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Which HS Program is Right for Me?
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This is the default formation program for high schoolers. High school Discipleship Groups are a smaller, more intentional formation setting in which the same group of 4-8 young men or young women meet year-round for personally tailored catechesis and spiritual growth. Each group has two adult mentors. The aims of Discipleship Groups are:
- Personalized mentoring on how to live a Catholic life in students' particular lives.
- Accountability for concrete spiritual progress & holiness.
- A Catholic friend-group centered on the pursuit of holiness together.
Teens in Discipleship Groups are encouraged to come to the Youth Group as a supplement to their Discipleship Group if they have extra time. Both programs offer something different.
Click HERE for an explanation of the change from Youth Group --> Discipleship as the default HS program
For more information, see the HS Discipleship Groups section below.
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HS Youth Group is a larger group which meets during the academic year. Each meeting consists of a conversation about a moral/religious topic that the high schoolers find interesting, prayer, and a game. HS Youth Group is aimed at:
- Learning the lies of our culture to prepare high schoolers for college & adulthood.
- Encouragement to holiness & personal practice of our faith, especially through prayer.
- Sparking holy friendships with other Catholic youth.
For more information and session dates, see the HS Youth Group section below.
Click HERE for an explanation of the change from Youth Group --> Discipleship
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Primary: HS Discipleship Groups
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Discipleship Groups are designed for teens who desire spiritual development, growth in virtue, and generally getting better at being Catholic. If your high schooler isn't yet at that point, then they won't be interested in what a Discipleship Group has to offer them.
The Youth Group is designed to get them to that point, if they're not yet.
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HS Discipleship Groups meet weekly year-round, and each group's meeting time & location varies depending on the availabilities of that group's members.
Discipleship Groups do not meet on weeks that contain a Holy Day of Obligation, the week of Ash Wednesday, or during Holy Week.
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Each meeting typically has three parts:
- Personal check-in to see how everyone is doing.
- Check in on the pious practical habits that each student is working on developing.
- Some kind of spiritual discussion, reading, or lesson (largely up to the mentors of each group).
Groups will also sometimes spend a whole meeting simply bonding and building friendship, at the discretion of each group's mentors.
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If your teen is interested in joining a Discipleship Group, let me know by either:
- Filling out THIS FORM.
- Emailing Dylan McBryde.
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Alternate/Extra: HS Youth Group
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Wednesdays from 5:15PM-6:30PM downstairs in St. Joseph's Hall during the academic year.
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Each meeting has three parts:
- Prayer together - usually Liturgy of the Hours.
- Discussion/Lesson about a topic chosen by the high schoolers.
- This isn't a totally open-ended discussion, but also isn't just a lecture. We discuss a topic and I make sure they end up with the correct info by the time we finish.
- Game or activity.
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Fall 2024:
- Sept. 11, 18, 25
- Oct. 2, 9, 16, 23
- Nov. 6, 13, 20
- Dec. 4, 11, 18
- Jan. 8, 15, 22, 29
- Feb. 5, 12, 19, 26
- March 19, 26
- April 2, 9, 23, 30
- May 7, 14
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Important Notes:
HS Youth Group is usually intended as a supplement/extra to your child's Discipleship Group.
That is why Discipleship Groups are the only option on the main Enrollment page.
However, one can attend the HS Youth Group without being in a Discipleship Group, if that is the best course of action for your child.
To sign up for the HS Youth Group, please do the following for each student:
- For EACH student, fill out this Form B (liabilities): https://form.jotform.com/241075354792157
- For EACH student, if you haven't already for the upcoming 2024-25 year, fill out this Form A (medical): https://form.jotform.com/241074879553163
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Other Needs for High Schoolers
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If your high school teen has not received Baptism, First Confession, and/or First Communion, please contact Matt Gill.
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Looking for Confirmation? Click here!
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Volunteering
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Help with Mass
Youth can help serve Mass as an usher, lector, altar server, or extraordinary minister of Holy Communion (if you've received Confirmation).Preschool/Elementary Helper
Youth can share their faith while serving as volunteers for Elementary Formation or Catholic Camp.Share Your Musical Gifts
Youth can join the choir! No experience is necessary, just a willingness to learn and the commitment to be at choir rehearsals and Mass.**Safe Environment Policies**
Any youth in grades 7th-12th, having contact with children and/or other youth through these various volunteer roles are required to fulfill the Diocese of Fort Worth's Safe Environment program for teens, Teen Leadership. This includes a Volunteer Ministry Application and attendance of their respective Safe Environment Awareness Session for their formation grade.
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HS Discipleship Groups, Bible Study, or Youth Group
If you're interested in helping in any capacity with high school programs, please email Dylan McBryde.
**Safe Environment Policies**
Anyone having contact with children and youth in Formation is required to fulfill the Diocese of Fort Worth's Safe Environment program. This includes a Volunteer Ministry Application with references, a criminal background check, and attendance of a Safe Environment Awareness Session. After the initial session, volunteers must attend a renewal session every two years. Visit our Safe Environment page for more information.
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Home Study Options
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For families who would like their children to receive religious formation exclusively at home, we recommend parents take a look at several options to determine which is best for your child. See our recommendations below, listed from least formal to most formal.
- Chosen: This is Your Catholic Faith is a video-centered curriculum produced by Ascension Press. The videos are high production-quality, but slightly kitschy in my opinion. A middle schooler likely wouldn't notice the slight kitschy-ness, but I think a high schooler might. Nonetheless, the content is very good -- clear, orthodox, and extremely easy to digest -- and there are supplemental materials to accompany the videos.
- You can check it out here: https://ascensionpress.com/collections/chosen-this-is-your-catholic-faith
- My Catholic Faith Delivered offers separate courses on a wide selection of topics for grades 1-12. These courses tend to look more like the typical religious ed you might find in a Catholic school, but every course is different. Since every course is different, I am not able to review each one's content, but I especially recommend any of the courses involving Scott Hahn or the Didache series of textbooks (such as "Introduction to Catholicism").
- You can check it out here (https://mycatholicfaithdelivered.com/) then go to the "Explore Courses" tab and choose either "Grade School" or "High School".
- The Didache Textbook Seriesis an excellent set of textbooks covering a huge range of topics. If you're looking to go the textbook route with religious education for your children, this is the set I'd recommend above all others.
- You can check them out here (https://www.theologicalforum.org/product-category/all/), choosing "Show Filters", and filtering by "The Didache Complete Course Series". They have smaller textboox options, too, if you use the other filters to explore a bit.
- Chosen: This is Your Catholic Faith is a video-centered curriculum produced by Ascension Press. The videos are high production-quality, but slightly kitschy in my opinion. A middle schooler likely wouldn't notice the slight kitschy-ness, but I think a high schooler might. Nonetheless, the content is very good -- clear, orthodox, and extremely easy to digest -- and there are supplemental materials to accompany the videos.
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Contact Us
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Dylan McBrydedmcbrydestphilipcc.orgDirector of Youth Ministry
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