G o o d N e w s F r o m C a t h o l i C C h r i s t i a n o u t r e a C h

s u m m e r 2 011C o n t e n t s

sent as a servent and Witness . . . . . . 1-2

Promoting Priesthood through… Popcorn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Grace and hope: Blessed John Paul ii . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Calvary vs . Disney . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

CCo at home and abroad . . . . . . . . . 6-7

CCo: mission-Campus heureuse mission à saveur d’Évangile . . . . . . . . 8

CCo: Delightful evangelization . . . . . . . 9

i am impressed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

reachiNG Future LeadersT oday

One of my favourite scripture passages is from the book of Acts: St. Paul

tells that famous story about the road to Damascus when Jesus appeared in a great light and said: “get up now, and stand on your feet. I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you as a servant and witness of what you have seen of me and what you will be shown” (Acts 26:16). CCO has given me the concrete tools to live this very command of the Lord Jesus.

When I was 17 years old I laid down my life for God. I told Him I loved Him and that I was tired of carrying my anxiety and sin and wanted to be free. I put Jesus Christ at the centre of my life and from then on,

despite many failures, there was no going back! After high school I spent two years in formation at Bible School and Our Sacred Mission Ministries. In my second semester of university I eagerly joined a CCO Discovery faith study. It was there that I learned of simple ways to help people understand our separation from God using a diagram. I remember walking out of the clubroom and running into a CCO staff member. I excitedly told him that I’d just gone over this diagram for the first time, so he pushed a piece of scrap paper towards me and said “show it to me…pretend I’m someone you’re called to share this with and that I’ve never seen it before.” I did my best and he helped and gave tips. When we were finished, he said to me, “Robin, I have a sense of urgency with this. I feel strongly that you’ll be called to share this diagram often.” Well, that week I

Sent as Servant and Witness:

A Graduate of CCO Saskatoon Tells Her Storyby Robin Anderson

Continued on page 2

22 33

had three very clear opportunities to share the Gospel message using that specific diagram. I have had many blessed opportunities since then to share it as well.

CCO gave me an abundant amount of concrete tools and formation that became crucial when I went on IMPACT 2010 in Calgary. It was there that I met a young lady who attended the parish I was placed in. She was struggling with some of the Church’s more controversial teachings but I knew, because of the training I’d received through CCO, that she needed first to meet Jesus Christ and to know and accept His death and resurrection before anything else could be addressed. The Lord had been working in her heart the previous year, and now through the many conversations we had on IMPACT. That summer she too decided to put Jesus at the centre of her life. Because of her relationship with Him, the Church’s teachings stopped seeming “dictatorial” and

were revealed to her as wise and loving. She is now going on the World Youth Day mission with CCO this summer and is ready to share Christ with all the pilgrims she will meet.

So where do I go from here, as a graduate of CCO Saskatoon? The challenge for every CCO graduate is to incorporate a mission mentality into his or her vocational setting. I have a passion for liberal arts education, specifically English literature, and have been accepted to the University of Ottawa Master of Arts program for this fall. My formed missionary mindset clearly sees this step as a call to share the Gospel message. The Greek word “kerygma” means proclamation: St. Paul uses this word to designate the proclamation of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. So my questions are: How is the study of literature kerygmatic? How is teaching kerygmatic? How can I share the kerygma in the

academic world? I’m beginning to see how evangelization and this new step in my life come together.

“Get up now,” says the Lord Jesus Christ, “and stand on your feet. I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you as a servant and witness of what you have seen of me and what you will be shown.” God has much more yet to show me, and I’m better prepared to meet His opportunities because of CCO.

My family has always encouraged me to be involved in my parish and

to make God an important aspect of my life. I remember the first time I assisted at Mass by taking up the collection. I noticed that the people sitting were as tall as I was standing. As I grew up, my family continued to emphasise the importance of God so I continued going to church, participating in the sacraments and learning about my faith. Looking back I realize that I participated in my faith purely because it was expected of me. I understood what my faith taught theoretically but failed to understand why I actually believed what I did. This lasted until I started university.

When I entered my first year of university my sister suggested that I join CCO. When I say “suggested,” I mean that she said CCO was holding a “popcorn survey” at the 90U Residence between 8:30 and 4:00 and I was to return with the empty bag as proof that I filled one out. I was reluctant to participate in CCO but am very happy my sister insisted. Throughout university I have been challenged to become more serious in my faith, to develop a stronger prayer life, to participate in the sacraments and to understand the importance of my faith. The difficulties and successes of this journey have brought me to where I am today.

In my second year of university I attended Rise Up. At this event something changed in my prayer life. Previous to this I had always prayed

with formal, pre-written, prayers and felt a great distance between God and myself. It was as if I was e-mailing God instead of coming to Him directly. At a talk on prayer the speaker suggested talking to God plainly and simply as a best friend. Despite thinking that the speaker was over-simplifying the matter I tried it...and was amazed at what happened.

For the first time in nineteen years I talked to God as if He was directly in front of me. I had my first real conversation with Jesus and it hit me that He truly was right in front of me and always had been. I told Jesus exactly what was going on in my life, my struggles, hopes and joys. This started a personal relationship with God, something I had been told about but never understood. Since then I have continued to grow in my faith and this growth has touched every aspect of my life. I soon felt a desire to return to confession, something that I had been avoiding for about seven years. There I found the love of Jesus in a real way, through His mercy. I found Jesus through the great sacrifice of the Eucharist. Finally, I found Jesus calling me to serve him as a priest. I graduate in April and am

applying to the seminary for the Diocese of Ottawa. Only through my experiences with CCO have I been able to find Jesus in my life and to even consider to serve Him in this way.

I strongly believe in the work of Catholic Christian Outreach. Talking with graduating students who have been involved with CCO, I see that they are leaving university filled with zeal to live a virtuous life, serve the church and to spread the Good News. CCO is developing a generation of Catholic youth who will devote their lives serving the

community and the church.

Promoting Priesthood through… Popcorn

by Tavis Goski, student at the University of Ottawa

Sent as Servant and Witness (continued from page 1)

s t u d e n t t e s t i m o n y

This is the diagram Robin shared numerous times after it was taught to her during the Discovery Faith Study.The St. Catherine of Siena Bridge Diagram

22 33

had three very clear opportunities to share the Gospel message using that specific diagram. I have had many blessed opportunities since then to share it as well.

CCO gave me an abundant amount of concrete tools and formation that became crucial when I went on IMPACT 2010 in Calgary. It was there that I met a young lady who attended the parish I was placed in. She was struggling with some of the Church’s more controversial teachings but I knew, because of the training I’d received through CCO, that she needed first to meet Jesus Christ and to know and accept His death and resurrection before anything else could be addressed. The Lord had been working in her heart the previous year, and now through the many conversations we had on IMPACT. That summer she too decided to put Jesus at the centre of her life. Because of her relationship with Him, the Church’s teachings stopped seeming “dictatorial” and

were revealed to her as wise and loving. She is now going on the World Youth Day mission with CCO this summer and is ready to share Christ with all the pilgrims she will meet.

So where do I go from here, as a graduate of CCO Saskatoon? The challenge for every CCO graduate is to incorporate a mission mentality into his or her vocational setting. I have a passion for liberal arts education, specifically English literature, and have been accepted to the University of Ottawa Master of Arts program for this fall. My formed missionary mindset clearly sees this step as a call to share the Gospel message. The Greek word “kerygma” means proclamation: St. Paul uses this word to designate the proclamation of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. So my questions are: How is the study of literature kerygmatic? How is teaching kerygmatic? How can I share the kerygma in the

academic world? I’m beginning to see how evangelization and this new step in my life come together.

