Mini-Courses

“Basics of Our Catholic Faith” Mini-Courses

The “Basics of Our Faith” Mini-Courses offer flexibility and content of specific faith topics taken from the Catechism of the Catholic Church that will help teens grow in their faith. We have designed four (4) courses that we feel every high school teen should participate. These include Morality and Justice, Prayer and Worship, Meeting Jesus in Scripture and Being Catholic.

CLICK HERE for details on the mini-course schedule for 2022-2023

Mini-courses are 4 weeks in length. They are usually held in the Parish Life Center (other locations will be noted). Course size is a minimum of 5, maximum of 15, unless noted.

Please refer to the course descriptions below:

Course Descriptions

Morality and Justice
How do we live the right way? What is the right way? Jesus didn’t have to live with my parents and doesn’t understand what I go through every day. He didn’t have peer pressure, Facebook, or a cell phone. How can His teachings have any relevance to my life two thousand years later? This course addresses decision making from the Catholic perspective and the effect of sin on our relationship with God.

Prayer and Worship (3 week course & Family Mass)
Is the Liturgy of the Eucharist a special mass? Where did the Our Father originally come from? Are there really parts of dead bodies in our church? What is ordinary time? Why do some people actually like going to mass when I don’t seem to get anything out of it? This course will explore different types of prayer, parts of the mass, nuances of our church building, and other topics, all aimed at gaining insights into our rich Catholic tradition and making our weekly sixty minutes with God fulfilling. *This course will also include mandatory participation in a Family Mass.

Being Catholic (Teen & Parent Course)
What is the Nicene Creed and does anyone say it anymore? Was Jesus a man or is he God? Who does Jesus say He is? We can believe in God on our own; why do we need the Catholic Church? I never heard of a mission statement, and aren’t all the missions in foreign countries anyway? We will learn about and discuss the sacraments, the symbols, and the rituals that connect us to God, the Catholic Church, and each other. Note: This course requires at least one parent attend EACH session with their student. This course capacity is 10 students and their parent-total of 20.

Meeting Jesus in Scripture
If the Old Testament is full of stories about the Jewish people, why do Catholics care about this history? Are the Old and New Testaments of the Bible connected? Why did Jesus speak in parables? Is it true the Gospel writers never met Jesus? When and where did Jesus meet Paul? You will use the first three classes to prepare for the final session in which the character of Jesus will be put on trial. Based on the evidence learned, will you choose to defend or prosecute?