High School Youth Ministry

When do we meet?
Youth Nites: Beginning in September, we meet every 2nd and 4th Wednesday of the month from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. in Gara Hall. Our first Youth Nite this year will kick off on Wednesday, September 27th, at 7:00 p.m. in Gara Hall. We look forward to fun and fellowship!

What do we do?
Every Youth Nite is different. We have Hot Topic Nites, Karaoke Nites, Tik Tok story making Nites, games, faith sharing, community building, pizza, photobooths and so much more. The topics covered rotate around the eight components of comprehensive youth ministries: advocacy, catechesis, community building, evangelization, leadership development, pastoral care, prayer & worship, justice and service.

Are there outings we can participate in? 
Absolutely! We attend various youth conferences every year. They are all geared for teens to experience a dynamic, large young church beyond our parish community. Send our Faith Formation Coordinator an email if you’re interested in attending.

• Life Teen Inspiration Event at Magic Mountain: November 4, 2023
• Youth Day at the Religious Education Congress: February 15, 2024
• City of Saints Youth Conference at UCLA: August 2-4, 2024

Confirmation Preparation Process (Grades 9-10)
As part of the Los Angeles Archdiocese under the leadership of Archbishop Jose Gomez, high school youth preparing for the Sacrament of Confirmation are required to complete a two-year preparation process at their home parish. At St. Rita, our model for Confirmation preparation is a multi-faceted approach promoting apprenticeship in discipleship. Our goal is to form young disciples who, after receiving the sacrament of Confirmation, choose to serve as a peer leader in the youth ministry or serve in another ministry at the parish. For more details on Confirmation Preparation, click here. 

Peer Leadership (Grades 11-12)
Confirmed teens who respond to the call to discipleship enthusiastically, serve as peer leaders in the youth ministry. It is a great opportunity for senior adolescents to develop leadership skills by participating as Confirmation small group facilitators, youth night activity leaders, and/or retreat team members. They may also serve as lectors and/or extraordinary ministers of the Holy Eucharist at Mass.