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Helping a Teenager Find the Right Friends

Question:

How can a teenager find the right friends?

Answer:

Does your teenager go to a Catholic school? If so, that’s a good place to start, and you could seek assistance in the process from the school’s principal, guidance counselor, coaches and/or teachers, and fellow parents as well.

If your teenager doesn’t go to a Catholic school, and also if he or she does, your Catholic parish would be a good place to start. Beyond religious education classes for teenagers who don’t attend Catholic school, many parishes have youth ministry activities, which should be a good place to meet friends, including with the assistance of the parish youth minister and pastor. If your parish doesn’t have a youth ministry program, perhaps a nearby parish does.

You could also contact your diocesan chancery to see what youth events may be going on throughout the diocese.

Homeschooling groups could provide another source of good friends for your teenager, even if you and your family don’t homeschool. Your pastor should know about some, even if you don’t know of any yourself.

Finally, I suggest you check with your local Knights of Columbus council, as the organization sponsors the Columbian Squires for young men ages 10 to 18. The K of C is a longstanding and faithful Catholic fraternal men’s group.

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