Seals
Seals
Walk the Path, Earn the Seal
Pathfinders earn special seals by successfully mastering key aspects of the faith. Each seal is earned by walking a specific Path and completing individual and challenging steps on that Path. Earning a Seal is a major achievement and represents each teen’s hard work and dedication. There are nine Paths in the Pathfinders program. Each one focuses on an important part of the Catholic Faith.
Earning seals is in addition to the normal teachings that the whole group will receive. Pathfinders get the choose which paths they want to walk, giving them the flexibility and autonomy to pursue the parts of the Faith that interest them the most.
Why Seals
Seals have their roots in the Bible and are throughout the Church. Specifically, the seals that Pathfinders earn reinforce the greater seal they receive at Confirmation. “Christ himself declared that he was marked with his Father’s seal. Christians are also marked with a seal: “It is God who establishes us with you in Christ and has commissioned us; he has put his seal on us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.” This seal of the Holy Spirit marks our total belonging to Christ, our enrollment in his service for ever, as well as the promise of divine protection in the great eschatological trial.” [CCC 1296].
Example Seals
On the Path of Prayer Pathfinders learn the practices and routines of a successful prayer life. They start by practicing and memorizing basic Catholic prayers. This leads them into praying and leading the Rosary, and, by the end, developing a regular habit of personal prayer. By completing these steps, Pathfinders ascend to the summit and pray close to God just like Jesus did. This is why when they successfully complete all ten steps on the Path of Prayer they earn The Seal of the Summit.
On the Path of Service Pathfinders follow in the footsteps of St. Francis of Assisi who the Lord told to “rebuild my church”. They will serve their home parish and help transform it into a thriving center of faith, life, and community. They will serve as greeter, research the history of their parish, and hold a large community-building event. By successfully completing all ten steps on the Path of Service Pathfinders earn The Seal of the San Damiano.
