
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

Over 220 South Dakota Faith Leaders Oppose Amendment G, Coming Together to Support Women and Children
SIOUX FALLS, SD (October 17, 2024) – Over 220 faith leaders from diverse religious traditions have come together from across the state of South Dakota to voice their opposition to Amendment G - the measure to add abortion through all nine months of pregnancy to the South Dakota State Constitution. These pastors and church leaders signed on to a joint statement urging South Dakotans to Vote no on G, and outlined the moral and ethical reasons why Amendment G is harmful to women and children.
The letter and signatories are below.
Pastor Janine Rew-Werling, Hosanna Lutheran Church in Watertown, SD, issued the following statement:
"As a pastor, my heart is for post abortive women and their struggles with guilt, shame, anxiety, depression, and even their risk of suicide. I have witnessed the reality of post-abortion trauma, and Amendment G is too extreme, putting women in danger. For any woman having a hard time, you matter! You don't have to live in agony, and we certainly don't want other women to face a lifetime of regret and hardship. God is with you and there is hope. Vote no on Amendment G."
Pastor Ryan Chase, Emmaus Road Church in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, issued the following statement:
"I oppose Amendment G because abortion violates God's moral law, and a constitutional right to abortion would do great harm to the people of South Dakota. As a minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ, I call on other pastors and Christians to join me in standing for righteousness and justice by voting No on G. We have better news for the world - the good news that because Jesus Christ died for sinners, God's saving grace is available to all who have participated in or been affected by the sin of abortion."
Bishop Donald E. DeGrood of the Catholic Diocese of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, issued the following statement:
"Jesus Christ instructed us, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself' (Mark 12:31). Love impels us to speak and share the truth with our fellow South Dakotans about the damage that would be done by Amendment G. We are obligated to warn of the harm that would be done to some of our state's more vulnerable and marginalized citizens: children still developing in the womb. We also must share the truth that Amendment G would threaten the health of women and undermine the rights of parents. Sharing the truth in love is one of the greatest acts of charity we can offer."
Pastor Greg Blanc, Calvary Chapel Community Church in Rapid City, SD, issued the following statement:
"Without any hesitation, the obvious biblical and ethical vote on Amendment G is an indisputable, 'NO.' Again, from a biblical perspective, church leaders should influence everyone we can - that we don't have to choose between being pro-baby and pro-mommy, we can and should do both. Giving an innocent child and their mother the respect and protection they need is the South Dakota way. South Dakota, choose life, and vote NO on G."