Catholic Committee on Scouting, DSJ

09/17/2026

Celebrate 100 Years of Faith & Service with the Ad Altare Dei Emblem!

Did you know that 2026 marks the 100th anniversary of the Ad Altare Dei religious emblem? First awarded in 1926—and later becoming the very first religious award recognized on the Scouting uniform—this historic program continues to inspire young Catholics today!

Designed for members of Scouts BSA, Venturing, and Sea Scouts (ages 13–14+), Ad Altare Dei (To the Altar of God) guides youth in developing a fully Christian way of life rooted in their faith community and the Seven Sacraments.

Why encourage your Scout to earn it?
• Deepens Sacramental Faith: Helps Scouts grow closer to God by exploring the seven sacraments as primary sources of spiritual strength.
• Mentorship & Fellowship: Completed with an approved facilitator over 6 to 8 months, fostering meaningful group discussions, journal reflections, and parish engagement.
• A Century-Old Honor: Earns the emblem medal, the official Scouting America religious square knot, and helps fulfill eligibility for Catholic Scouting college scholarships!

Talk with your Scout, unit leader, or parish coordinator to find a trained facilitator and pick up the Ad Altare Dei Youth Manual through the Catholic Scouting America store or local Scout Shop. https://nccsshop.org/product/ad-altare-dei-youth-manual/

Help your Scout take this transformative step toward the altar of God!

Have Questions? Contact your local Diocesan Catholic Committee https://catholicscoutingamerica.org/download/diocesan-catholic-committee-contacts/

09/09/2026

05/09/2026

Bob Wedig,from our Committee on Catholic Scouting, featured in The Valley Catholic!

Bob Wedig: Presidente del Comité Nacional de Relaciones Religiosas de Scouting America

05/02/2026

NCCS Scholarship deadline is March 1. Apply now!

Are you or someone you know a service-oriented high school senior who’s Catholic and in a Scouting America program? Great news! The National Catholic Committee on Scouting (NCCS) is awarding 14 college scholarships totaling $38,000 in 2026.
The application portal is open. Applications are due March 1.


Don’t miss out on this opportunity. Details here: https://nccs-bsa.org/college-scholarships/

05/02/2026

SCOUTS READ SACRED TEXTS
DATE: Thursday, May 7 (the National Day of Prayer)
TIME: Our reading will begin at 6:00 p.m. and conclude by 8:30 p.m.
It would be great if all attending could stay for the entire event, but we certainly understand time commitments! You are welcome to join at any time and stay as long as you would like.
PLACE: St. Martin of Tours Parish (200 O'Connor Drive, San Jose)
OUR READING: The Gospel of St. Matthew

Please let Bob Wedig ([email protected]) and Ann Resch ([email protected]) know by Sunday, May 3 who will join us and who will proclaim. For scouts who wish to proclaim, please include parent email and a preferred general time slot (early/6:00 - 6:45; mid/6:45 - 7:30; late/7:30 - 8:15). We will get back to you and parents with details.

Thank you very much for your assistance in encouraging participation in this year's SRST event! If you need help in planning and facilitating your own event, Bob and I are here to help. We are looking forward to hearing back from you.

For more information on the worldwide event

Scouts Read Sacred Texts Worldwide Sacred texts provide an important way for Scouts & families to connect with their religious beliefs. Register for 2026 Register for 2026 Buy Patches & Stickers Buy Patches & Stickers TOTAL REGISTRATIONS (To Date): 10, 146Click here for the Top 25 Council Registrati...

02/04/2026

Scholarship opportunities for any scout in SA who has earned the Ad Altare Dei or Pope Pius XII emblem.

NCCS Scholarship deadline is March 1. Apply now!

Are you or someone you know a service-oriented high school senior who’s Catholic and in a Scouting America program? Great news! The National Catholic Committee on Scouting (NCCS) is awarding 14 college scholarships totaling $38,000 in 2026.
The application portal is open. Applications are due March 1.


Don’t miss out on this opportunity. Details here: https://nccs-bsa.org/college-scholarships/

12/07/2025

Monday, December 15, 2025; 7:30 p.m.
Sacred Heart Parish - 13716 Saratoga Avenue, Saratoga

The Peace Light is a continuous flame originating from the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. The flame, along with a message of peace and brotherhood, is passed each year by scouts and other volunteers from city to village and home to home around the world. The following describes how the Peace Light travels from Bethlehem to the United States:

Each year, a child from Upper Austria fetches the light from the grotto in Bethlehem where Jesus was born. The light is carried in two blast proof miners lamps on an Austrian Airlines jet from Tel Aviv Israel to Vienna Austria from where it is distributed at a Service of Dedication to delegations from across Europe who take it back, with a message of Peace, to their own countries. Austrian Airlines then flies the miners lamps containing the Peace Light from Bethlehem to New York City. The goal of this group is to help the light spread like the branches of a huge tree rooted in New York and spreading across the continent.

Please see: www.peacelightnorthamerica.org and
https://www.facebook.com/groups/PeaceLightNorthAmerica/

A highlight of the prayer service is the opportunity to take the flame home. Those choosing to do this should bring a candle or lantern and a means to safely transport it.

Troops 566 and 2566 and Crew 566 are inviting ALL in our community -- young and old alike -- to this lovely evening of prayer. I ask that you kindly extend the invitation to all of the families in your scout unit. If your unit cannot attend as a group, the prayer service is certainly something your individual families may find very meaningful. I have attended for many years and find that the service is a special way for me to enter into the Mystery of Christmas and God's gift of Love.

It is appropriate for scouts to attend in uniform.

Send a message to learn more

11/20/2025

https://ncyc.us/ncyc-digital-experience-a-journey-with-pope-leo-xiv/

Don't miss this! Register today for the digital experience with Pope Leo tomorrow!

Be part of the historic dialogue with Pope Leo XIV In an era where the digital and spiritual life intersect, Pope Leo XIV is breaking new ground. For the first time ever, a pope will engage directly with young people at the National Catholic Youth Conference (NCYC)—and for Pope Leo XIV, this will ...