“Get up now,” says the Lord Jesus Christ, “and stand on your feet. I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you as a servant and witness of what you have seen of me and what you will be shown.” God has much more yet to show me, and I’m better prepared to meet His opportunities because of CCO.

My family has always encouraged me to be involved in my parish and

to make God an important aspect of my life. I remember the first time I assisted at Mass by taking up the collection. I noticed that the people sitting were as tall as I was standing. As I grew up, my family continued to emphasise the importance of God so I continued going to church, participating in the sacraments and learning about my faith. Looking back I realize that I participated in my faith purely because it was expected of me. I understood what my faith taught theoretically but failed to understand why I actually believed what I did. This lasted until I started university.

When I entered my first year of university my sister suggested that I join CCO. When I say “suggested,” I mean that she said CCO was holding a “popcorn survey” at the 90U Residence between 8:30 and 4:00 and I was to return with the empty bag as proof that I filled one out. I was reluctant to participate in CCO but am very happy my sister insisted. Throughout university I have been challenged to become more serious in my faith, to develop a stronger prayer life, to participate in the sacraments and to understand the importance of my faith. The difficulties and successes of this journey have brought me to where I am today.

In my second year of university I attended Rise Up. At this event something changed in my prayer life. Previous to this I had always prayed

with formal, pre-written, prayers and felt a great distance between God and myself. It was as if I was e-mailing God instead of coming to Him directly. At a talk on prayer the speaker suggested talking to God plainly and simply as a best friend. Despite thinking that the speaker was over-simplifying the matter I tried it...and was amazed at what happened.

For the first time in nineteen years I talked to God as if He was directly in front of me. I had my first real conversation with Jesus and it hit me that He truly was right in front of me and always had been. I told Jesus exactly what was going on in my life, my struggles, hopes and joys. This started a personal relationship with God, something I had been told about but never understood. Since then I have continued to grow in my faith and this growth has touched every aspect of my life. I soon felt a desire to return to confession, something that I had been avoiding for about seven years. There I found the love of Jesus in a real way, through His mercy. I found Jesus through the great sacrifice of the Eucharist. Finally, I found Jesus calling me to serve him as a priest. I graduate in April and am

applying to the seminary for the Diocese of Ottawa. Only through my experiences with CCO have I been able to find Jesus in my life and to even consider to serve Him in this way.

I strongly believe in the work of Catholic Christian Outreach. Talking with graduating students who have been involved with CCO, I see that they are leaving university filled with zeal to live a virtuous life, serve the church and to spread the Good News. CCO is developing a generation of Catholic youth who will devote their lives serving the

community and the church.

Promoting Priesthood through… Popcorn

by Tavis Goski, student at the University of Ottawa

Sent as Servant and Witness (continued from page 1)

s t u d e n t t e s t i m o n y

This is the diagram Robin shared numerous times after it was taught to her during the Discovery Faith Study.The St. Catherine of Siena Bridge Diagram

44 55

The pilgrims at the Church of

the Shepherds in the fields outside

Bethlehem.

The single greatest trait of a CCO missionary is a love for Christ. This love is so

central to our lives that every year, when commissioned by our local Bishops, CCO missionaries say to the world, “All that matters is Jesus is proclaimed, and that is what brings me joy.”

So when an opportunity arose for 15 CCO missionaries to go on pilgrimage to the Holy Land, the anticipation and excitement was felt months in advance.

In fact, the team couldn’t contain their excitement. Even before their arrival in Israel we burst into loud cheers at the Toronto airport upon meeting a good friend: our guide for the pilgrimage, Fr Raymond DeSouza. Combine our great affection for Fr. Raymond with the electricity in the air and you get a loud, giddy, joy-filled group of missionaries ready to encounter Jesus in the very places he lived, died and rose again. The scene could easily have been a Disneyland commercial, showing kids at the airport ready to start their adventure.

Disneyland is about the experience of having fun and entering a world of enchantment, fantasy and fiction. The Holy Land is about an encounter with a real, relevant and loving God who chose to send His son, Jesus, into the world.

Pope Benedict said of pilgrimages: “To go on pilgrimage really means to step out of ourselves in order to encounter God where he has revealed himself, where his grace has shone with particular splendour and produced rich fruits of conversion and holiness among those who believe.”

Memorable Encounters from the CCO Pilgrims

Jesus is real! The pilgrims saw and felt Him during their time in the Holy Land. As CCO missionaries, coming to encounter the risen Christ bears fruit not only in our lives but in the lives of the students we work with. We know the blessings of the Holy Land are not just for ourselves but for all those whom we proclaim the Gospel to. This is our call, one that is fed by all intimate encounters with our Lord and Saviour: “All that matters is Christ is proclaimed!”

As you are likely aware, on May 1st the Church celebrated the Beatification

of Blessed Pope John Paul II. Beatification is a major step in the canonization process and is recognition of the sanctity of a person whose life of faith is a worthy example for all Christians. The late Pope’s vision for the Church and evangelization was the inspiration for the foundation of CCO and his leadership and encouragement were personally experienced by CCO on many occasions. Without him, there would likely be no CCO.

We felt it was important for CCO to be represented at this important event to honour Blessed John Paul II and to thank him for his leadership. So along with CCO founder André Regnier and National Programming Director Brett Powell, I had the great privilege and honour to be in Rome representing CCO at the Beatification.

One of the most personally moving moments for me was the morning

before the public events. Through the invitation of Fr. Thomas Rosica, CEO of Salt+Light TV, we were able to join members of the Papal Household for a private veneration of the remains of the late Pontiff. We spent about half an hour in the tombs of the Popes under St. Peter’s Basilica offering prayers of thanksgiving and intercession for CCO – our staff, students and supporters, and for Canada.

Throughout our history, CCO has had a very personal connection with Blessed John Paul II. As you may be aware, he wrote CCO a personal letter in the December of 2002 and also responded to a number of letters we sent. The last one, sent to him in 2005, was returned to us with his personal signature at the bottom. I think he was encouraged by CCO’s work and saw it as a tangible expression of his hope for the Church.

At World Youth Day in Toronto in 2002 he spoke powerfully to everyone there. At the time, none of us knew that the World Youth Day in Toronto would be his last, but there was a sense from the way he spoke that he seemed to know it would be. He was giving his final message, I’m sure every word carefully chosen, and at the close of his homily he gave this parting exhortation to the youth of the world, including CCO:

“Although I have lived through much darkness, under harsh totalitarian regimes, I have seen enough evidence to be unshakably convinced that no difficulty, no fear is so great that it can completely suffocate the hope that springs eternal in the hearts of the young. Do not let that hope die! Stake your lives on it!“

Pope John Paul II’s final word was “hope!” In our world today, hope is desperately needed. On our campuses hope is desperately

needed. CCO is a movement of hope.

CCO brings hope to students as they seek to understand where God and faith fit in their lives. We bring hope to young people as they struggle to deal with brokenness and difficulties in their families and in the world. We bring hope to the Church as they see these young lives transformed by the Gospel. And hope

Grace and Hope: Blessed John Paul II

by Jeff Lockert, President of Catholic Christian Outreach

Calvary vs. Disneyby Eric Chow, Vancouver District Director

Continued on back coverLeft: Jeff during Beatification. Above: Jeff, Brett, Fr. Tom Rosica, and André in St. Peter’s.

Eric Chow, Vancouver - During mass at the Church of the Annunciation, we reflected on Mary’s fiat. In a sense, the whole world held their breath waiting for her response! In the same way, what God invites me to and how I respond matters! I prayed for the courage to say yes, in the very place where Mary said yes to “the Word becoming flesh” in her.

