Holy Fire - Chicago Leaders Guide

We are excited that you and your group will be attending Holy Fire-Chicago. To

help ensure that it is the best experience possible, please review the following

information ahead of time and prepare accordingly.

Before You Go

Make Sure Each Person Has Packed a Lunch. Each person is responsible for bringing their own lunch

with them because our meal break is so short and there is not time to have people purchasing lunch

items through the limited concessions areas in the Pavilion. Therefore, NO LUNCH MEAL ITEMS WILL BE

AVAILABLE AT CONCESSIONS (only snacks/drinks will be available for purchase). Attendees can bring in

backpacks and Group Leaders are allowed to bring in coolers but NO GLASS CONTAINERS will be allowed

in the UIC Pavilion. Coolers may be stored on buses, but only adults will be allowed to leave UIC Pavilion

to retrieve items from parked buses during the event. Coolers brought into the Pavilion should be

labeled with a sign indicating your organizations name, group leaders name and cell number. Coolers

should be stored across seats in the area where your group will be sitting.

Collect and Save All Permission/Medical Forms. Following your (Arch)diocesan or school policies and

guidelines, collect all necessary permission/liability forms. These forms DO NOT need to be turned in at

UIC Pavilion. You maintain possession of them throughout the event. Create an emergency contact card

to distribute to each attendee containing the Group Leaders name, organization and cell phone on it in

case the Leader needs to be reached by an attendee or organizer during the event.

Prepare “What to Expect” and “On The Bus” Discussion Questions. In order to help take our young

people deeper into the Holy Fire faith experience, we have created a “What to Expect” overview of the

event as well as “On The Bus” questions for young people to discuss on the way to and from Holy Fire.

These questions should be copied for each person and cut into two parts prior to your departure. There

are also catechetical sessions leaders can use before and after the Holy Fire event to help prepare and

promote the faith messages they will hear concerning living out their Baptismal commitments in their

daily lives.

Prepare Bus Signs. Create large signs that will be displayed on the front and rear windows of each bus

you are taking. The sign should have your organization name and location and, if more than one bus, a

number (i.e.: St. Mary, Edgebrook 1, St. Mary, Edgebrook 2).

Prepare Copies of the Pavilion Map and Schedule. The last page of this guide contains a map of the UIC

Pavilion and a schedule for the event. No programs will be handed out at the Pavilion so make sufficient

copies of these pages ahead of time for your adult chaperones and youth if necessary.

Plan Your Departure Time and Note Your Daily Start Time. Plan your departure time based on the start

time and traffic conditions for each day, noting that each day has a different schedule. Friday begins at 9

am CT with doors opening at 8:15 am CT while Saturday begins an hour later with doors opening at 9 am

and event starting at 10 am. Since a musical warm up concert will begin each day’s event, groups

arriving late will not miss any message content so don’t panic if you are delayed due to unforeseen

traffic conditions.

Have Your Tickets in Hand. Tickets will be mailed to you if purchased before October 10. Afterwards,

you may purchase them online, but will need to pick them up at Will Call (Gate 2) upon your arrival. Day

of tickets can be purchased at Gate 2 as well. If you are traveling as a group, do not distribute tickets to

students/adults until you arrive (see next section for details).

As You Arrive

If You are Arriving by

Car or Van and

Parking for the Event.

Park in Lot 7 (parking

garage) located off

Harrison (see map).

Cost is $10 per vehicle

with no in/out

privilege. Enter UIC

Pavilion via Gate 3. If

there are more than

five people in your

group, take their

tickets and have each

retain the larger part.

Leader stands at front

of group and hands in

all smaller ticket

portions for the group (portion showing bar codes). Then the group enters through the turnstiles. The

Group Leader should wait to be the last one through to verify that only those connected to their group

entered through the turnstiles.

If You are Arriving by Bus and Parking for the Event.

• Approach the UIC Pavilion Northbound on Harrison Ave approaching Racine (so that discharge

doors are facing UIC Pavilion sidewalk). Follow directions of UIC officials as to where your bus

will discharge passengers (either on Congress, Racine or Harrison depending upon number of

buses discharging at that time). Volunteers will be out on the UIC sidewalk giving direction as to

the gate your group will enter.

• Before your bus arrives at UIC, tear all tickets at perforation and distribute each of the larger

ticket sections without bar code to each person (every person must have a ticket to show at all

times so have them place it in a pocket before exiting the bus). Leader should retain each of the

smaller sections with bar code. As bus arrives at curbside, instruct the group to exit the bus and

stand together in a line. Please have attendees ready to exit bus immediately with their

belongings (and lunches) to avoid long backups at the discharge areas.

• If you need to pick up tickets at Will Call or purchase additional tickets, send an adult leader to

Gate 2 to take care of this prior to your group entering the Pavilion. The leader will then exit

Gate 2, distribute tickets and all will enter through either Gates 3 or 5.

