1. WHY SHOULD YOUR PARISH ATTEND A SECOND GRADE SACRAMENTAL RETREAT?
Research is clear that parental lives is the most powerful religious curriculum of all. If parishes are not reaching parents as part of their sacramental prep, they are missing a huge opportunity. Parents are called to be primary educators, not parishes, but parents are difficult to reach. We want to help you reach them!
Most parents will bring their child in for preparation for First Communion, even if they are disengaged. This is a golden opportunity to build holy families and help them rediscover the power of Reconciliation and the most Holy Eucharist! Don’t miss it!
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Dragon Slayers was a finalist in the 2021 OSV Innovation Challenge as one of the best new Catholic innovative ideas in the country!
3. WHAT IS THE RETREAT STRUCTURE?
The standard retreat is 3 hours.
A typical schedule sample would be something like this:
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12:00pm-12:30pm
Parents/kids arrive, register, & fun music
12:30pm-1:30pm
Dragon Slayers Live! (Parents & kids together)
1:30pm-2:30pm
Parents stay in main hall with John Wood for parent presentation, while catechists take children to classrooms for breakout sessions
2:30pm-3:00pm
Family Challenge, Gift bags, and Certificates (Parents & kids together)
4. WHAT KIND OF FACILITIES ARE NEEDED?
We will need a large gym/hall/auditorium style room for the main part of the retreat. We highly encourage both parents to come, so you need a space big enough to accommodate 3 people per family.
For the breakout sessions, you need atriums or classrooms for each group of kids. (If multiple parishes are attending, they should each get their own classroom(s). We recommend that if you have more than 20 kids in a class that you break them into smaller groups.)
Schools typically work well because they have a large gym or auditorium and many classrooms.
Note: Because of our sound system and props and decorations, we need access to the facility 2 hours before people arrive and about an hour after the retreat for tear down. Please keep this in mind when booking the facility.
5. HOW MANY PEOPLE CAN ATTEND A RETREAT?
As many as your facility will allow. See #4 above regarding the need for a large hall and classrooms. We highly encourage parishes to work together and co-host so we can reach more parishes. If all weekends are taken, we will ask hosting parishes if they can accommodate any other parishes at their retreat.
6. WHAT DOES THE PARISH NEED TO PROVIDE?
A. Reserve the Facilities for the Day.
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B. Invite Families to the Retreat.
One parent must attend with the child (both parents HIGHLY recommended). Use our parent sample letter to generate excitement and encourage attendance.
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C. Submit the Students’ Roster and Parent Emails.We need this information to order materials, prepare certificates, and register families for the 25-week Saints in the Making Family Email Challenge. Crucifixes must be ordered at least one month before the retreat, but providing the roster six weeks in advance would be greatly appreciated to ensure timely delivery.
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D. All Attending Parishes are Responsible for Providing Water and Snacks for the Event.
It's important to have refreshments available to keep everyone energized and focused throughout the retreat. Simple options like bottled water and light snacks are perfect for this.
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E. Arrange and Schedule for a Priest or Deacon to Bless Crucifixes.
Optional but highly recommended!
The blessing usually happens at the end of the parent presentation but can be adjusted. If needed, crucifixes can be blessed before the retreat.
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F. Ensure Catechists Are Available During the Second Hour
Catechists can choose from our activity options below or use their own. For further details on the activities, refer to the leader guide.
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Activity Options for Catechists:
(Click on each title to view.)
Note: These videos are from our virtual retreat and serve as examples. We recommend catechists lead the activities themselves rather than just play the videos. Materials can be provided if needed.
7. WHAT ARE THE COSTS?
Note: Please don’t let costs be a barrier. Scholarships from the Knights of Columbus (KofC) are available, and we can waive the retreat fee for first-time parishes wanting to try it out.
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The following costs are billed PER PARISH.
Starting in 2024-2025, the retreat fee is $20 per student ($500 max per parish up to 100 students). This includes access to all our online retreats, which you can use as needed. Family gift bags are $30 each. For live events, we handle ordering and supplying all materials—no extra work for you.
Covering Costs: Fundraising Options
We are confident that you can fully cover the costs of the gift bags by considering one or more of these fundraising options!
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A. Seek Sponsorship from the Local KofC.
Ask your local Knights of Columbus council to sponsor the materials, or share a contact person with us, and we’ll reach out. John Wood, a KofC member, is available to present to councils on how these events strengthen families and vocations. We include a KofC ad in the Retreat Resource Manual and encourage membership among young dads. Most parishes have secured full or partial sponsorship this way. Watch the video below to share with your council!
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B. Parish Mentorship and Family Adoption Program.
Invite parishioners to “adopt” a second-grade family by covering the $30 gift bag cost and committing to pray for that family throughout the year. We provide a flyer, bulletin ad, and video to help promote this program.
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C. Host a Parish Mission with John Wood.
We recommend hosting a one-night parish mission with John Wood every 4-5 years. We offer various topics, a marketing plan, and promotional tools. No parish fee is required if you follow the marketing plan. A freewill offering supports Dragon Slayers retreats, with 50% of the funds staying in your parish. We plan to offer around 12 fundraising events per year.
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8. WHAT KIND OF FOLLOW-UP DO YOU PROVIDE?
A. Surveys for Parents
At the retreat, we provide an anonymous survey to every parent which gives us valuable information on where they are currently at in their spiritual journey and how we can help them. At the end of the school year, we ask you to distribute an end of the year anonymous survey to measure growth. This can be completed electronically, but when possible, distributing physical copies in person tends to yield more responses.
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B. Ongoing Support
We don’t just encourage parents to be primary educators and leave them on their own. We follow up for 25 weeks with our Saints in the Making Family Challenge. This weekly email includes resources and activities for the whole family across four tracks: Deep Roots (parents), Dragon Slayers (children), SanctifEYEd (middle school/teens), and Into the Breach (men).
C. Coming Soon
We’re planning summer Dragon Slayer camps, bible studies, archery leagues, and other events to help families spend time together and grow in holiness. Stay tuned!
9. WHAT IF A CHILD OR FAMILY CAN'T ATTEND?
We understand that conflicts, illnesses, or unexpected events can arise. No worries! Families can join other nearby retreats, or they can experience the retreat at home through our online version. While live retreats are always ideal, the online retreat option is available when needed.
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Note: Online retreats are included for free for all parishes hosting our live retreat.
10. WHERE ARE THE RETREAT VENUES?
We are working on providing venues across the Diocese of Toledo to make the retreat accessible for every parish. If there isn’t a venue near you, we’ll help you find one! For more information, contact us at info@extraordinarymission.com. If you’re outside the Diocese of Toledo or surrounding area, please consider our online retreat option.
11. CAN YOU DO A LIVE RETREAT FOR OTHER GRADES?
We have done the live Dragon Slayers presentation for various grades and even entire elementary schools. However, the core of this program is engaging the parents. Holding a yearly retreat during sacramental prep is the best way to ensure every family experiences it. Requiring parents not in sacramental prep to attend is challenging, and we do require at least one parent to be present for the entire retreat.
If you have a specific request or event in mind, please reach out to us!
WHAT PASTORS ARE SAYING!