Angèle Regnier, Ottawa - Celebrating mass at 5am in the church of the Holy Sepulchre was an intimate receiving of the body and blood of Jesus shed on the very top of Mount Calvary. We arrived in the dark, but left the church (after venerating the tomb) to the glory of daylight. Our joy was uncontainable! This is the message we proclaim to the world as a Church and as CCO missionaries - and we had just re-lived it!

Tiffany Cathcart, Ottawa - One of the places that stands out to me in particular was the Sea of Galilee. Looking out at the water for the first time I almost could hear Jesus speaking to the apostles fishing: “Come, follow me, I will make you fishers of men.”

Talitha Lemoine, Quebec - At Capernaum where Jesus did His ministry, that’s where it became real to me. I could imagine him in his town teaching in the synagogue, healing people, walking out to the Sea of Galilee…that was the place where so much took place! Jesus was real!

Andrea Powell, Vancouver - During my trip to the Holy land, I felt like I was visiting my foreign best friend’s land. After visiting all the places I read in the scriptures, I feel like I not only love my best friend, I now KNOW Him in a deeper way, only to love Him even more. I feel like when I open scriptures, I can hear and understand Him so much better.

44 55

The pilgrims at the Church of

the Shepherds in the fields outside

Bethlehem.

The single greatest trait of a CCO missionary is a love for Christ. This love is so

central to our lives that every year, when commissioned by our local Bishops, CCO missionaries say to the world, “All that matters is Jesus is proclaimed, and that is what brings me joy.”

So when an opportunity arose for 15 CCO missionaries to go on pilgrimage to the Holy Land, the anticipation and excitement was felt months in advance.

In fact, the team couldn’t contain their excitement. Even before their arrival in Israel we burst into loud cheers at the Toronto airport upon meeting a good friend: our guide for the pilgrimage, Fr Raymond DeSouza. Combine our great affection for Fr. Raymond with the electricity in the air and you get a loud, giddy, joy-filled group of missionaries ready to encounter Jesus in the very places he lived, died and rose again. The scene could easily have been a Disneyland commercial, showing kids at the airport ready to start their adventure.

Disneyland is about the experience of having fun and entering a world of enchantment, fantasy and fiction. The Holy Land is about an encounter with a real, relevant and loving God who chose to send His son, Jesus, into the world.

Pope Benedict said of pilgrimages: “To go on pilgrimage really means to step out of ourselves in order to encounter God where he has revealed himself, where his grace has shone with particular splendour and produced rich fruits of conversion and holiness among those who believe.”

Memorable Encounters from the CCO Pilgrims

Jesus is real! The pilgrims saw and felt Him during their time in the Holy Land. As CCO missionaries, coming to encounter the risen Christ bears fruit not only in our lives but in the lives of the students we work with. We know the blessings of the Holy Land are not just for ourselves but for all those whom we proclaim the Gospel to. This is our call, one that is fed by all intimate encounters with our Lord and Saviour: “All that matters is Christ is proclaimed!”

As you are likely aware, on May 1st the Church celebrated the Beatification

of Blessed Pope John Paul II. Beatification is a major step in the canonization process and is recognition of the sanctity of a person whose life of faith is a worthy example for all Christians. The late Pope’s vision for the Church and evangelization was the inspiration for the foundation of CCO and his leadership and encouragement were personally experienced by CCO on many occasions. Without him, there would likely be no CCO.

We felt it was important for CCO to be represented at this important event to honour Blessed John Paul II and to thank him for his leadership. So along with CCO founder André Regnier and National Programming Director Brett Powell, I had the great privilege and honour to be in Rome representing CCO at the Beatification.

One of the most personally moving moments for me was the morning

before the public events. Through the invitation of Fr. Thomas Rosica, CEO of Salt+Light TV, we were able to join members of the Papal Household for a private veneration of the remains of the late Pontiff. We spent about half an hour in the tombs of the Popes under St. Peter’s Basilica offering prayers of thanksgiving and intercession for CCO – our staff, students and supporters, and for Canada.

Throughout our history, CCO has had a very personal connection with Blessed John Paul II. As you may be aware, he wrote CCO a personal letter in the December of 2002 and also responded to a number of letters we sent. The last one, sent to him in 2005, was returned to us with his personal signature at the bottom. I think he was encouraged by CCO’s work and saw it as a tangible expression of his hope for the Church.

At World Youth Day in Toronto in 2002 he spoke powerfully to everyone there. At the time, none of us knew that the World Youth Day in Toronto would be his last, but there was a sense from the way he spoke that he seemed to know it would be. He was giving his final message, I’m sure every word carefully chosen, and at the close of his homily he gave this parting exhortation to the youth of the world, including CCO:

“Although I have lived through much darkness, under harsh totalitarian regimes, I have seen enough evidence to be unshakably convinced that no difficulty, no fear is so great that it can completely suffocate the hope that springs eternal in the hearts of the young. Do not let that hope die! Stake your lives on it!“

Pope John Paul II’s final word was “hope!” In our world today, hope is desperately needed. On our campuses hope is desperately

needed. CCO is a movement of hope.

CCO brings hope to students as they seek to understand where God and faith fit in their lives. We bring hope to young people as they struggle to deal with brokenness and difficulties in their families and in the world. We bring hope to the Church as they see these young lives transformed by the Gospel. And hope

Grace and Hope: Blessed John Paul II

by Jeff Lockert, President of Catholic Christian Outreach

Calvary vs. Disneyby Eric Chow, Vancouver District Director

Continued on back coverLeft: Jeff during Beatification. Above: Jeff, Brett, Fr. Tom Rosica, and André in St. Peter’s.

Eric Chow, Vancouver - During mass at the Church of the Annunciation, we reflected on Mary’s fiat. In a sense, the whole world held their breath waiting for her response! In the same way, what God invites me to and how I respond matters! I prayed for the courage to say yes, in the very place where Mary said yes to “the Word becoming flesh” in her.

Angèle Regnier, Ottawa - Celebrating mass at 5am in the church of the Holy Sepulchre was an intimate receiving of the body and blood of Jesus shed on the very top of Mount Calvary. We arrived in the dark, but left the church (after venerating the tomb) to the glory of daylight. Our joy was uncontainable! This is the message we proclaim to the world as a Church and as CCO missionaries - and we had just re-lived it!

Tiffany Cathcart, Ottawa - One of the places that stands out to me in particular was the Sea of Galilee. Looking out at the water for the first time I almost could hear Jesus speaking to the apostles fishing: “Come, follow me, I will make you fishers of men.”

Talitha Lemoine, Quebec - At Capernaum where Jesus did His ministry, that’s where it became real to me. I could imagine him in his town teaching in the synagogue, healing people, walking out to the Sea of Galilee…that was the place where so much took place! Jesus was real!

Andrea Powell, Vancouver - During my trip to the Holy land, I felt like I was visiting my foreign best friend’s land. After visiting all the places I read in the scriptures, I feel like I not only love my best friend, I now KNOW Him in a deeper way, only to love Him even more. I feel like when I open scriptures, I can hear and understand Him so much better.

66 77

CCOat home and abroad

university of British columbia

Students from UBC and SFU gathered for the region’s annual spring banquet. The theme of the banquet, Mission: Possible was designed to empower students to join in the Church’s mission of evangelization as they seek to renew the world by bringing people to Christ.

carleton university

This spring, CCO students from Carleton enjoyed an evening of celebration at the annual spring banquet. The event provided an opportunity for students to gather before the summer months and to share in the joys of God’s work on their campus this year.

office mission: unite

cco Leaders in Vatican city

imPact canada

university of ottawa

Leadership institute

university of calgary

université Laval

Queen’s university

Pictured here are CCO founder André Regnier, National Programming Director Brett Powell and President Jeff Lockert with Archbishop Rino Fisichella, President of the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelization. They met with him and other international Catholic leaders following the events for the Beatification of Blessed John Paul II.

