What to do after High School
Do you know what you Our Lord is calling you to in life? What is your Vocation with a big "V," and what is your vocation with a small "v?" Your Vocation is the path to holiness that God has created for you, as the easiest and surest way to get to Heaven, which is the final goal for all of us.
The world will tell you "Work hard, go to college, get a good education and a good job, and you will be happy and successful." But this is not necessarily what God created you for, and it may not even be true that if you work hard, get a good education, and a job, that you will be successful, and happy.
The only way that we as human persons can be truly happy is when we fulfill the will of God for our lives. For you, college may be part of this. Or it may mean joining the seminary or consecrated religious life. Or it may mean getting a job. Or it may mean learning a trade. Or it may mean taking some time to do mission work.
All along the way of all these is the most important question:
"Lord God, what do You want me to do?"
Priesthood &/or Consecrated Religious Life for Men
Have you asked yourself whether or not you might be called to the priesthood? More info
Consecrated Religious Life for Women
Have you asked yourself whether or not God might be calling you to become a religious sister? More info
College/University
Top Reasons to choose one of the Newman Catholic Colleges:
- Faithfulness to the Church
- Solid Liberal Arts tradition that teaches analysis, not just facts, figures, and ideology
- Community of Prayer that fosters healthy relationships with peers
- Availability of the Sacraments, including regular Mass and Confession
- Focus on the "Whole Person" formed by Christ rather than by the world
Regardless of whether you choose a Catholic school or not, being Catholic means the Faith must inform every part of your life. If you are looking at non-Catholic schools, or Catholic schools not on the Newman list, thinking about this, and including this in your decision making process should be of highest importance. Many state schools have outstanding Newman Centers, or Catholic Campus Ministry Centers. Make this a part of your discovery process when looking at schools. For example, Texas A&M University has one of the highest numbers of vocations to the priesthood and religious life coming out of their college's Catholic center, and students are very solidly formed in their Catholic faith there. Our own parish has a vibrant Catholic Campus Ministry which is growing every year.
More on the Newman Catholic Colleges here.
Another Important Thing to Consider: If you are not able to go to a solid Catholic college or university, along with looking for one with a vibrant Catholic Campus Ministry, look for one that has FOCUS Missionaries on campus. FOCUS (Fellowship of Catholic University Students) is a vibrant nationals group of missionaries who help young people stay connected and go deeper in their faith during their time at college.
Catholic Trade School
University is not for everyone, but the Faith is, and the dignity of work is. Perhaps learning a trade is something that you feel called to.
List of Services
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HARMEL ACADEMY OF THE TRADESList Item 1
- Skilled Trades
- Great Books
- Spiriutal Fraternity
A skilled tradesman can work in many disciplines, but at Harmel, we define “skilled tradesman” as “a man whose way of life is to put things in order”—in his work, in his community, and in his relationship with God. Harmel Academy is a post-secondary academy that trains men in a skilled trade and forms them in their Catholic faith.
Learn to Work. Learn to Pray.
Work is, above all, a way for the human person to become what God has designed him to be: a creative collaborator with Christ in the creation and redemption of the world. At Harmel, men learn how the ancient Christian synthesis of prayer and work can provide them a model for a peaceful, satisfying, fruitful life in relationship with Christ.
A Generation of Men of Integrity, Formed in Holiness, Skilled in their Trade, In Solidarity With One Another And With Christ.
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THE COLLEGE OF ST. JOSEPH THE WORKERList Item 2
The College of St. Joseph the Worker forms students into effective and committed members of their communities by teaching them the Catholic intellectual tradition while training them in skilled and dignified labor. We teach our students to think, but also to pray, to love, and to build.
The Word became flesh and picked up a hammer. To imitate Christ, we must do the same: integrate the intellectual and the spiritual life with the physical work of man. The union of the head, the heart, and the hands is fundamental to the gospel, as it is the very same integrity that the Son assumed at his incarnation. Christ, who reveals humanity to itself, shows that the humble worker is not merely respectable but is the very archetype of humanity.
Students of the College of St. Joseph the Worker will graduate with a BA in Catholic Studies as well as a solid foundation in the skilled trades. Our goal is to produce faithful Christians who are virtuous citizens, intellectually formed, and capable of building up the Church in their communities.
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SANTIAGO TRADE SCHOOLList Item 3
- Developing Skills
- Practical Wisdom
- Spiritual Formation
Developing Skills
Santiago Trade School operates on a revolving cohort system – each semester we accept 15 new students that join the ranks of our two year program. The work of developing the hearts, minds, and trade skills of young men moves from an initial orientation at Santiago Retreat Center, through months of growth in work ethic, jobsite knowledge, spiritual wisdom, and manly friendship, to the culmination of leading work projects and gaining precise knowledge in one main trade. The student-to-teacher ratio is to be below 5:1, giving our students an up-close and personal experience. Friendship is a key pillar of our program at Santiago, where men are formed alongside one another & for the sake of building each other up. Our community at Santiago Trade School is formed on the model of Christ’s body, where the common good is desired, individual talents are put to use, and mutual support is given for the sake of accomplishing a common goal.
Practical Wisdom
STS guides its men in the path of wisdom. As a man’s soul lives both on this earth and in the heavenly places (Colossians 3), Santiago forms trade students in both the practical wisdom that produces earthly results, and the spiritual wisdom that draws men to God. The psalmist writes that Christ would lift up his head after drinking from the stream (Psalm 110), and so Santiago men are equipped to stoop down to the stream of daily labor and hard work, as well as to be lifted up unto their Father who dwells in Heaven. First of all, students at Santiago will learn the trade skills necessary to build their own home someday… literally. Daily work projects involve building the Santiago Retreat Center itself – students are to help serve the mission of the retreat center by constructing housing structures that will more than double its current capacity. Thus, from pouring concrete foundations to wood framing to electrical work to every other trade necessary to build housing, our men will gain invaluable practical experience.
Spiritual Formation
Santiago Trade School uses not only the wing of practical experience, but also flies with the swift wing of spiritual wisdom. Students will enjoy a low student/faculty ratio of less than 5:1. Students enter a two-year formation program that gives life & light to the manly soul, developing men who seek first the kingdom of God, and only then look to earthly riches and the joys of this life. Santiago men will engage in daily prayer as well as bi-weekly formation courses. The Holy Mass is to be the center of each day, and the point of stability on which all else hinges. The formation program is intellectually challenging, though fit for the busy life of learning the trades. Students will study classic works of philosophy and theology, like GK Chesterton’s Everlasting Man and St. Teresa’s Interior Castle, while forming virtuous habits that are sure to bear much fruit. To pray and to work, ora et labora, is something of a summation of the Christian life, and yet that pair cannot be complete without the further foundation of study.