"How about a hand for Mary?" asked Mark Mattheiss, who helped to kick off the New Jersey Catholic Rally at Six Flags Great Adventure, Jackson.

The event drew nearly 4,000 Catholic teens from parishes across the state to enjoy a day filled with faith, fellowship and fun, not at all deterred by the early morning drizzle.

An estimated 1,000 participants came from parishes and youth groups around the Diocese of Trenton, who joined their peers from the Dioceses of Camden, Metuchen, Paterson, and the Archdioceseof Newark.

The rally began with a riveting opening ceremony and ended with a Mass, celebrated by Bishop Arthur Joseph Serratelli of the Diocese of Paterson. The attendeeswere free to enjoy the park throughout the day, and were able to share a meal with their new friends at a buffet lunch.

The day highlighted the message "Chosen to Be…," and challenged participants to contemplate their faith life.

In his homily, Bishop Serratelli encouraged the teens to spread the message of their faith to their peers, and to stand up for their convictions.

"Be proud of who you are," Bishop Serratelli said. "Be bold in your faith."

Mattheiss attended the rally for the first time, having previously given similar presentations at retreats and youth groups across the state. He is also a member of Catholics at Ramapo United, and his band plays at Mass each week at Ramapo College of New Jersey, Mahwah.

He spoke to participants about the dangers of using drugs, alcohol and pornography as avenues to cope with problems that come up in life. He also shared the story of his own seven-year addiction to drugs and alcohol.

"God can break through the haze of any addiction," he said. Turning to God, he added, is the best way to handle the struggles that life gives to all of us.

Throughout the ceremony, prayer teams stood at both sides of the main stage, providing an opportunity for teens and adults who had special intentions and wanted someone to pray with. They were also stationed in the park throughout the day.

A new addition to the rally this year was a scavenger hunt, which challenged the attendees to solve a series of riddles and locate four signs throughout the park, all having to do with the week's Readings.

Matt Greeley, director of the Diocese of Trenton's Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministries, was confident that the scavenger hunt kept young participants focused on the Catholic faith throughout the day and challenged to "recognize God in places maybe they wouldn't have looked."

Those who were able to solve the riddles and uncover the secret message were awarded a prize.

"They seemed to really get into it," Greeley said, adding that it gave them an opportunity to work with members of other youth groups and parishes from across the state.

Mike Marinelli, director of the Catholic Youth Organization of St. Catherine Parish, Middletown, brought a group of 15 teens.

"We've been doing this for years," he said. "It's one of the main events of the year." He also added that it is a great way to reward the group members for their hard work.

One of the CYO members, Amanda Ernst, 15, seemed to be enjoying herself even before the day started. She said she was looking forward to attending the rally not only to ride the rides and have fun with friends, but also to participate in the Mass at the end of the day.

"They're always really fun," Ernst said of the rally, which has been a statewide tradition for 15 years.

Lindsay O'Connor, 17, of the St. Barnabas, Bayville, youth group, echoed her sentiment.

"It's cool to see everyone who has the same faith spend time together,"O'Connor said.

"I think it's a way to really celebrate our faith," Greeley said. "What better place (to celebrate) than a place where we can have fun?"