CCO’s domestic mission project, Impact Canada, is taking place in Ottawa this summer, 57 university students from 20 campuses are participating. Archbishop Prendergast commissioned them to serve in 10 different parishes in his diocese for the summer months. These young people are being formed as leaders for the renewal of the world!

CCO’s leadership institute provides ongoing training for staff members who have been serving with the movement for more than three years. This spring, 30 staff met in Ottawa. Pictured here are CCO staff who were working as a group throughout the training period.

simon Fraser university

Above are two CCO staff members from Simon Fraser University with some of the campus’s student leaders. CCO staff train students to lead their own faith studies on campus. This leadership opportunity is the first step in building leaders for the renewal of the world.

This year, CCO expanded to the University of Calgary. At the end of the school year, students and staff gathered for a banquet to celebrate all that God has done in their lives. Pictured here is Arlen Adolphus sharing his testimony with the group.

Pictured here is the HQ Summer Finance Team as they begin the office mission project UnITe: Strengthening a Legacy. UnITe is a mission project surrounding the implementation of our new Blackbaud accounting and donor management software which will enable the movement to continue to grow and expand for many years to come.

dalhousie & saint mary’s universities

Pictured here are CCO students from Dalhousie and Saint Mary’s Universities in Halifax at a women’s night this winter. Men’s and women’s nights provide opportunities to gather and speak about selected topics in depth. This women’s night was a designed to be like a wedding reception as a way to talk about marriage and hope for the future.

updated cco materials

Catholic Christian Outreach’s Faith Studies and The Ultimate Relationship booklet have been updated. They now have a new look and better leader’s notes. Helping Catholics share the Gospel, clear and simple. This fall, check CCO’s online store to order.

university of saskatchewan

CCO at the U of S holds faith studies specially designed for students in the education program. Above is staff member Christy Dupuis with teacher’s college students Jill Martinka and Chelsea Denney.

During the winter semester, a group of CCO students at the U of O played recreational volleyball. (They were inspired by the CCO men who played rec hockey). Each week they gathered with the goal of staying active and spending time together. It also provided an opportunity to invite other friends to join in the CCO community in a fun atmosphere.

The CCO Student Executive at Université Laval meets regularly to help plan campus events. In this photo, the students had just completed a time of intercessory prayer for their campus before beginning their meeting. Prayer plays an important part in all of CCO’s planning, on campus and in the movement’s headquarters.

Pictured here is the Queen’s University 2011-2012 student executive. Being on the exec is a unique opportunity for students who desire to grow in leadership and mission on campus. Each student will meet one-on-one with a CCO missionary to receive formation in evangelization and mission.

alumni at the united Nations

This May, CCO alumni Marlena Loughheed and Daniel Carreiro attended a seminar on Catholic social teaching in New York City hosted by the Holy See Mission to the United Nations. This fall, Marlena and Daniel will intern with the Holy See Mission and assist with the diplomatic efforts of the Catholic Church at the United Nations.

66 77

CCOat home and abroad

university of British columbia

Students from UBC and SFU gathered for the region’s annual spring banquet. The theme of the banquet, Mission: Possible was designed to empower students to join in the Church’s mission of evangelization as they seek to renew the world by bringing people to Christ.

carleton university

This spring, CCO students from Carleton enjoyed an evening of celebration at the annual spring banquet. The event provided an opportunity for students to gather before the summer months and to share in the joys of God’s work on their campus this year.

office mission: unite

cco Leaders in Vatican city

imPact canada

university of ottawa

Leadership institute

university of calgary

université Laval

Queen’s university

Pictured here are CCO founder André Regnier, National Programming Director Brett Powell and President Jeff Lockert with Archbishop Rino Fisichella, President of the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelization. They met with him and other international Catholic leaders following the events for the Beatification of Blessed John Paul II.

CCO’s domestic mission project, Impact Canada, is taking place in Ottawa this summer, 57 university students from 20 campuses are participating. Archbishop Prendergast commissioned them to serve in 10 different parishes in his diocese for the summer months. These young people are being formed as leaders for the renewal of the world!

CCO’s leadership institute provides ongoing training for staff members who have been serving with the movement for more than three years. This spring, 30 staff met in Ottawa. Pictured here are CCO staff who were working as a group throughout the training period.

simon Fraser university

Above are two CCO staff members from Simon Fraser University with some of the campus’s student leaders. CCO staff train students to lead their own faith studies on campus. This leadership opportunity is the first step in building leaders for the renewal of the world.

This year, CCO expanded to the University of Calgary. At the end of the school year, students and staff gathered for a banquet to celebrate all that God has done in their lives. Pictured here is Arlen Adolphus sharing his testimony with the group.

Pictured here is the HQ Summer Finance Team as they begin the office mission project UnITe: Strengthening a Legacy. UnITe is a mission project surrounding the implementation of our new Blackbaud accounting and donor management software which will enable the movement to continue to grow and expand for many years to come.

dalhousie & saint mary’s universities

Pictured here are CCO students from Dalhousie and Saint Mary’s Universities in Halifax at a women’s night this winter. Men’s and women’s nights provide opportunities to gather and speak about selected topics in depth. This women’s night was a designed to be like a wedding reception as a way to talk about marriage and hope for the future.

updated cco materials

Catholic Christian Outreach’s Faith Studies and The Ultimate Relationship booklet have been updated. They now have a new look and better leader’s notes. Helping Catholics share the Gospel, clear and simple. This fall, check CCO’s online store to order.

university of saskatchewan

CCO at the U of S holds faith studies specially designed for students in the education program. Above is staff member Christy Dupuis with teacher’s college students Jill Martinka and Chelsea Denney.

During the winter semester, a group of CCO students at the U of O played recreational volleyball. (They were inspired by the CCO men who played rec hockey). Each week they gathered with the goal of staying active and spending time together. It also provided an opportunity to invite other friends to join in the CCO community in a fun atmosphere.

The CCO Student Executive at Université Laval meets regularly to help plan campus events. In this photo, the students had just completed a time of intercessory prayer for their campus before beginning their meeting. Prayer plays an important part in all of CCO’s planning, on campus and in the movement’s headquarters.

Pictured here is the Queen’s University 2011-2012 student executive. Being on the exec is a unique opportunity for students who desire to grow in leadership and mission on campus. Each student will meet one-on-one with a CCO missionary to receive formation in evangelization and mission.

alumni at the united Nations

This May, CCO alumni Marlena Loughheed and Daniel Carreiro attended a seminar on Catholic social teaching in New York City hosted by the Holy See Mission to the United Nations. This fall, Marlena and Daniel will intern with the Holy See Mission and assist with the diplomatic efforts of the Catholic Church at the United Nations.

88 99

CCO: delightful evangelization CCO: Mission-Campus heureuse mission à saveur d’Évangile

R e n c o n t R e R u n b i e n f a i t e u R m e e t a s u p p o R t e R

I am a spouse, mother and grandmother, living and working in a dynamic Christian

community. I have been a missionary in my living environment ever since I can remember. In my own way, I can relate to CCO’s aspirations: to discover and rediscover the presence of Jesus in my life and to let him enter into my heart and share my plans; members of CCO, learn to make room for him in their lives by devoting time to meditation, prayer and spiritual growth, in the midst of campus and professional activities.

