Twenty-five high school students from Mitchell Catholic Parishes recently attended a Semper Leadership Retreat at Granite Springs Lodge in Alexandria, SD the weekend of March 28-30.
These twenty-five youth are members of the Semper Leadership Team, which plans and hosts the Semper Youth Ministry events for the high school youth in our parishes. This retreat was the second annual retreat for the Leadership Team to grow as a cohesive team and also reflect on their own spiritual life. The Pro Ecclesia Sancta priests, brothers, and sisters led the retreat.
Content included learning about the Pro Ecclesia Sancta spirituality, the importance of spiritual life, and their individual call to holiness.
"We also taught them about our principle of magis–to strive to do everything with excellence for the glory of God,” says Brother Bryan Esquivias, PES. “We then had them put these criteria into practice during the retreat as we taught them how to set the table nicely, among other things. We even had them help us cook meals, which, from their comments, sounded like they really enjoyed cooking together.”
Overall, the retreat coordinators and students felt it was a very fruitful experience, as they began to see themselves as a family within the leadership team and also grow in their own spiritual lives.
Semper was formed in 2023 and is coordinated by the Pro Ecclesia Sancta priests, brothers, and sisters. Semper consists of Semper College for college-aged youth and Semper Youth Ministry for high school-aged youth with the hope to expand middle school.
Semper College meets weekly on Tuesday evenings at 6:30 PM in the Holy Family Nazareth Room. Semper Youth Ministry hosts monthly events including mini-retreats with dinner, guest speakers and time for Eucharistic Adoration and other events throughout the year.
For more information, be sure to follow @Semper_college_ministry and @Semper_highschool_ministry on Instagram.
Registration is now open! Invite the youth in your life to register by January 31 to take advantage of the Early Bird discount of $275 (normally $325). This makes a great Christmas gift from parents, grandparents, or even godparents.
Discipleship Camp is a transformative experience for the youth in the Diocese of Sioux Falls. It is designed to help teens deepen their prayer life, grow in their understanding of who God is, and meet other teens who are engaged in their faith from throughout the Diocese. Youth in grades 9-12 in the Fall of 2025 can register for the high school camp, and youth in grades 7-8 in the Fall of 2025 can register for the junior high camp. The camp is located at the Broom Tree Youth & Family Camp in Irene, SD.
With the help of Lumen Christi missionaries who are committed to helping teens encounter Jesus, D-Camp makes faith come alive to hundreds of young people each summer. Through small groups, powerful testimonies, and daily opportunities to receive the sacraments, D-Camp is more than just a fun event. It is a moment in a young person's life when they step further into following God.
June 15-18, 2025 (High School)
July 13-16, 2025 (High School)
July 17-20, 2025 (Junior High)
If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to the office at
Exciting Summer Opportunity!
St. John Paul II Elementary School is launching a vibrant Summer Academy and is seeking an enthusiastic Administrator to lead the way! This unique program will feature creative projects, recreational fun, and engaging lessons. As the program's architect and overseer, you'll play a vital role in shaping its success.
The Academy runs from May 27 to August 8, operating from 7:30 AM to 5:30 PM. We are looking for an organized, energetic Catholic leader with a background in education, early childhood, or a related field—and a passion for forming Disciples of Christ. Ready to make an impact? Contact our Business Manager at 996-3639 ext. 9 for more details!
[MITCHELL, SD, December 2024] – St. John Paul II Elementary School (St. JPII) has committed to a renewal of Catholic values by partnering with the Institute for Catholic Liberal Education (ICLE).
ICLE assists Catholic schools in forming educators and implementing Catholic curriculum based on the classical tradition of education developed and embraced by the Church.
St. JPII began its partnership with ICLE in the spring of 2024 as a result of the Rise Up Strategic Plan. A large focus group with parents and stakeholders expressed a desire for a Catholic-based curriculum.
“We looked into different organizations that help schools develop a classical or liberal arts approach curriculum and ICLE was the most prominent and experienced,” explained Fr. Yamato Icochea, PES, school chaplain. “We liked that they were Christ-centric and unapologetically Catholic in their view of education.”
“At St. John Paul II, we are leading the way in the Diocese to provide our children the ability to see the beauty in God’s creation,” says Principal Cahoy. “We are cultivating each child to come to love that which is true, good, and beautiful.”
This 2024-2025 school year, St. JPII has begun its implementation of classical Catholic education, which will take place in a three-year phase. Classical Catholic education can be defined as material that draws on the liberal arts and teachings of the Church, focusing not just on “what” students learn but “how” they learn. Classical Catholic education educates the student as a child of God, an identity that is lost in the secular model of education.
This school year, each grade has adopted a classical Catholic curriculum in social studies. The 2nd and 4th grades are also adopting a classical curriculum in English-Language Arts. The grades will continue to switch over curriculum in all subjects over the next two years. With the updated curriculum, St. JPII will continue to be certified through the State of South Dakota with the opportunity to be double-certified in the future.
“My hope for the school as part of this process is to form students who can think well, speak well, and write well,” says Mrs. Robin Cahoy, Principal of St. John Paul II. “Our goal at St. John Paul II is to engage students in lifelong learning. The approach to Catholic Liberal Arts Education is to teach children to investigate the meaning and purpose of all created things.”
Evaluating and updating the curriculum is only one piece of the renewal. ICLE also supports the school by providing regular professional development for the faculty and staff. This renewal is not simply a change in curriculum, but a change in the whole culture of the Catholic school. The renewal aims to form the faculty who are, in turn, forming the students.
“At St. John Paul II, we are leading the way in the Diocese to provide our children the ability to see the beauty in God’s creation,” says Principal Cahoy. “We are cultivating each child to come to love that which is true, good, and beautiful.”
The Diocese of Sioux Falls has several schools in partnership with ICLE or discerning the process. Schools that have partnered with ICLE and undergone a Catholic renewal overwhelmingly report increased staff engagement, enrollment, and academic performance.
To learn more about ICLE, visit catholicliberaleducation.org. To learn more about St. JPII and the Rise Up Strategic plan, visit johnpaul2.org.
Any 18-25 year olds interested in the Peru Mission Trip led by Pro Ecclesia Sancta are invited to apply for the Mission Trip! An informational meeting will be held Sunday, December 8, 2024 at 6:30 PM at Holy Family. The trip dates are May 30-June 9, 2025, and the approximate cost is $900 per person plus airfare. For more information, contact Br. Bryan at
Video Highlight of 2024 Peru Mission Trip