishioners a place to learn more about their faith. The church had long hoped to open one but it had never come to fruition.

On Sunday, after a nine-month process and more than $180,000 in donations, Heimann was on hand at the grand opening of "The Link."

"I am absolutely overjoyed," he said. "This is completely the work of the community."

More than 100 parishioners and church officials walked the three-quarters of a mile from the church to "The Link," 78 Stratford Drive. A police escort led the procession, which ultimately ended in the youth center's chapel.

Glenbard North High School senior Arielle Valene, 17, said the new center far outdoes the former meeting place for the young parishioners, which had been the basement of one of the church's buildings.

"It's like a palace, basically," she said. "It's like going from a little cottage in the woods to a castle and a fantasy land."

The youth center comes equipped with five meeting rooms, including a prayer room. The recreation center holds a foosball table, pool table, Ping-Pong table and a Nintendo Wii system. The center opened Nov. 4 and has seen about 100 youths for its nightly education sessions.

The money raised will also allow the center to rent out the space for five years, at which time officials hope to build a new one on its campus at the corner of Army Trail Road and Gary Avenue, said the church's communications Director Michael Hatt.

"The youth center is a culmination of a lot of hard work over the last year," Hatt said.

In February, the church began looking into the possibility of opening the center. With parishioners having families and the church's average age increasing, more opportunities were needed for children, Heimann said. The center will provide what church officials called a safe environment to learn about their faith.

"The youths are shoved to the margins of our society," Heimann said. "They are told they're no good, they have no purpose. They are not given the resources they need."

He said the youth center hopes to change that by at the very least offering them a place to hang out and meet friends.

"This gives the youth an identity, a sense of belonging," he said. "When their basic needs are met, the stronger needs are attainable, like that sense of purpose."