Young Disciples

men on church benches, one has a false white beard, the other a cloak and crown
YD logo and filmstrip image
open bible, drink car and sweets on a table
young people round a table working on craft activity

Young Disciples is our Pastorate’s youth group for secondary aged (11-18) young people. This group gives the young people in our parishes space to discover more about their own personal relationship with Our Lord and to learn more about Church teaching. It has been wonderful for both leaders and youth to come together and grow as a community dedicated to Our Lord.

But what do we do in Young Disciples? We meet every week during term time (not including bank holidays), play some games, get to know one another building friends of faith, exploring the Bible and Catechism, but most importantly growing deeper in our relationship with Jesus, through prayer and discussions. The first part is social where our young people play fun games and take part in different activities, giving them a chance to build friendships with others in the group. We then move into time of studying the faith together where questions fly and understanding of the faith is deepened. Previously we’ve looked at topics such as forgiveness, Stations of the Cross, living for Christ, influences and facing dilemmas as a Catholic and explored the stories of many Bible characters. Finally it ends with a time of prayer. This varies in style as we seek to help our young people to explore and find a form of prayer which they personally can connect with, whether praying psalms, the rosary, singing hymns to God, novenas, or free style open prayer.

Young Disciples is not just any youth group, it is also our pathway to the sacraments in our Pastorate of Our Lady of the Valleys. At Our Lady of the Valleys we understand that it is often hard for our young people to stand up in faith and remain devout to God with so many influences and pressures in the world around them. This is why we have adapted to better support our young people, creating the Young Disciples youth group for secondary school aged young people who are wanting to receive the sacraments, but also to continue to be strengthened in faith after receiving the sacraments. Young Disciples seeks to strengthen and build up the next generation in our church by accompanying them on their journey with our Lord and to the sacraments.

From September 2025, Young Disciples are meeting every Tuesday from 7:15pm to 9pm at St Dyfrig’s Church Hall. If you are interested in joining, or looking to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation, please contact the Young Disciples Team, by email olovrctyouth@gmail.com.

Yes! Young Disciples is not a confirmation course (though it offers a pathway to Confirmation for those who need one).

Some young people are confirmed at a younger age. There are dioceses (such as Birmingham) where top-year primary school children are routinely confirmed. There are traditions in the Eastern Catholic Church where babies are confirmed (christmated) on their baptism day. And canon law urges that children as young as 8 should be confirmed on their baptism day in Western practice. So there are many reasons why someone seen as ‘confirmation age’ might already in fact be confirmed.

Living as a Confirmed Catholic is best practiced in a supportive community. A young person already confirmed and serious about living out their Catholic faith will flourish in the company of others trying to live the same way.

Yes! Young Disciples allows you to live out your Catholic faith in an age-appropriate way, and so provides an excellent foundation for being confirmed.

You will need to be at least in Year 8 to be considered for confirmation. But you will not be put forward until you are ‘ready’. What does ‘ready’ look like? It will include some personal commitment to prayer, attending Sunday Mass, going to confession from time to time and taking part in a retreat. You may be offered a short set of mentoring sessions and/or a retreat day as preparation for confirmation.

Yes! If you are already in Secondary School then Young Disciples offers you a pathway not only to Confirmation but also to First Communion.

If you are a baptised Catholic, you can be put forward for First Communion as soon as you are ‘ready’. What does ‘ready’ look like? It will include some personal commitment to prayer, attending Mass, and making your first confession. You may be invited to participate with younger children in their First Communion Retreat Day and then their First Communion Mass, but you could also to choose to make your First Communion in a low-key way at any Mass of your choosing.

Yes! If you are already in Secondary School then Young Disciples offers you a pathway not only to Confirmation but also to First Communion and reception into the Catholic Church.

If you are not yet aged 14, this can be done in a less formal way. Your parish priest is authorised to receive and confirm you as soon as you are ‘ready’. What does ‘ready’ look like? It will include some personal commitment to prayer, attending Mass, and making your first confession.

If you are already 14, you will need to follow the same process as adults becoming Catholic: a visit to the Cathedral at 3 pm on the First Sunday of Lent; a ‘penitential scrutiny’ at Sunday Mass on the 2nd Sunday of Lent; and your initiation (reception, confirmation and First Communion) at the Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday, after sunset (another date can be chosen for pastoral reasons).

Yes! Young Disciples allows you to live out the Catholic faith in an age-appropriate way, and so provides an excellent foundation for joining the Catholic Church. If you are not already baptised, then membership of the church comes through baptism.

If you are not yet aged 14, this can be done in a less formal way. Your parish priest is authorised to baptise and confirm you as soon as you are ‘ready’. What does ‘ready’ look like? It will include some personal commitment to prayer, attending Sunday Mass, and understanding what it means to commit to be a follower of Jesus. Your baptism, confirmation and first communion would generally take place at a Sunday or Holy Day Mass.

If you are already 14, you will need to follow the same process as adults becoming Catholic: enrolment as a ‘catechumen’ around New Year; a visit to the Cathedral at 3 pm on the First Sunday of Lent; ‘scrutinies’ at Sunday Mass on the 3rd, 4th and 5th Sundays of Lent; and your initiation (baptism, confirmation and First Communion) at the Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday, after sunset (another date can be chosen for pastoral reasons).