The Young Disciples is an apostolate of Catholic young adults who travel from town to town to evangelize and catechize in rural communities and reservations through summer vacation Bible schools and teen retreats. The Young Disciples Teams seek to challenge youth to love Jesus Christ and to embrace the life of his Church.
For 10 weeks in the summer, the Young Disciples Teams conduct week-long day camps for grades K–6 and evening teen missions for rural parishes and reservations. Parishes may also ask teams to conduct family activities and participate in other community events. The Sacrament of Reconciliation and daily Mass are a part of every camp. The teams also proclaim the Gospel through small groups, prayer, music, drama, games, and crafts. Participants are given the opportunity to say "yes" to Jesus in their daily lives.
Join Friar John as he travels to Rome in search of the precious artifacts from the life of Jesus! Students will go on pilgrimage throughout the week to learn about the stories of Jesus’ life from the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary and the message of Divine Mercy.
Applications are closed for summer 2022 . Applicants should desire to witness to elementary-age students (although there will be some family, adult, and teen ministry). Similar to other Catholic internships, we need men and women who love Jesus and His Church, are between ages 18-30. The missionaries will have a break from July 2 until 3:00 pm on July.
Established in summer 2001, young adults have come from 31 different states and the countries of Portugal, England, Ireland, and Slovakia. They have conducted hundreds of day camps, teen missions, and family nights, reaching thousands of people with the Good News of Jesus Christ. Team members often continue their apostolic work by being catechists, teachers in Catholic schools, campus ministers, youth ministers, DREs, and parents. Some also pursue religious vocations or the priesthood.
To learn more about hosting a Young Disciples Camp, please read the Young Disciples Parish Contact Manual.
To invite Young Disciples to your parish, contact the Office of Evangelization for more information.
If you would like to make a donation to support a Young Disciples Missionary or the Young Disciples Apostolate in general, please do so here. We are a 501(c)(3) organization.