Evangelization is a long term project, and can be referred to as “infinite”. It is meant to be continuous. However, the mission is accomplished in daily activities. CCO’s model of outreach embodies the presence of the Gospel in the “real” world. This is where busy, rushed and sought out people are in the process of building their

own future. CCO lay people are young and dynamic missionaries who offer a unique way of welcoming peers to the faith, and of bringing reassurance and hope in a world that often moves too quickly.

The enthusiasm, dynamism, energy and joy of sharing their faith that I observe in the missionaries and leaders of CCO touches me deeply: beyond the organization, CCO members reflect an integrated and enlivening faith. The desire to consecrate time and energy to evangelization and the training

of Christian leaders is the answer to evangelization and the need for disciples, often expressed in the Church itself and in most Christian communities.

The reasons why I accepted to support CCO were to encourage personal commitment among young people, and to support a movement having a short history and humble beginnings which brings a fresh perspective on evangelization. I believe that in a campus environment, the presence of young missionaries opens a window on a reality often undiscovered because of the demands and expectations of student life and of values imposed by the prevailing culture. Our spiritual dimension refers us to the existence of a greater Presence that cannot be totally grasped or defined without the appropriate spiritual guidance

(mentoring) that gives access to ways of discovering one’s true desire of connecting with this reality.

CCO brings much hope; a hope for humanity by taking part in a broader missionary movement and by building new communities that have a desire to make Jesus known. The call to evangelize as a committed layperson, which is the basis of CCO, is forever addressed to all Christians. By baptism, are we not all called to go “on a mission,” to work in the Lord’s vineyard? Students involved in faith studies benefit from the CCO’s teachings and discipleship; seeds are sown that will bear fruit all their lives, a gift of which we often ignore the potential. They will become missionaries and committed witnesses living the joy of being a disciple in their workplace and living communities.

I fully acknowledge CCO’s contribution to the building of a Christian community with infinite potential for leadership and spiritual growth. Through the expression of faith based on God incarnated in Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit – liberating truth that enlightens our own reality – students can find points of reference and, overall, a sense of belonging to the Church. They can, in turn, dedicate themselves to transforming society into a world more and more inspired by the Beatitudes.

United in prayer and blessings for a better world.

Je suis épouse, maman et grand-maman, vivant et œuvrant au sein d’une communauté chrétienne

très vivante. Je suis missionnaire dans mon milieu de vie, et ce, depuis toujours… À ma façon, je rejoins les aspirations de CCO: Mission-Campus découvrir et redécouvrir la présence de Jésus dans notre vie et Lui ouvrir notre cœur et nos projets; Lui faire une place dans notre quotidien en consacrant plus de temps à la méditation, à la prière et au ressourcement spirituel, au cœur même de l’activité universitaire et professionnelle.

L’évangélisation est une œuvre de création à long terme, voire à «terme infini». Elle s’inscrit dans la continuité. Toutefois, c’est dans le quotidien que la mission s’accomplit. Le modèle de pastorale jeunesse de CCO: Mission-Campus incarne la présence de l’Évangile dans le «vrai» monde, où des gens, occupés, pressés, et sollicités sont en mode «création» d’un projet d’avenir. Des missionnaires laïques, jeunes et dynamiques, offrant un modèle d’intervention et d’accueil mutuel auprès des pairs, apportent réconfort et espérance dans un monde qui, parfois, tourne trop vite.

L’enthousiasme, le dynamisme, l’énergie et la joie de partager sa foi que je perçois chez les missionnaires et dans le leadership de CCO: Mission-Campus me rejoignent profondément : au-delà du contenu organisationnel, il y a le fondement d’une foi intégrée et vivifiante. Le désir de consacrer son temps et son énergie à l’évangélisation et à la formation de leaders chrétiens

contribue à combler les besoins d’évangélisation et d’évangélisateurs souvent exprimés au sein de l’Église et des communautés chrétiennes actuelles.

J’ai accepté de soutenir le mouvement, d’abord pour apporter un soutien concret à l’engagement personnel, mais également un soutien à un mouvement dont l’histoire récente et les humbles débuts apportent fraicheur à l’évangélisation. J’aime croire que sur le terrain, la présence de missionnaires ouvre une fenêtre sur une Réalité souvent ignorée en raison des exigences de la vie étudiante et des valeurs imposées par la culture ambiante : la dimension spirituelle de la personne, et par le fait même, l’existence d’une Présence tellement plus grande qu’on ne peut la saisir ni la définir sans vivre un accompagnement spirituel qui donne accès à des clés permettant de nommer son désir de connaître et de faire partie de cette réalité.

CCO: Mission-Campus est porteuse d’espérance; une espérance pour l’humanité puisqu’elle s’inscrit dans un mouvement missionnaire plus large et dans le déploiement de nouvelles communautés qui ont le goût de faire connaître Jésus Christ. L’appel à l’évangélisation en tant que laïque engagé, en soi un fondement de CCO: Mission-Campus, s’adresse à tous les chrétiens. Par le baptême,

ne sommes-nous pas tous appelés à «aller en mission», à travailler à la vigne du Seigneur? La formation et l’accompagnement dont bénéficient les étudiants qui s’engagent dans les parcours et les études bibliques est une semence qui portera fruit toute la vie, un «cadeau» dont on ignore le potentiel. Ils deviendront, dans leur milieu de vie et leur domaine professionnel, missionnaires et témoins engagés vivants dans la joie d’être disciple.

De mon poste d’observation, je reconnais que CCO: Mission-Campus contribue à construire une communauté à l’infini en donnant accès à une formation au leadership et à du ressourcement. À travers l’expression d’une foi basée sur Dieu incarné en Jésus par la puissance de l’Esprit Saint – vérité qui libère la personne dans sa propre réalité – les étudiants y trouvent des points de repère et surtout, une appartenance à l’Église missionnaire, vouée à l’humanisation de la société et à la réalisation d’un monde qui s’inspire davantage des Béatitudes.

Union de prières et bénédictions pour un monde meilleur.

by Marie Lemoine Dumouchelpar Marie Lemoine Dumouchel

Marie and her husband Bernard .

Personnel de CCO: Mission-Campus et étudiants leaders de l’Université Laval. /CCO staff and student leaders from Laval University.

88 99

CCO: delightful evangelization CCO: Mission-Campus heureuse mission à saveur d’Évangile

R e n c o n t R e R u n b i e n f a i t e u R m e e t a s u p p o R t e R

I am a spouse, mother and grandmother, living and working in a dynamic Christian

community. I have been a missionary in my living environment ever since I can remember. In my own way, I can relate to CCO’s aspirations: to discover and rediscover the presence of Jesus in my life and to let him enter into my heart and share my plans; members of CCO, learn to make room for him in their lives by devoting time to meditation, prayer and spiritual growth, in the midst of campus and professional activities.

Evangelization is a long term project, and can be referred to as “infinite”. It is meant to be continuous. However, the mission is accomplished in daily activities. CCO’s model of outreach embodies the presence of the Gospel in the “real” world. This is where busy, rushed and sought out people are in the process of building their

own future. CCO lay people are young and dynamic missionaries who offer a unique way of welcoming peers to the faith, and of bringing reassurance and hope in a world that often moves too quickly.

The enthusiasm, dynamism, energy and joy of sharing their faith that I observe in the missionaries and leaders of CCO touches me deeply: beyond the organization, CCO members reflect an integrated and enlivening faith. The desire to consecrate time and energy to evangelization and the training

of Christian leaders is the answer to evangelization and the need for disciples, often expressed in the Church itself and in most Christian communities.

