In Parishes June 2 through July 28, 2023
Each summer our seminarians and other young adults travel across the diocese providing a week-long day camp in parishes for students entering first grade through high school. Each day is filled with games, activities, talks and skits designed to teach the beauty of the Catholic Faith. Registration for this program is done through the sponsoring parishes. We will post the dates and locations of our host parishes each spring.
If you are a college student or a high school senior looking to lead a summer of service, evangelizing, prayer, and fun, then please consider applying to be on our Duc in Altum Team for 2023!
You can complete your online application here: DIA APP Fillable
Deadline to fill out the application is February 1, 2023.
When you have completed the application, you can save it and email it to tcooper@diorc.org, bring it to the Chancery office at 225 Main St, Rapid City, or print and mail to:
Attn: Fr. Mark McCormick
Duc in Altum
PO Box 678
Rapid City, SD 57709-0678
Please contact our Vocations Office at tcooper@diorc.org, 605-343-3541 if you have questions about the application or the program.
What is Duc in Altum?
Duc in Altum (“Put out into the deep” – Luke 5:4) is a fun and energetic parish-based summer catechetical program, for grades 1-12. Seminarians and college students form teams of four and are trained so that they can head out on the road to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ in various parishes throughout the Diocese of Rapid City. Their youthfulness, energy, and ability to witness to the Faith make our teachers particularly effective with children and young people.
The team serves for a week in each parish by putting on a program Sunday-Thursday from 7:30pm-9:30pm for middle and high school youth. Our goal is to put the youth in contact with the Lord so that they can develop a deep personal relationship with Him. To this end, we have a night of Eucharistic Adoration with the opportunity for the Sacrament of Reconciliation, and catechetical instruction on topics important to young people. There is also a parish-wide evening of fellowship with the team members.
The team also presents a grade school program (grades 1-6) that runs Monday-Thursday from 9:00am-2:30pm. Our time is spent on catechetical instruction, songs, games, skits, daily Mass, the opportunity for the Sacrament of Reconciliation, lunch, recess and more. The week ends with a large water fight with the children in celebration for the week. The focus is on imparting an understanding and love of the Eucharist, devotion to Mary, catechetical instruction, vocational discernment and providing an enjoyable experience.
The team also likes to get to know the parish and its members. In order to do this, they stay with families of the parish, eat with different families throughout the week and invite the entire parish to a “potluck” dinner on Thursday night.
Throughout the years this program has succeeded in reaching out to children and youth in order to help them know and love the Lord Jesus Christ. In addition to this, we have tried to help local parishes by providing a fun and strong catechetical program. We hope to continue this in the future as long as our Lord permits.
For 2023 Duc in Altum will be traveling to:
- Wall, Lead/Deadwood, Philip
- Fort Pierre, Eagle Bute, Blessed Sacrament, Rapid City
- Timber Lake, Bison, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Rapid City
- Sheridan, WY, Piedmont, Hermosa
- Hot Springs, Bowman, ND, Faith
- Gregory, Sturgis, Hill City
- Martin, Custer, Lemmon
*Schedule subject to change