High School

Teens present a unique set of spiritual needs due to their increased experiences and maturity. They've experienced enough to notice a dissonance between their faith and the culture of the secular world, and this leads to an intense spiritual thirst. Our program focuses on knowledge and skills that teens need to be dynamic and faithful Catholics in a world that so desperately needs God's love. Our high school program couples lessons with thought-provoking discussions keep them engaged and help them develop into disciples of Jesus Christ. Much like the middle school classes, our curriculum follows a three year cycle to make sure that we can cover as much as possible with the students.

Both St. Elizabeth and St. James have their high schoolers participate in our program two Wednesdays a month. Class always begins in front of Jesus in Adoration with Benediction and Vespers (see additional information in the tab below). We have games, discussions, and lessons to form our teens into mature Catholics. Every lesson concludes with Compline (see additional information in the tab below). Registration opens June 15th and closes August 22nd! Contact our Director of Religious Education, Louisa Postlewait, at louisa@dtkc.org with questions!

One of the most unique aspects of our middle and high school program is the extent to which prayer is incorporated into each class that we have. Every class begins with Adoration and Benediction to center our students around Jesus in the Eucharist. Additionally, our students learn to pray the Divine Office (also known as the Liturgy of the Hours).

Priests and religious pray the Liturgy of the Hours, an extension of the Holy Mass, daily, but many laity never learned how to join in this prayer. The Divine Office splits the day up into different "hours," and each hour has a set of prayers, Scripture readings, and Psalms. The last two hours of the Divine Office are Vespers (Evening Prayer) and Compline (Night Prayer). The Divine Office is a wonderful way to remember God throughout the day, and it can be prayed alone or, as we do in class, in a group. When praying in a group, there are two groups that alternate the reading of each paragraph, creating an interactive prayer experience.

Our students download iBreviary onto their phones or utilize printed versions of the prayers (since the prayers change daily) to bookend our class with this magnificent prayer. Join our teens in praying the Divine Office to make your daily lives more Scriptural and filled with the Lord's presence.

In the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, teens receive the Sacrament of Confirmation during their high school years. This means that, for most people, Confirmation will be their last Sacrament of Initiation that they receive. As part of Confirmation, Catholics receive a matured and strengthened gift of the Holy Spirit (that they initially received at their baptism), and they are made responsible and capable of spreading and defending the faith in word and deed (CCC 1303).

Because Confirmation is strengthening our students to live boldly as Christians, it requires both immediate and generalized (remote) preparation. The generalized preparation occurs by teens participating in our religious education program (a requirement during their junior year of high school, minimum), attending Mass weekly, living a sacramental life, and practicing a life of charity and Catholic morals. The immediate preparation consists of 3-4 classes/meetings spread throughout the year discussing the logistics and specifics of the sacrament. The culmination of the year is in a retreat the summer before their senior year of high school. The retreat is a time for reflection, prayer, and a lot of fun! Confirmation takes place in fall of their senior year, and our students then take on leadership roles to help our younger high schoolers navigate their faith.

If your child is in their junior year of high school and is looking to be Confirmed, register them for 11th grade religious education. If your child attends Catholic school, please contact our Director of Religious Education, Louisa Postlewait, for specifics on the preparation process.

For any questions regarding sacramental preparation, email Louisa Postlewait at louisa@dtkc.org.

The Catholic community welcomes converts with great joy, and teens are a particularly exciting group of converts due to their ability to more deeply process their conversion. Teens are largely treated like adults throughout the conversion process, so the steps they take will mirror that of our adult conversion process almost exactly. Though the steps will look very similar between teens and adults, there are still differences in the ways that we can best support our converting teens. For the specifics on your teen's circumstances, contact Louisa Postlewait, our Director of Religious Education, at louisa@dtkc.org.

Your children are in good hands! All of our teachers have extensive knowledge in Catholicism and catechizing teens. Our team alternate in teaching lessons, leading prayers, and facilitating small groups. They are a resource for both you and your children as we journey toward Heaven together. If you or someone you know would like to help our team in some way, contact Louisa Postlewait at louisa@dtkc.org. Take a look below to meet all of our current catechists:

Mrs. Louisa Postlewait: Louisa is our Director of Religious Education, but each Wednesday she works right in the classroom, both developing and teaching lessons. She has taught preschool and kindergarten all the way through college ministry and RCIA, and she is a firm believer that snacks are a necessary part of any good program.

Father Sean Granger: Father Sean is our dedicated and hard-working pastor at both St. Elizabeth and St. James. He makes our class Adoration and Benediction possible, and he is a ready resource for all of our students. He is proof that some superheroes actually do wear capes.

Mr. Jan Anderson: Jan has been a parishioner at St. Elizabeth for years, and you may have seen him assisting the servers as an MC during Mass. He converted to the Catholic faith after experiencing a number of different Protestant churches, including being an Anglican deacon. Additionally, he's quite the history buff, and as someone who majored in music theory, he's our resident song bird.

One of the most meaningful ways that a young man can serve his parish is as an altar server. There are so many elements to the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, and servers not only help the priest focus on the Word of God and the Blessed Sacrament (instead of all the details), but they add emphasis and reverence to the Mass as a whole. We know that young men that serve routinely in Mass are more likely to consider a vocation to the priesthood, and in a time of priest shortages, we want to give young men every opportunity to answer God's call.

Our servers are all trained by Father Sean Granger prior to serving in a Mass. As part of their training, they learn about all of the sacred objects they will use as well as many elements of Catholic tradition and history. Our servers assist in weekend Masses, funerals, weddings, and other special liturgies, as they are available and scheduled.

If you know of a young man 4th grade or older that is curious about serving, contact Louisa Postlewait, our Director of Religious Education, at louisa@dtkc.org for more information.

High schoolers have increased independence and freedom, which means that they also have many more options available to them to exercise Christian charity. There are many ways that teens can serve their brothers and sisters in Christ by giving of their time, talent, and treasure. If your teen is looking for service opportunities, contact Louisa Postlewait at louisa@dtkc.org to get ideas!