411 Program Overview

1. What is 411 and what does it mean?

411 is a vocation formation program for high school teens. This comprehensive effort was created by Dumb Ox Productions, Inc. and is being piloted through the Vocations Office of the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux for high school aged teenagers of all parishes in that diocese. The “411” means that we are all created for one general purpose (to love) and for one person (Jesus Christ). Whether a teen has a vocation to marriage or to celibacy, his or her ultimate purpose and destiny remain the same. Our goal is to help teens to live out their vocation—to find happiness through holiness…happiness not in spite of their vocation, but because of it.

2. What’s at the core of the 411 plan?

We bring teens back to their fundamental reason for living: to love God and be in communion with Him. Jesus said that he came that we might have life and have it more abundantly (c.f. Jn 10:10); this program connects teens to the abundant and authentically Catholic life by teaching them to:

• Look for the face of Christ.
• Listen to His voice.
• Learn their purpose.
• Live it to the max.
• Love like God.

Everyone has a vocation. The question is not, “Do I have a vocation?” but rather, “To which vocation is God calling me?” As we normalize discerning a vocation, we support teenagers in listening to, hearing, and responding to God’s voice. The more effectively we do this, the more authentic each vocation becomes. In the long run, all vocations will be enhanced, renewing the Church through a new generation that is outstanding in holiness. We provide opportunities for teens to listen. We help them overcome obstacles to listening. We help them discern the voice of God. In the end, marriages will become better discerned and more teens will hear the call to priesthood and religious life… because they will have become expert listeners.

3. Who is invited to be a part of the program?

Sometimes, we have made “discernment of a religious vocation” something only for those who have already felt a call towards this life. This program begins by casting a “wide net” and inviting teens to go deeper in their faith and then funnels them, if they show interest and more commitment, into specific discernment groups. This will be a group of teens who are committed to their faith and to obeying God’s will for their lives.

In the end, these teens will become men and women who can honestly say, “Here I am Lord. I come to do Your will.” The program is a mature one, but it is open to all 9th-12th graders. 411 is a big commitment on the part of the teen, but if they show the commitment, no one is turned away.

4. How does this program help parishes?

The degree of growth in a young person is often proportional to the maturity, integrity, and holiness of the mentors of the young person. We spend quality time and resources forming the teens in the program into leaders. This program is meant to support and enhance parish ministry. We collaborate with the Youth Ministry Office of the diocese so that we can provide complimentary services for teens in the area. All the while, we keep them accountable to staying connected to their own parish. The teens that are part of this program are constantly encouraged to go back to their parishes to serve and grow.

5. What are the specifics of this attempt to create a culture of vocation discernment?

We provide a comprehensive mix of large group and small group events throughout the year in which teens can pray, discuss their calling, and explore their growth as Catholics. But the heart of the ongoing formation is through “cell” groups that help teens to become expert listeners to the voice of God. Through these groups, discerning their vocation—no matter what it is—is normalized. In a small, communal environment, they nurture the seeds that God has planted in each of their hearts as they study the Word of God and live radical lives for Christ. They learn to become a gift for others – then, as some progress to hear God’s nudge toward celibacy, they are divided accordingly into the more specific discernment groups of “Emmaus” (guys) and “Judea,” (girls) which explore celibacy more deeply and intentionally. For those that feel the nudge towards marriage, they are divided into specific groups where they are mentored by young spouses that help them to “see” more specifically the vocation for which they feel they are being called to prepare themselves. All of our teens are training in faithfulness… preparing themselves for a vocation that we are confident the Caller will reveal to them, if they will only commit to Him and listen intently.