The reasons why I accepted to support CCO were to encourage personal commitment among young people, and to support a movement having a short history and humble beginnings which brings a fresh perspective on evangelization. I believe that in a campus environment, the presence of young missionaries opens a window on a reality often undiscovered because of the demands and expectations of student life and of values imposed by the prevailing culture. Our spiritual dimension refers us to the existence of a greater Presence that cannot be totally grasped or defined without the appropriate spiritual guidance

(mentoring) that gives access to ways of discovering one’s true desire of connecting with this reality.

CCO brings much hope; a hope for humanity by taking part in a broader missionary movement and by building new communities that have a desire to make Jesus known. The call to evangelize as a committed layperson, which is the basis of CCO, is forever addressed to all Christians. By baptism, are we not all called to go “on a mission,” to work in the Lord’s vineyard? Students involved in faith studies benefit from the CCO’s teachings and discipleship; seeds are sown that will bear fruit all their lives, a gift of which we often ignore the potential. They will become missionaries and committed witnesses living the joy of being a disciple in their workplace and living communities.

I fully acknowledge CCO’s contribution to the building of a Christian community with infinite potential for leadership and spiritual growth. Through the expression of faith based on God incarnated in Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit – liberating truth that enlightens our own reality – students can find points of reference and, overall, a sense of belonging to the Church. They can, in turn, dedicate themselves to transforming society into a world more and more inspired by the Beatitudes.

United in prayer and blessings for a better world.

Je suis épouse, maman et grand-maman, vivant et œuvrant au sein d’une communauté chrétienne

très vivante. Je suis missionnaire dans mon milieu de vie, et ce, depuis toujours… À ma façon, je rejoins les aspirations de CCO: Mission-Campus découvrir et redécouvrir la présence de Jésus dans notre vie et Lui ouvrir notre cœur et nos projets; Lui faire une place dans notre quotidien en consacrant plus de temps à la méditation, à la prière et au ressourcement spirituel, au cœur même de l’activité universitaire et professionnelle.

L’évangélisation est une œuvre de création à long terme, voire à «terme infini». Elle s’inscrit dans la continuité. Toutefois, c’est dans le quotidien que la mission s’accomplit. Le modèle de pastorale jeunesse de CCO: Mission-Campus incarne la présence de l’Évangile dans le «vrai» monde, où des gens, occupés, pressés, et sollicités sont en mode «création» d’un projet d’avenir. Des missionnaires laïques, jeunes et dynamiques, offrant un modèle d’intervention et d’accueil mutuel auprès des pairs, apportent réconfort et espérance dans un monde qui, parfois, tourne trop vite.

L’enthousiasme, le dynamisme, l’énergie et la joie de partager sa foi que je perçois chez les missionnaires et dans le leadership de CCO: Mission-Campus me rejoignent profondément : au-delà du contenu organisationnel, il y a le fondement d’une foi intégrée et vivifiante. Le désir de consacrer son temps et son énergie à l’évangélisation et à la formation de leaders chrétiens

contribue à combler les besoins d’évangélisation et d’évangélisateurs souvent exprimés au sein de l’Église et des communautés chrétiennes actuelles.

J’ai accepté de soutenir le mouvement, d’abord pour apporter un soutien concret à l’engagement personnel, mais également un soutien à un mouvement dont l’histoire récente et les humbles débuts apportent fraicheur à l’évangélisation. J’aime croire que sur le terrain, la présence de missionnaires ouvre une fenêtre sur une Réalité souvent ignorée en raison des exigences de la vie étudiante et des valeurs imposées par la culture ambiante : la dimension spirituelle de la personne, et par le fait même, l’existence d’une Présence tellement plus grande qu’on ne peut la saisir ni la définir sans vivre un accompagnement spirituel qui donne accès à des clés permettant de nommer son désir de connaître et de faire partie de cette réalité.

CCO: Mission-Campus est porteuse d’espérance; une espérance pour l’humanité puisqu’elle s’inscrit dans un mouvement missionnaire plus large et dans le déploiement de nouvelles communautés qui ont le goût de faire connaître Jésus Christ. L’appel à l’évangélisation en tant que laïque engagé, en soi un fondement de CCO: Mission-Campus, s’adresse à tous les chrétiens. Par le baptême,

ne sommes-nous pas tous appelés à «aller en mission», à travailler à la vigne du Seigneur? La formation et l’accompagnement dont bénéficient les étudiants qui s’engagent dans les parcours et les études bibliques est une semence qui portera fruit toute la vie, un «cadeau» dont on ignore le potentiel. Ils deviendront, dans leur milieu de vie et leur domaine professionnel, missionnaires et témoins engagés vivants dans la joie d’être disciple.

De mon poste d’observation, je reconnais que CCO: Mission-Campus contribue à construire une communauté à l’infini en donnant accès à une formation au leadership et à du ressourcement. À travers l’expression d’une foi basée sur Dieu incarné en Jésus par la puissance de l’Esprit Saint – vérité qui libère la personne dans sa propre réalité – les étudiants y trouvent des points de repère et surtout, une appartenance à l’Église missionnaire, vouée à l’humanisation de la société et à la réalisation d’un monde qui s’inspire davantage des Béatitudes.

Union de prières et bénédictions pour un monde meilleur.

by Marie Lemoine Dumouchelpar Marie Lemoine Dumouchel

Marie and her husband Bernard .

Personnel de CCO: Mission-Campus et étudiants leaders de l’Université Laval. /CCO staff and student leaders from Laval University.

1010 1111

3. A love of Christ and a desire for others to find it - CCO

rallies in prayer for everyone they meet, supporters like you, staff and their families, the students they serve and most especially for the many searching souls. In numerous conversations I’ve heard CCO missionaries describe how they shared Christ’s love with a company or supplier who was not even Catholic; how they are dealing with a single girl on campus making a major decision about her pregnancy; how they are challenging a young man in a faith study to take his relationship with Christ to the next level and have a chaste relationship with his girlfriend. The young men and women of CCO are serious about what they do. They love Jesus, they want others to know and love Jesus and they do something about it in very a caring and non-judgemental way.

These last three years have helped shape my thinking about being an active evangelist and develop more passion within my personal prayer life. Little did I know that when six young CCO missionaries appeared in my parish in the summer of 2004 as part of IMPACT Halifax, they would have such a profound effect on my life. I was unaware that I would become a supporter and volunteer and never in my wildest dreams did I think that I would work with CCO.

I want to leave you with this challenge. The next invitation that you receive from CCO to attend an event or to be around CCO missionaries, be like Mary and say “Yes” for you too will be impressed. I look forward to reading your story in The Grapevine.

In February of 2008 I was in Vancouver and was invited to breakfast with CCO senior

staff members Brett Powell and André Regnier whom I knew as a result of several years of volunteer involvement with CCO in Halifax at Dalhousie University. I thought it was an opportunity to catch up with each other and take advantage of the fact that we were all simultaneously in the same city but I noticed that the “always comfortable” Brett Powell was fidgety. He finally came to the

point; “I might as well just come out and say it!” I anxiously awaited whatever would follow.

He paused and said, “We would like you to come work for us.”

Relief quickly gave way to shock. I had recently left my job and started a business where I consulted and spoke on gratitude and stewardship. Brett and André understood why I embarked on this calling and explained that they did not want me full-time but rather part-time and only for a few years – to “enflesh” the heart of Christian Stewardship deeper within CCO. I was flattered but told them, “I feel somewhat like I imagine how Mary must have felt after the visit by Gabriel.”

Unlike Mary’s willing “Yes”, we all had a pretty good sense that my answer would be “No”. We

agreed that I should think and pray about it, and I returned home to discuss it with my wife. She provided the crystal clear perspective that changed my response to an enthusiastic, “Yes”.

