There are hundreds of Catholic organizations playing an integral part in the new evangelization and making an incredible impact on our Church today. While all eight of these organizations have the same ultimate mission to build up the Church, they all fulfill this call in a unique way.
1. FOCUS: The Fellowship of Catholic University Students
Mission Statement: FOCUS is a Catholic collegiate outreach whose mission is to share the hope and joy of the gospel with college and university students. Trained in Church teaching, prayer, sacred Scripture, evangelization and discipleship, FOCUS missionaries encounter students in friendship where they are, inviting them into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and accompanying them as they pursue lives of virtue and excellence.
Focus is a non-profit organization that was founded in 1998 with just two missionaries at Benedictine college. It has grown into the biggest Catholic non-profit organization for young adults and is present on thousands of campuses in the US and abroad. Their missionaries are trained and sent out to build up students in the faith through bible studies, outreach events, discipleship, mission trips, etc., and ultimately, to inspire the students they serve to live out their God-given calling to fulfill the Great Commission.
2. St. Paul's Outreach
Mission statement: We train full-time missionaries and student leaders to build these communities on campuses and beyond - communities that reach out and invite young adults into a transformative encounter with Christ, into a deep relationship with Him and with His people . . . into a lifelong adventure of mission.
Like FOCUS, SPO’s mission is to evangelize on the spiritual battleground that is the college campus. They focus their efforts on building community and fostering lifelong friendships through living in households which are centered around forming students in virtue through actively participating in the sacraments, discipleship, etc.
3. Damascus
Mission Statement: Our mission is to awaken, empower, and equip a generation to live the adventure of the Catholic faith through world-class programs and an environment of encounter.
Damascus has both summer and full-time missionary programs where they do radical service, lead and serve on youth ministry retreats, and experience communal Catholic living. Their summer camp has over 4,000 participants grades 6-12 with high-adventure activities that lead to high-adventure faith. They strive to equip and empower each missionary to thrive in their calling as missionary disciples for years to come.
- Ablaze
https://ablaze.us
Mission Statement: Ablaze is a ministry organization dedicated to forming the young church. Our mission is to form youth ministers and develop youth ministries for parishes. We offer a 360˚ approach to building disciples by serving youth, ministers, and parents.
Ablaze is unique in that its mission is to serve the Church specifically by forming youth ministers and developing youth ministry programs. They have youth programs where missionaries learn by serving throughout the summer and even raising their own funding. Check out their specific programs for students, young adults and parish leaders.
- Christ in the City
https://christinthecity.org
Mission Statement: At Christ in the City, our vision is to create a culture of encounter, where each person is seen, known, and loved.
Christ in the City missionaries are based out of Denver, Colorado where their main mission is to serve the homeless population by engaging them daily in friendship and evangelization. Their missionaries are trained and reside in the community throughout the duration of their time serving, and learn to form daily habits of prayer, participation in the sacraments and discipleship.
- JMJ Missions
www.jmjmissions.comMission Statement: Reviving Your Parish…One Soul at a Time
JMJ Missions was founded by three lifelong friends to form a team of Catholic evangelists dedicated to spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ by being "all things to all people," yet fully in-step with the Catholic faith. Whether it's through in-person speaking engagements, online videos their podcast or their social media, they hope to inspire souls to know and understand the reality of God and His unconditional love.
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Evangelical Catholic
Mission Statement: Our business is relationships. Partnering with parish and campus communities across the nation isn’t about the bottom line—it’s about the deep transformative relationships that come from knowing Jesus.
Since 1998, The Evangelical Catholic has reached thousands of people across the nation and helped create a culture of evangelization and discipleship in many parishes, campuses, and dioceses. The Evangelical Catholic started a movement to activate the Body of Christ for mission.
- Word on Fire
Mission Statement: Word on Fire originated with a desire to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ through multiple media platforms, engaging people with the goodness, truth, and beauty of Catholicism.
Word on Fire is an apostolate that was founded by Bishop Robert Barron. Starting from just a simple website to share homilies, it now reaches millions of people every year by effectively sharing the Gospel via podcasts, videos, books, articles and more. Word on Fire sets out into the deep to reveal what it means to truly encounter Christ by proclaiming the universality of the Catholic faith that is both ancient and forever new, reaching beyond the borders of country, background or person.
While not an exhaustive list, we believe that each of these organizations is bringing positive and needed change to our world and Church and needs to be recognized! There are many ways to get involved and/or support these organizations as they give their lives to invest in the future generations of our Church.
For a practical way to partner with one of these missions, consider choosing one to pray for this month; it can be as simple as offering up a Mass intention or decade of the Rosary. It might seem like a small offering, but it can make a big difference. While not all of us can be working on the ground in full-time ministry, we are all called to this effort of evangelization and can be a part of it in one way or another!
“Some Give by Going, Others Go by Giving” – Saint Mother Teresa
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