The Year of Prayer The Year of Prayer The Year of Prayer The Year of Prayer The Year of Prayer GOOD NEWS FROM CATHOLIC CHRISTIAN OUTREACH ™ • 2024 The Year of Prayer
What’s inside:
CCO’s annual report Learn CCO’s method of PRAYER How the prayer of the Heart CHANGES LIVES
When we first envisioned CCO in 1988, our hearts were set on igniting a personal and profound conversion within university students—a group seeking meaning and purpose and brimming with potential as future leaders. Catholic university students could become great leaders in the Church and society if they were evangelized and accompanied. This vision, rooted in a desire to see young adults embrace a living faith and become active disciples of Jesus, has guided us every step of the way.
From the start, CCO was not just a ministry but a movement. It was a vibrant outpouring of the Holy Spirit meant to convert and equip disciples who would become active parishioners, Church leaders, and world-changers. Our work at universities has always been a strategic launchpad of missionary disciples to renew the world.
That is why our original mission statement was, “Catholic Christian Outreach is a university student movement dedicated to evangelization. CCO challenges young adults to live in the fullness of the Catholic
“Great expectations” is a founding tenet of CCO. It expresses hope and confidence in what
faith with a strong emphasis on becoming leaders in the renewal of the world.”
CCO has been asked over and over again to bring our charisms to parishes, dioceses, and other international partners. After twenty years of careful thought and prayer, we are confident that God is entrusting CCO with more mission fields. Thus the need to align CCO’s mission statement to reflect what God has invited us to do.
We are proud to announce our refreshed mission statement:
CCO is a Catholic movement raising up Christ-centred, Spirit-filled leaders to evangelize the world one person at a time.
CCO’s mission, rooted on university campuses, includes alumni, parishes, dioceses, and other key Church and global partners.
This mission statement honours our roots while embracing the evolution of our charism and reach, and is even more “clear and simple” than before.
CCO has come a long way since 1988. Together, let us continue to be guided by the Holy Spirit, spreading the joy and fullness of the Catholic faith and reaching more souls for Christ on campus and beyond.
With heartfelt gratitude and excitement for the future,
“ I wanted [2024], in preparation for the 2025 Jubilee, to be entirely dedicated to prayer. ” - Pope Francis
When Pope Francis called the Church into a year of prayer in 2024, CCO’s response was, “Let’s pray.” For many of us, prayer is not natural or easy. “What is prayer and how do I pray?” are questions many Catholics are searching for answers to. Desiring to address these questions for others, CCO Founder André Regnier wrote a small booklet describing five steps that will help build a prayer life that is daily, intimate and life-changing.
We first need to understand that “prayer is nothing else than being in terms of friendship with God.” as St. Teresa of Avila says. With this in mind, let us look at the dynamics that unfold in a conversational approach to prayer.
1. Step one: Greet. When we pray, we need to call God by his name, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and welcome him into the conversation.
2. Step two: Honesty. We should let our friend into our lives. When we speak to God honestly, we are giving him access to our lives. After this, the attention switches to the other person.
3. Step three: Worship. We then move our gaze toward God. In worship, God reveals himself to us. Now that the attention is on our friend, we open our ears and hearts to hear what he has to say.
4. Step four: Scripture. We should open up the BibleGod is now able to speak into our lives. When we pray, we speak to God. When we read the scriptures, God, our friend, speaks to us.
“ We will never regret taking time to pray for we always leave prayer better than when we came into prayer. ”
- André Regnier
5. Step five: Resolution. In our conversation with a friend, we are given good counsel. At the end of our prayer, we look back to see what counsel and/or encouragement God has spoken into our lives and decide what to act upon.
I went through the motions of being Catholic but my heart wasn’t really in it. Making the decision to invite Jesus to be the centre of my life made me go from thinking, ‘at least I prayed,’ to saying, ‘I want to pray.
- Kat, University of Victoria
I never realized the impact that prayer could have on my life until I learned how to truly pray. Being honest with Jesus about my personal struggles changed how I viewed my relationship with him and praying with the scriptures helped me hear his voice.
- Nathan, Carleton University
It was amazing seeing our parishioners’ eyes open to realizing that prayer was more than just the rote prayers they memorized. So many of our committed parishioners were opened up to the realization that God is personal and wants to talk directly to them in a deeper, more intimate way.
- Tyler, CCO Beyond, Director of Adult Faith Formation
Immaculate Heart of Mary, Denver
The prayer method that I learned was simple, easy to implement, and easy to explain to others. I have started praying with this method with my children, and have helped others teach it to theirs. It is a wonderful exercise to give God the space to speak into our hearts and our needs, and provide us with direction.