• When your group is off the bus and assembled, approach the entrance gate volunteers are

directing you to (either Gate 3 or 5). Leader stands at front of group and hands in smaller torn

ticket halves (with bar codes) as all in the group enter through the turnstiles with the Group

Leader waiting to be the last one through to verify that only those connected to their group

entered through the turnstiles.

• Immediately after discharge, bus proceeds to Lot 1A on Harrison Ave. Cost is $27 per bus and

only cash is accepted (no in/out privileges). Once parked, bus driver should call Group Leader

with the location of bus in the lot (for dismissal after event).

If You are Not Parking for the Event. Follow the same procedures above except last bullet point. Note

different pick up instructions on next page.

Gate 5

Gate 3

Lot 7

(Cars/Vans)

$10

Lot 1A (Buses)

$27 Cash Only

Lot 11

(Passes

Required)

Gate 2 (Will Call/VIP)

During the Event

• Seating is open admission so find a general area for your group to sit (they do not have to all sit

together in same rows) and note the section locations to all in the group and where the Group

Leader(s) will be stationed.

• Attendees are encouraged to visit the exhibitors, Holy Fire merchandise booth and/or snack

concessions and Reconciliation areas when main stage programming is not occurring.

• During lunch time, attendees can eat wherever they find space (including their seats) but must

clean up all food/trash from their area.

• Reconciliation will be occurring in the concourse area on either side of the screen (near Gates 1

and 5). In addition, a “Prayer Chain” activity is being held in this area. Attendees are invited to

write a prayer they have on a slip of paper and connect it to others. These paper chains will be

used to decorate the altar area for Mass.

• No youth can leave the Pavilion during the event. If an adult must leave, they will need to do so

through Gate 2 and will need their ticket stub to return through Gate 2.

• First Aid location is next to Gate 4.

• Note that a collection will be taken up at Mass to benefit a scholarship program to assist other

young people in attending these types of Catholic faith events in the future.

Dismissal from the Event

• If you parked your car, van – walk together to the covered garage (Lot 7) and depart.

• If you parked your bus – call your bus driver to determine exact location in Lot 1A and then

assemble your entire group before walking them to the location, following the directions of the

traffic personnel directing people across Harrison St.

• If your bus did not park and is returning to pick you up - ask driver to follow the same approach

they took upon arrival and to call you on your cell when approaching to determine which street

they are located on for pick up.

• Use your “On the Bus” questions during your return trip to help your young people begin to

process and reflect on the event and the messages they heard.

After the Event

• Evaluations - Adult Leaders will receive via e-mail a SurveyMonkey link to provide an evaluation

of Holy Fire to help us continue to improve the event so that it continues to inspire the hearts

and minds of young people. The e-mail will also contain a link to a short survey to pass along to

the youth who attended so our planning team can have feedback from youth and adults alike.

• Catechesis - Be sure to use the post event catechetical session provided on our Holy Fire

website to help the young people continue to reflect on, and grow deeper in, their Baptismal

commitment.

Holy Fire-Chicago Schedule/UIC Pavilion Map Questions Prior to or Onsite? Call/Text: Michael Theisen 202-674-4209

Friday / Saturday

8:15 / 9:15 AM Doors Open / Musical Performances / DJ 9:00 / 10:00 AM Opening Concert Featuring Joe Melendrez 10:00 / 10:30 AM Welcome with Steve Angrisano and the Holy Fire House Band 10:30 / 11:00 AM Keynote: Sr. Josephine Garrett, CSFN 10:50 / 11:20 AM Video Stories, Music, Prayer, and Youth Witness 11:30 / 11:45 AM Lunch (Bring Your Own) - Music/DJ, Concessions, and Reconciliation Stations 12:15 / 12:30 PM Steve Angrisano and the Holy Fire House Band 12:30 / 12:45 PM Keynote: Noelle Garcia 1:00 / 1:15 PM Young Disciples Challenge: Forged in Prayer - Renewal of Baptismal Vows, Eucharistic Procession and Exposition, Reconciliation, Prayer Experience 2:15 / 2:15 PM Celebration of the Eucharist with Cardinal Cupich 3:30 / 4:30 PM Message of Sending Forth/Closing Concert and Holy Finale (Saturday Only)

Parking Lot 7 Garage

for Cars/Vans - $10 Each

______

Enter off Harrison

Parking Lot 1A

for Bus Parking

$27 Each (cash only)

______

Enter off Harrison

Gate 5

Entrance

Gate 3

Entrance

Gate 2 Entrance for Will Call/

Day of Tickets/ VIP

Exhibitors

Reconciliation

Stations and

Prayer Chain

Activity

Concessions (Snacks and Drinks Only)

Concessions (Snacks and Drinks Only)

Holy Fire

Merchandise

(T’s, Hats,

Lanyards)

First Aid

Lot 11

______

Passes

Required