Three years later I realize how deeply touched I have been by CCO missionaries, both those with whom I interacted closely and those whom I casually witnessed

at national staff gatherings. In all cases, one assessment

repeatedly comes to my mind to describe these young people: I am

impressed. Through their actions, words and attitudes they have

imprinted on my mind and my heart what it truly means to be a disciple of Christ.

This notion of being impressed is shaped by three themes that I have observed and that I believe are important for young leaders in the world and in our church.

1. A level of maturity that is well beyond their years –

CCO’s staff is young but this does not handicap them. I recall one missionary sharing the challenge she experienced upon returning from maternity leave. Wanting to return to campus ministry, she was disappointed when CCO’s leadership team suggested she instead take on a less time-consuming role. Despite the initial disappointment, she quickly recognized the wisdom of their suggestion. And wanting others to benefit from her experience, she had both the courage and the maturity to share her story.

2. A willingness to learn and grow – Stewardship begins in

prayer so over the course of about a year we formed two groups where we prayerfully studied the Bishops’ pastoral letter on Stewardship. Today this pastoral letter is in the hands of every CCO staff member. A program has been developed for the year with time set aside each month for work teams to study and reflect on how stewardship is part of being a CCO missionary. And one CCO staff member, on his own initiative, is leading a study of this document within his diocese.

I Am Impressed by Steve Foran

Steve Foran and CCO chair of the board, Jim Meuse.

▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼

Yes!I want to makea special gift to CCO.

■■ I want to support on a monthly basis in the amount of: ■■ $500 ■■ $300 ■■ $200 ■■ $100 ■■ $50 ■■ $25 ■■ Other: $_________________

I hereby authorize Catholic Christian Outreach to arrange automatic deductions from my bankaccount or credit card on the:

■■ 1st or the ■■ 16th of each month for payments of my monthly support:

Commencing __________________________ __________________________________MONTH STAFF MEMBER, SPECIFIC PROJECT, OR CCO GENERAL

Signed ________________________________ Date __________________________________________SIGNATURE

■■ Visa ■■ MasterCard Expiry Date:_________

Card #

Name:

Phone:

Address: (Information required for authorization)

✁✁

CCO invites you to join a special campaign tosupport the outreach work that we are doing

with university students in Canada and Africa. Build the Kingdom

I would like mygift to be used in

the ministry of:

MONTHLY GIVING PLAN OPTIONS

■■ Pre-Authorized Bank Payments(Please enclose a sample cheque marked “VOID”. The sample cheque willprovide us with the information necessary to begin automatic deductions.)

■■ 12 post-dated cheques, which I have enclosed. (Please make cheques payable to Catholic Christian Outreach.)

PLANNED GIVING TO CCO

■■ I would like more information on planned giving to CCO.■■ I have made a bequest to Catholic Christian Outreach in my Will

1111

Yes!I want to supportthe work ofCatholic ChristianOutreach

■■ I want to support on a monthly basis in the amount of: ■■ $500 ■■ $300 ■■ $200 ■■ $100 ■■ $50 ■■ $25 ■■ Other: $_________________

I hereby authorize Catholic Christian Outreach to arrange automatic deductions from my bankaccount or credit card on the:

■■ 1st or the ■■ 16th of each month for payments of my monthly support:

Commencing __________________________ __________________________________MONTH STAFF MEMBER, SPECIFIC PROJECT, OR CCO GENERAL

Signed ________________________________ Date __________________________________________SIGNATURE

MONTHLY GIVING PLAN OPTIONS■■ Pre-Authorized Bank Payments

(Please enclose a sample cheque marked “VOID”.The sample cheque will provide us with the infor-mation necessary to begin automatic deductions.)

■■ 12 post-dated cheques, which I haveenclosed. (Please make cheques payable to CatholicChristian Outreach.)

■■ Visa ■■ MasterCard Expiry Date:_________

Card #

Name:

Phone:

Address: (Information required for authorization)

✁✁

forming futureleaders today

▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼

CCO would like to invite you to join us in the New Evangelization throughmonthly financial support. Monthly donations provide CCO missionaries withstable finances, allowing them to focus more time on campus evangelization.

Please consider giving – we cannot do it without you!

Build the Kingdom

I would like mygift to be used in

the ministry of:

stand fully the grace and love He pres-ents to me through the Eucharist?

I implore everyone to take everyopportunity to adore and love Him.The man died on the cross for us, forour sins, out of love for even those whoreject him! Give 100% of your effort!Christ is my number one possession. Iknow this now. All that I have is Hisand I abandon myself to Him andrejoice in His glory. My God is good!

Shortly after that fateful night 2 yearsago at the Summit, I had a dream. Theworld was a dark mass with smallpockets of glowing lights. Someexpanded and overflowed into thedarkness and others were dimming

and going out. I realized that these werethe children of the light, the followersof Christ that I had heard about. Thosein a community fostering their growthwere the expanding globes of light.Those that were off to themselves werelike me, dimming lights with the dark-ness overwhelming them and blockingout their light. I came on this missionknowing that I did not want to end uplike those who lead lives of darkness. Ihave found the community I searchedfor. Indeed it is with all of you. And Ipray that all of you may join me in thiscommunity of light to expand and fillthis world with God’s light and love forall. ◆

20th AnniversaryCookbook

If you purchased a CCO cookbook,please email recipes@cco.ca for a

small list of corrections.

Grapevine-Fall 2009-3 11/20/09 10:57 AM Page 11

Follow the link on CCo’s homepage (www .cco .ca) to watch the interview of CCo missionary

Dustin Greenwald hosted by salt and light tV .

1010 1111

3. A love of Christ and a desire for others to find it - CCO

rallies in prayer for everyone they meet, supporters like you, staff and their families, the students they serve and most especially for the many searching souls. In numerous conversations I’ve heard CCO missionaries describe how they shared Christ’s love with a company or supplier who was not even Catholic; how they are dealing with a single girl on campus making a major decision about her pregnancy; how they are challenging a young man in a faith study to take his relationship with Christ to the next level and have a chaste relationship with his girlfriend. The young men and women of CCO are serious about what they do. They love Jesus, they want others to know and love Jesus and they do something about it in very a caring and non-judgemental way.

These last three years have helped shape my thinking about being an active evangelist and develop more passion within my personal prayer life. Little did I know that when six young CCO missionaries appeared in my parish in the summer of 2004 as part of IMPACT Halifax, they would have such a profound effect on my life. I was unaware that I would become a supporter and volunteer and never in my wildest dreams did I think that I would work with CCO.

I want to leave you with this challenge. The next invitation that you receive from CCO to attend an event or to be around CCO missionaries, be like Mary and say “Yes” for you too will be impressed. I look forward to reading your story in The Grapevine.

In February of 2008 I was in Vancouver and was invited to breakfast with CCO senior

staff members Brett Powell and André Regnier whom I knew as a result of several years of volunteer involvement with CCO in Halifax at Dalhousie University. I thought it was an opportunity to catch up with each other and take advantage of the fact that we were all simultaneously in the same city but I noticed that the “always comfortable” Brett Powell was fidgety. He finally came to the

point; “I might as well just come out and say it!” I anxiously awaited whatever would follow.

He paused and said, “We would like you to come work for us.”

Relief quickly gave way to shock. I had recently left my job and started a business where I consulted and spoke on gratitude and stewardship. Brett and André understood why I embarked on this calling and explained that they did not want me full-time but rather part-time and only for a few years – to “enflesh” the heart of Christian Stewardship deeper within CCO. I was flattered but told them, “I feel somewhat like I imagine how Mary must have felt after the visit by Gabriel.”