- Kit, CCO Beyond Faith Formation, Immaculate Heart of Mary, Denver
Learn how to:
• Approach prayer as a relationship.
• Have a two way conversation with God.
• Begin and sustain a prayer time.
• Let God know what is going on in your life.
• Enter into the presence of God.
• Hear God speak into your life.
• Bring the grace of your prayer into the rest of your day.
At the beginning of the year, the CCO campus movement felt called to lead students closer to God through worship. Worship is when we orient ourselves to God, praise and thank him, and dispose our heart to his will. Through worship, we are changed. At Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) the team entered into this call through praise and worship music. The journey was not without its challenges at first; few students attended scheduled praise and worship times and it felt bound to fail. Yet, as the year progressed, more students came, and it wasn’t long before two student leaders were entrusted with leading weekly praise and worship on campus. This changed everything.
These leaders saw praise and worship as a way to do two things: lead their peers closer to Jesus, and raise more worship leaders. They asked the Holy Spirit to guide the weekly themes and song choices. When they gathered they led group prayer, inviting others to say the name of Jesus, raise their hands in worship, and praise Jesus through songs regardless of their vocal ability.
During the silence, they encouraged others to say, “Jesus, I trust in you,” “Jesus, I need you,” or “Jesus, I love you.” Other times, they would simply share scripture, reflect on it, and share what they felt Jesus was saying to them.
The transformation on campus was palpable. Students found themselves more at ease invoking the name of Jesus, with ‘Praise Jesus’ becoming a common phrase on campus. Faith Studies began with prayers of praise, and a sense of joy and lightheartedness permeated the busy school life. Most importantly, students reported feeling a newfound closeness to Jesus. Their experiences in worship on campus enabled them to be more open and vulnerable with God. The weekly worship sessions not only transformed TMU’s campus culture but also deepened the faith of their students. This culture of worship will continue to bear fruit for years to come.
In worship, I finally understood this deep, personal love Jesus offers us. It’s one that’s healing, unique, and peaceful. My identity is in him and he will never leave me.
- Fabian, Queen’s University
I was real honest with God. I asked him to give me the confidence to say yes to him, to give Jesus a real try, to give Jesus my fears and doubts. After an honest confession and more prayer time with Jesus, I felt a peace that I’ve never experienced before!
- Briana, University of British Columbia
Worship has deepened my relationship with God. I feel He is with me and gifted me with a profound peace amidst the overstimulating nature of my campus and suffocating academic pressures.
- Alina, Toronto Metropolitan University
CCO missionaries love to talk about conversion. It is a critical aspect of a person’s relationship with Jesus. In fact, the catechism teaches that conversion is “an uninterrupted task for the whole Church” (CCC 1428).
While conversion is the work of the Holy Spirit over a lifetime, each of us can likely trace the beginnings of this journey to a key time when we first encountered Jesus. We call this experience our initial conversion, and it consists of three elements: intellect, will, and emotion.
For many, the first step is realizing that what the Church teaches or what we read in the Bible isn’t just a nice set of stories or words of wisdom. It’s the truth. This realization is a critical moment that opens the door to beginning a relationship with Jesus.
Once a person realizes the truth of the Gospel, they have to make a personal decision to choose this truth for themselves. This moment of “yes” to Jesus is where we often start to see lives change and the journey of discipleship begin.
In this time, we are drawn into a loving encounter with Jesus, the lover of our souls. As St. John tells us, God loved us first (cf. 1 John 4:19), and his love for us is unfathomably deep. Our response should be to return love for love.
Of course, initial conversion is just the first step in the journey! We will have opportunities to deepen our understanding of the faith, to choose Jesus again and again, and to more deeply encounter God’s love for us. But when we see the three elements of initial conversion in a person’s life we can have confidence that they have started down the path of a deep and lasting relationship with Jesus.
Learning about the salvation Jesus offers was the missing piece. Once I found it, I was able to accept him as the centre of my life.
- Daniel, University of Winnipeg
I’ve been waiting for this moment. I prayed the prayer to invite him to be the centre of my life and I finally understand that with God beside me, I know I will never be alone.
- Peter, Queen’s University
My faith is solidified through the relationship I entered into with Jesus and God the Father. It’s a relationship rooted in love and kindness.
- Sarah, University of Calgary
Faith is not about control or rules - it’s all about a relationship with God.
- Carlos, Concordia University
I was ready to come home to Jesus with an open heart and when I did, he welcomed me back with open arms.
- Sophie, Mount Royal University
The one thing I needed to hear to give my life fully to God was this: God sees you as worthy of dying for. Do you see him as worthy of living for.
