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Parish Models Social Justice, Community Service for Youth

November 19, 2019

St. Isaac Jogues Church


St. Isaac Jogues parish is teaching lessons about social justice and community service to students in its religious educations program, with help from a Black and Indian Missions grant.

More than 100 people, from pre-kindergarten through adults, are enrolled in weekly religious education classes at the predominantly Native American parish. About 10 post-confirmation teens are active with the Youth On Fire youth group, which meets on Wednesdays and mixes educational activiities with service-oriented community outreach. Recently, the students held a blanket drive to benefit the Cornerstone Rescue Mission, a homeless shelter in Rapid City, and Working Against Violence, Inc., a domestic violence shelter. Students collected hundreds of blankets for clients at both organizations.

Between 10 and 15 adults participate in adult religious education opportunities weekly.

St. Isaac Jogues hosted the diocesan Faith On The Road team during this quarter. An evening of fellowship, food, formation, testimony and Eucharistic Adoration was enjoyed by youth and adults of the parish.

All religious education programming is held in the Mother Butler Center, a community/parish hall that hosts many events, including the bi-monthly community feeds that serve between 200-300 people sponsored by St. Isaac Jogues parish. Recently, the annual church bazaar drew about 800 people from the surrounding neighborhoods and raised funds to maintain the building.