Unlike Mary’s willing “Yes”, we all had a pretty good sense that my answer would be “No”. We

agreed that I should think and pray about it, and I returned home to discuss it with my wife. She provided the crystal clear perspective that changed my response to an enthusiastic, “Yes”.

Three years later I realize how deeply touched I have been by CCO missionaries, both those with whom I interacted closely and those whom I casually witnessed

at national staff gatherings. In all cases, one assessment

repeatedly comes to my mind to describe these young people: I am

impressed. Through their actions, words and attitudes they have

imprinted on my mind and my heart what it truly means to be a disciple of Christ.

This notion of being impressed is shaped by three themes that I have observed and that I believe are important for young leaders in the world and in our church.

1. A level of maturity that is well beyond their years –

CCO’s staff is young but this does not handicap them. I recall one missionary sharing the challenge she experienced upon returning from maternity leave. Wanting to return to campus ministry, she was disappointed when CCO’s leadership team suggested she instead take on a less time-consuming role. Despite the initial disappointment, she quickly recognized the wisdom of their suggestion. And wanting others to benefit from her experience, she had both the courage and the maturity to share her story.

2. A willingness to learn and grow – Stewardship begins in

prayer so over the course of about a year we formed two groups where we prayerfully studied the Bishops’ pastoral letter on Stewardship. Today this pastoral letter is in the hands of every CCO staff member. A program has been developed for the year with time set aside each month for work teams to study and reflect on how stewardship is part of being a CCO missionary. And one CCO staff member, on his own initiative, is leading a study of this document within his diocese.

I Am Impressed by Steve Foran

Steve Foran and CCO chair of the board, Jim Meuse.

▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼

Yes!I want to makea special gift to CCO.

■■ I want to support on a monthly basis in the amount of: ■■ $500 ■■ $300 ■■ $200 ■■ $100 ■■ $50 ■■ $25 ■■ Other: $_________________

I hereby authorize Catholic Christian Outreach to arrange automatic deductions from my bankaccount or credit card on the:

■■ 1st or the ■■ 16th of each month for payments of my monthly support:

Commencing __________________________ __________________________________MONTH STAFF MEMBER, SPECIFIC PROJECT, OR CCO GENERAL

Signed ________________________________ Date __________________________________________SIGNATURE

■■ Visa ■■ MasterCard Expiry Date:_________

Card #

Name:

Phone:

Address: (Information required for authorization)

✁✁

CCO invites you to join a special campaign tosupport the outreach work that we are doing

with university students in Canada and Africa. Build the Kingdom

I would like mygift to be used in

the ministry of:

MONTHLY GIVING PLAN OPTIONS

■■ Pre-Authorized Bank Payments(Please enclose a sample cheque marked “VOID”. The sample cheque willprovide us with the information necessary to begin automatic deductions.)

■■ 12 post-dated cheques, which I have enclosed. (Please make cheques payable to Catholic Christian Outreach.)

PLANNED GIVING TO CCO

■■ I would like more information on planned giving to CCO.■■ I have made a bequest to Catholic Christian Outreach in my Will

1111

Yes!I want to supportthe work ofCatholic ChristianOutreach

■■ I want to support on a monthly basis in the amount of: ■■ $500 ■■ $300 ■■ $200 ■■ $100 ■■ $50 ■■ $25 ■■ Other: $_________________

I hereby authorize Catholic Christian Outreach to arrange automatic deductions from my bankaccount or credit card on the:

■■ 1st or the ■■ 16th of each month for payments of my monthly support:

Commencing __________________________ __________________________________MONTH STAFF MEMBER, SPECIFIC PROJECT, OR CCO GENERAL

Signed ________________________________ Date __________________________________________SIGNATURE

MONTHLY GIVING PLAN OPTIONS■■ Pre-Authorized Bank Payments

(Please enclose a sample cheque marked “VOID”.The sample cheque will provide us with the infor-mation necessary to begin automatic deductions.)

■■ 12 post-dated cheques, which I haveenclosed. (Please make cheques payable to CatholicChristian Outreach.)

■■ Visa ■■ MasterCard Expiry Date:_________

Card #

Name:

Phone:

Address: (Information required for authorization)

✁✁

forming futureleaders today

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CCO would like to invite you to join us in the New Evangelization throughmonthly financial support. Monthly donations provide CCO missionaries withstable finances, allowing them to focus more time on campus evangelization.

Please consider giving – we cannot do it without you!

Build the Kingdom

I would like mygift to be used in

the ministry of:

stand fully the grace and love He pres-ents to me through the Eucharist?

I implore everyone to take everyopportunity to adore and love Him.The man died on the cross for us, forour sins, out of love for even those whoreject him! Give 100% of your effort!Christ is my number one possession. Iknow this now. All that I have is Hisand I abandon myself to Him andrejoice in His glory. My God is good!

Shortly after that fateful night 2 yearsago at the Summit, I had a dream. Theworld was a dark mass with smallpockets of glowing lights. Someexpanded and overflowed into thedarkness and others were dimming

and going out. I realized that these werethe children of the light, the followersof Christ that I had heard about. Thosein a community fostering their growthwere the expanding globes of light.Those that were off to themselves werelike me, dimming lights with the dark-ness overwhelming them and blockingout their light. I came on this missionknowing that I did not want to end uplike those who lead lives of darkness. Ihave found the community I searchedfor. Indeed it is with all of you. And Ipray that all of you may join me in thiscommunity of light to expand and fillthis world with God’s light and love forall. ◆

20th AnniversaryCookbook

If you purchased a CCO cookbook,please email recipes@cco.ca for a

small list of corrections.

Grapevine-Fall 2009-3 11/20/09 10:57 AM Page 11

Follow the link on CCo’s homepage (www .cco .ca) to watch the interview of CCo missionary

Dustin Greenwald hosted by salt and light tV .

41501527cathoLic christiaN outreach caNadaCatholic Christian outreach is a university student movement dedicated to evangelization . We challenge young adults to live in the fullness of the Catholic faith, with an emphasis on becoming leaders in the renewal of the world

Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to:

Cathol ic Christ ian Outreach Canada • 1247 Ki lborn Pl . , Ottawa, On K1H 6K9 CanadaTelephone: (613) 736-1999 • Fax: (613) 736-1800 • Email: hq@cco.ca • Website: www.cco.ca

is brought to our communities as these transformed young men and women go out and begin their careers and families.

We continue to live out his call to the New Evangelization on campuses throughout Canada. And that mission field appears to be growing. While we were in Rome for the Beatification, we had the opportunity to meet the president of the newly formed Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelization, Archbishop Rino Fisichella. This new Vatican department

was created by Pope Benedict to help the worldwide Church live out and implement Blessed John Paul II’s call for the New Evangelization. I sent Archbishop Fisichella a letter with information about CCO last year and now he has invited CCO to give input and assist with some of the activities and planning that the Pontifical Council is undertaking.

Our movement, with humble beginnings in the prairies, now has the opportunity to share our experience of the New Evangelization with the worldwide Church. None of this could be possible without God’s grace working through people. His grace inspired Pope John Paul II’s vision for New Evangelization. His grace enabled CCO Founders André and Angèle Regnier to start CCO twenty-three years ago. His grace calls people to serve with CCO as full-time missionaries. His grace enables thousands of young people to embrace their faith. His grace inspires people like you to support our work through prayer and financial gifts. All of these things come together to bring the hope of Jesus Christ to a world which so desperately needs it. There are many more exciting days ahead. Thank you for being a partner with us in hope.

Grace and Hope: Blessed John Paul II

(continued from page 4)

André Regnier praying before the tomb of JPII.

to read reflections on CCo and John Paul ii go to www .cco .ca