Catholic Youth Ministry Office

A ministry for junior high and high school students

Contact Us

The Catholic Youth Ministry Office strives to help all young people in the Diocese of Little Rock, and those who minister to them, encounter Christ and be transformed as disciples. We partner with parish youth leaders in their ministries of accompanying and forming youth to be fully active in the life and mission of the Catholic Church.

Goals

• Provide opportunities for junior high and high school youth to gather as a community of the faithful and be strengthened in faith through retreats and catechetical formation
• Support parish youth leaders through consultation, training, resource gathering, spiritual formation and fellowship.
• Empower youth through formation on diocesan leadership teams to evangelize their peers in their parishes and schools (Youth Advisory Council, Search Team)
• Strengthen youth ministry outreach at the parish level, so each faith community reflects Acts 2:42-46

“They devoted themselves to the teaching of the apostles and to the communal life, to the breaking of the bread and to the prayers ... All who believed were together and had all things in common … and every day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.” — Acts 2:42-46

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Programs for Youth

Catholic Charities Summer Institute (C²SI)

This five-day session, hosted every July, gives teens an opportunity to put their Catholic faith into action through 40 hours of service to the community, time for prayer and reflection, and immersive experiences about how the Church is responding to social justice issues today.

Catholic Youth State Convention

This weekend in April gathers high school youth groups from parishes across the state to grow spiritually through intentional time spent with Christ at the end of the school year. Faith-filled friendships are strengthened, and our Catholic faith is celebrated through skits, music, prayer, speakers, workshops, Mass and more.

Diocesan Confirmation Retreat

This peer-led, day retreat is offered in February for parishes that find it difficult to offer a retreat to their youth preparing to receive the sacrament of confirmation. Candidates who are unable to attend their parish retreat may also attend.

Junior High Youth Rally

This daylong event is held in the fall for students in seventh and eighth grades. It includes a speaker, music, lunch, adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and Mass. 

Search Retreats

This peer-led Catholic retreat is held twice a year for high school juniors and seniors to help them build a deeper relationship with Christ. Search includes witness talks about real life topics given by teens, dynamic skits, prayer services and small group tables for support in living out the faith in the world. Mass, adoration and time for confession is also offered.

Weekend for Life

This annual, pro-life weekend for high school students coincides with Respect Life Sunday in October. Attendees gather on Saturday night to learn about various right-to-life issues from a youth perspective through speakers, prayers, music and skits, followed by time for fellowship. On Sunday, participants attend the diocese's Respect Life Mass and Eucharistic Procession for Life with the bishop.

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"Just as Jesus sent out the disciples to carry out his mission, today he sends out young people to proclaim the Good News and to build a world that is more just, more peaceful and more respectful of human life and creation. The Church must empower young people for their mission and ensure they are equipped to live active Christian discipleship and Catholic identity." — Renewing the Vision, 49-50