- Jacob, University of Ottawa
Countless people have given their ‘yes’ to Jesus through the Prayer of the Heart . If you would like to respond to Jesus’ invitation to relationship, a simple prayer said in faith is all it takes.
Father,
I believe that you know me and love me. I have not always chosen to love you and have broken my relationship with you through my sins.
Thank you for sending your son Jesus who proved your love for me on the cross.
Lord Jesus, I open the door of my heart and I invite you to be at the centre of my life - to be my Saviour and my Lord.
Direct me by your Holy Spirit and help me to live the Gospel with my whole life. Amen.
Having Jesus at the centre is not just about trusting in his plan but about trusting him personally.
- Carolina, University of British Columbia
I wasn’t sure about God, but now I know Jesus is real. And I know I never want to go back to the way I was! I am truly changed, and God has transformed my life.
- Kento, Mount Royal University
When I’m worried, I go to Him with all my heart and I don’t run away when I’m going through hard times. I know that He is and always will be with me and there for me.
- Malvina, Brock University
Want to hear more stories of conversion like these?
Rise Up returned! This nationwide conference brought hundreds of young adults together at the end of December 2023. As one year ended and a new year began, they came to a deeper encounter with Jesus and were commissioned to be missionary disciples across Canada.
“ The experience at Rise Up transformed my entire perspective on faith. Going to Rise Up was a step outside of my comfort zone, but without it I would have never allowed God to take centre stage in my life”
- Thomas, Dalhousie University
Do you know a young adult (18-35) who wants to grow in their faith and meet hundreds of other Catholics from across Canada?
Registration i s open - encourage them to sign up today. We know it will change their lives.
689 60+ participants Campuses reached
The mission to Ireland was centred on proclaiming the gospel clearly and simply and equipping leaders in the local dioceses to do the same. Student leaders trained locals to use CCO’s Ultimate Relationship booklet (UR) to share the gospel, and the How to have a Personal Prayer Time booklet to equip others with a tangible and personal way of praying.
My heart grew for greater accompaniment of others. I always knew of the importance of building relationships in evangelization, but to see the fruits within days, and sometimes hours, filled my heart for mission
- Kristen, Queen’s University
Honduras
In Honduras, we worked with leaders of CCU, a university student movement that is the fruit of a CCO Mission in 2016. CCU leaders were accompanied to be more effective in reaching out to students on their university campuses and proclaiming the gospel through the CCO faith studies and the Ultimate Relationship booklet. Retreats, outreach, and evangelization nights gave them further opportunities to accompany people to a relationship with Jesus.
Student leaders from across Canada brought their joy of the Gospel to Honduras and Ireland this summer!
900+
We met a university student who shared with us that the previous night, she had felt so depressed that she cried out to God for a sign that He loved her and wanted a relationship with her. She told us that we were the answer to that prayer, and she invited Jesus to be at the centre of her life right there
-Matthew, Trent University people
100+
8 Jesus shared with Leaders trained to share the UR people trained in daily prayer Mission Participants
300+
38 Testimonies shared CCO Staff
3 Irish cities
3 Honduran Universities
5 Retreats
5 Adoration Events
3 Diocesan Training Sessions
38
150+ Contacts from one day on campus
For over 36 years, CCO has touched the lives of young people, guiding them to encounter Jesus and forming them as leaders who are on fire for their faith. Leaders like Fr. Kevin Darwent, CC, married couple, Maddy and Phil Scott, and Sr. Charity, SV—whose mission fields were revealed through prayer—and who have gone on to live out their vocations in powerful ways.
As we describe in our refreshed mission statement, our efforts to accompany people on campus are also extending beyond campus. For the past five years, CCO staff have accompanied various parishes and diocesan partners and their communities in becoming dynamic missionary movements. We’ve also sought to care for our alumni wherever possible, and this year CCO formed our first-ever team fully dedicated to the support of our alumni. Thus, we recently launched the CCO Beyond network – dedicated to leveraging our movement to empower all those in a beyondcampus context to become and build Christ-centred, Spirit-filled leaders in the world.
We would be honoured to help you take the next step in your mission. Join this network by searching “CCO Beyond” on Facebook.
In the coming year, CCO will be launching Activate, a dynamic program designed to deepen your relationship with God and equip you with the skills for effective evangelization. Whether you’re an alumnus, parishioner, or partner, Activate is here to help and guide you through actionable steps toward transforming your life and the world for God’s glory.
• Transformed in prayer
• Effective in evangelization
• Never alone on the journey
Be the first to know at:
Fr. Raffaele's experience is why we made the “How to Have A Personal Prayer Time” booklet, so students could be taught how to pray while involved on campus.
