High School Discernment Opportunities
“There seemed to come a time when the Lord was calling us to take some further step.” (Holy Cross Constitutions)
In high school and sensing God’s call?
Our high school summer immersion and weekend visits offer young men ages 16+ an opportunity to visit Old College — the Congregation of Holy Cross’s undergraduate seminary located on the campus of the University of Notre Dame. If you sense that God has been calling you to take some further step, consider these discernment opportunities!
University of Notre Dame
Summer Seminary Immersion Program
Last two full weeks of June (13th-27th, 2026)
This immersion is a two-week theology course which mimics the life and rhythm of Old College Undergraduate Seminary and is designed to help young men deepen their own discernment consideration of God’s call through daily Mass and Eucharistic adoration, the Liturgy of the Hours, community and brotherhood, adventure days, and the study of Sacred Scripture, religious life and the priesthood in the Catholic Tradition. Offered through the Office of Pre-College Summer Programs at Notre Dame, participants will live at the University of Notre Dame, while spending considerable time at the Log Chapel, Moreau Seminary and Scholasticate, and Old College Undergraduate Seminary.
“Over those two weeks, I got to know over 20 guys my age who had the same goal as me: to learn the nature of God’s call and how to follow it. Knowing that there are young men eager and hungry to do God’s work, as well as great priests, brothers, and lay people who want to help young people in the Church follow the Lord’s call, truly bolstered my sense of hope.”
2025 SSIP Participant
Old College Undergraduate Seminary
Weekend Visits
Spring and Fall Semester, available upon request for individuals or groups.
High school juniors and seniors are invited to “come and see” Old College Undergraduate Seminary at the University of Notre Dame. This weekend visit is an opportunity to share in the life of the “Old Collegians” who are discerning a possible call to religious life and priesthood in the Congregation of Holy Cross during their college years at Holy Cross College or the University of Notre Dame. Meet the men in formation, see their daily routines, and hear their experiences of formation. See firsthand what life at Holy Cross’s undergraduate seminary has to offer! Participants will join the seminary community for daily Mass and prayer, attend a class with a current collegian, and learn about the Congregation of Holy Cross and its mission. Tours of both the University of Notre Dame and Holy Cross College campuses can be arranged upon request.
Parents are welcome to attend and will have the opportunity to ask any questions they have so that they can better assist their son in hearing God’s call. With advance notice, simple accommodations can be arranged for parents at Moreau Seminary and Scholasticate.
Day visitors to Notre Dame’s campus are always welcome to call our office to schedule a meeting with one of our vocations directors to learn more about the undergraduate seminary.
“The next day John was there again with two of his disciples, and as he watched Jesus walk by, he said, ‘Behold, the Lamb of God.’ The two disciples heard what he said and followed Jesus. . . They said to [Jesus], ‘Rabbi’ (which translated means Teacher), ‘where are you staying?’ He said to them, ‘Come, and you will see.’ So they went and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day.”
John 1:35-39
Online prayer and brotherhood
Compline and Conversation
Sunday Nights at 9pm ET
Come be part of a brotherhood of high school men from around the United States who are discerning God’s will together. This group meets online every Sunday night to pray Night Prayer and talk about some aspect of our faith, discernment, and to reflect on growth in prayer and virtue. During Advent and Lent, the group participates in a book club related to the liturgical season. Recent books include:
- Papal Encyclicals
- Spiritual classics
- An Introduction to the Devout Life, by St. Francis de Sales
- Mr. Blue, by Myles Connolly
