Events

There are various events that a Catholic unit or individual Catholic Scouts may enjoy over and above traditional Scouting activities. Check out our Facebook page for our current schedule.

Scout Sunday (BSA)

This is the primary date to recognize the contributions to Scouting of both youths and adults in the Boy Scouts of America. See some ideas at the NCCS website. (Note that other religions choose their own day of recognition, i.e. Scout Sabbath by our Jewish brothers.) A chartered organization has three choices for when to hold this observance:

• The BSA designates the Sunday that falls before February 8 (Scouting Anniversary Day) as Scout Sunday.
• An organization/denomination may adopt a specific Sunday to celebrate.
• A local church may celebrate on the Sunday most acceptable to the pastor and congregation. This could be a time to have a joint Scout Sunday for both Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts.

Scout Sunday (GSUSA)

This is the primary date to recognize the contributions to Scouting in the Girl Scouts of the USA. As with the BSA, this marks the beginning of Scout Week. Scout week is always the week during which the GSUSA anniversary falls, March 12th. As noted above, a parish may hold only one Scout Sunday for all boys and girls.

World Youth Day

The NCCS has been requested by the National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry (NFCYM) to promote Catholic Scout participation in World Youth Day. This event is observed annually by dioceses and is marked by the Holy Father internationally every two to three years. All Catholic units are urged to participate. Read more.

Priesthood Sunday

This is a special day to honor Priesthood in the United States. We are called to honor Christ as Priest and the men who were called to be his priests on earth, as well as to honor all religious and the importance of vocations. Catholic units are encouraged to involve youth in presenting a thank-you card after Mass or to take part in any planned parish events. Read more.

Bishop's Scout Mass

Many parishes award religious emblems and patches on Scout Sunday. The Diocese of Winona recognizes Pillars of Faith and adult award recipients annually at a special Bishop's Scout Mass at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, or at another location as needed. All Catholic Scouts, leaders, and their families are invited to attend. Any Scout that has earned a religious emblem is welcome to wear it proudly.

Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe (LaCrosse, WI)

This is a new shrine dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, whose message of God's love and mercy was received during her appearances in Mexico City in 1531. It serves the spiritual needs of those suffering in body and soul. This is a most appropriate pilgrimmage destination for all Scouting units. Information may be found at the shrine website.

Cub Scout or Girl Scout Day of Reflection

Also known as a "Day of Recollection", this is an organized day or part of a day where Cub Scouts reflect on the presence of God in their soul. This mini-retreat includes prayer and discussion and is often built around a theme. [under development]

Boy Scout Retreat (Ad Altare Dei)

"Retreat" literally means "to withdraw". It is very helpful to get away from the stress and noise of everyday life to allow one to center oneself on God. This is different from a day of recollection in that it is generally an overnight event, like for a weekend. It, too, involves prayer and discussion and can be built around a theme. A requirement for earning the Ad Altare Dei emblem is to attend either a retreat or a day of recollection. Pretty much any valid Catholic retreat would suffice, such as a Catholic school retreat.

• We have a Day of Recollection document attached to our Training page that has been used before.
• There is also one attached on Training for a private one-person Day of Recollection.
• We also have developed one for Scouting and the Sacraments that we can pursue, if interested.
• The Diocese of La Crosse CCS puts on a retreat.
• The Archdiocese CCS puts on an Ad Altare Dei retreat over two weekends with time off between that actually completes the entire AAD program.

Pope Pius XII Retreat

The Pope Pius XII emblem is Catholic Scouting's church-related ministries and vocation program. It reflects upon the three levels of commitment or life states (clerical or lay, consecrated or not, married or celibate single) and also upon the four Christian vocations (single, married, religious, ordained) as calls from God. It includes youth-led discussions on current issues facing the church and society. The required retreat should be planned by the youth participants, along with their facilitator, and should be based on the calls from God and their interplay in our daily life. Look at various retreats and Days of Recollection for ideas, including those attached to our Training page. Remember, this is youth-led.

St. George Trek (Philmont)

Boy Scouts that have reached 15 years of age may attend this biennial event once in their lifetime at Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico. Each diocese may send two Scouts. It is designed to develop organizational and relational skills for leadership as well as nourishing the Scout's spirituality. It involves 11 days of backpacking on the trail, including three days of intensive leadership training at a back country base camp. Three days of prep at the Madonna Retreat House in Albuquerque plus one day there at the trek's conclusion makes this a two-week event. Read more.