After the excitement of encountering Jesus through my involvement with CCO and coming to the life-altering conclusion, “He is real; and His Church is real!” there comes a quiet yet persistent question in the heart: “Now what? What can I do to live out this new friendship?” At the core of the desire to respond lies an even deeper question: “How do I pray?”
After I reverted to the faith in 2010 through a CCO retreat, I was filled with a desire to pray in a way that went deep. For months this desire was directed to a flurry of
joyful activity, but these activities could not satisfy that yearning to know Christ intimately in prayer. The fact remained - I desired to pray but didn’t know how.
One summer, while on a CCO mission, I found my desire to pray and know Jesus in a deeper way rekindled. Some months prior I had been given a little booklet titled, “Treasure in Heaven: A 40-Day, 10-Minute Prayer Guide”. It was the only reading material I had with me, and I poured my desire to pray upon this small guide book. Within I found a simple formula: a few basic prayers to open with, a sentence of scripture for reflection, a brief time for gratitude, and a moment for examining my conscience.
“ The deceptively simple prayer formula provided for me a foundation upon which my life of prayer and friendship with Christ has continued”
- Fr. Raffaele Salvino
I learned a basic structure for personal prayer that brought an unforeseen depth and beauty to my faith that I had never known before. Remarkably, this ‘boring’ little booklet and its simple structure provided me an entryway into the richness of a life lived with Christ: I was learning to recognize the voice of the Good Shepherd not only in his Holy Scriptures but, unexpectedly, in the ordinary occurrences of daily life. Through those ten minutes of guided prayer I spent alone with Him each day, I came to understand and experience that Our Lord Jesus Christ is incredibly close and real, particularly through personal prayer.
This past year, we launched a new 10 Year Vision: “To Activate Multiplying Leaders toward the Fulfillment of Jesus’ Great Commission”. 2023 to 2033 is an important decade of opportunity and grace as we anticipate a Great Jubilee in 2033, marking the 2000th anniversary of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
The first year of this decade has confirmed this call from the Lord. As you have read in these pages, our work on university campuses has grown stronger and our collaboration with alumni, parishes, dioceses, and like-minded movements is yielding substantial fruit. In all of this, I am particularly grateful to you, CCO’s faithful supporters, because without your partnership—both financial and prayerful—none of this fruit would be possible. You have helped us to impact thousands of people. You are instrumental in renewing the world.
As we look ahead, we view the next 9 years leading to 2033 as a novena of years - 9 years to pray and work diligently as we approach the Great Jubilee. During each year we will invoke the intercession of specific patron saints to inspire our efforts. In this current year, we have chosen the Canadian Martyrs as our patrons. Their witness and missionary efforts, nearly 400 years ago, laid the foundation for our faith in Canada. We invite you to pray with us for their intercession as we work to fulfill our mission.
Thank you all for your partnership. Together, we are activating multiplying leaders toward the fulfillment of Jesus’ Great Commission!
Jeff Lockert
CCO President
TOTAL REVENUE*
General contributions
Conference contributions
Mission contributions
Sale of literature & materials
TOTAL REVENUE
TOTAL EXPENSES* Program expeditures Management & admin expenses Fundraising TOTAL EXPENSES
840,000 10,391,000 2022/23 8,637,000 67,000 186,000 122,000 9,012,000 2022/23 6,981,000 1,481,000 752,000 9,214,000 $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ FOR FISCAL YEAR MAY 1, 2023 - APRIL 30, 2024
*Numbers rounded to the nearest thousand.
For copies of the audited financial statements, please contact us at hq@cco.ca
To the members of Catholic Christian Outreach Inc.: The total revenues and total expenses shown here for the year ended April 30th, 2024 are based on the organization’s audited financial statements. The Organization’s financial statements were audited by the Ottawa Office of Welch LLP.
Tell us how we did by filling out this 3-question survey! cco.ca/gesurvey
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How to have a personal prayer time:
1. Greet God. Start your conversation by saying hello.
2. Honesty. Tell God how you’re doing coming into prayer.
3. Worship. Worship God for who he is and for what he has done.
4. Scripture. Seek Jesus in the Scripture.
5. Resolution. What is a tangible takeaway from today’s prayer?
Thank you for partnering with us in the mission toward the renewal of the world. With our Founders’ Appeal being sent in the mail in the coming weeks, we are looking forward to the Church’s Jubilee Year of Hope in 2025. We invite you to consider being a Pilgrim of Hope by furthering your investment as we work together to proclaim Jesus.
Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to:
Catholic Christian Outreach Canada
501-1400 St. