Parishes are the local presence of the Catholic Church. They are communities open to God’s grace and dedicated to continuing the mission of Jesus Christ. Without strong communities, our Church is unable to function as it was intended. Our diocese encourages all Catholic individuals to make the commitment of belonging to a parish and supporting its mission by devoting time, contributing financially, and offering unique skill sets where needed.

You may not have a parish at this time that you call home. Or, you may find that you call several parishes home. That’s okay! Check out the list of parishes we have participating in each season. Along with their particular small groups offerings, peruse their websites and social media. Check out their mission. See what they’re about. See young adult small groups as an opportunity to discern a parish community. 

• Location: Especially during Covid times, everyone has different comfort levels with gathering in person. Using its best judgment, each parish will make an individual decision about whether to host small group gatherings virtually and/or in person. You need to be comfortable with whatever location you choose.
• Days of the Week: Most small groups will meet for an hour and a half. The day of the week is dependent upon the availability of the parish small group facilitators. 
• Demographics: Small Group Coordinators will be grouping you with individuals in a similar life stage. Parishes may offer groups that are gender specific, for those who are single or dating, those are married, and those who are married with children. Additionally, some parishes may offer groups that are specific to your self-description of faith: if you consider yourself to be “Green to Christianity”, “Looking to Go Deeper”, or “All in”. 
• Language: Small group content is provided in both English and Spanish. Some parishes will be offering small groups in both languages.

Small groups are first come, first serve. Small group space is limited because each small group needs a trained facilitator. The sooner you attempt to register for a small group, the better your chances of getting in a group. If the small group you wish to join is full, we encourage you to put your name on a waiting list and in the meantime, consider joining another small group, even if at another parish.

Parishes determine for themselves whether or not they can accommodate requests to be in a small group with a friend. If the parish does allow “friend requests”, they will ask for this information on their registration form.

Consistent attendance is vital creating positive dynamics within a small group. Parishes may wish to note a minimum number of small group gatherings you must be able to make when participating in a small group (for example, some parishes might note that you must be able to make a certain number of gatherings). We encourage you to look at your calendar, plan ahead, and make attending your small groups a priority in your schedule.

Parish small group coordinators are responsible for determining their facilitators. Facilitators are incredibly important to the success and fruitfulness of the small groups, and therefore, you cannot simply sign up to be one. Facilitators need to have an established history with the small group coordinators and attend training for the role. If you wish to be considered, you are also welcome to contact the coordinator at a particular parish. However, we ask that you be respectful of their responsibility they hold for the small groups and the systems they have in place.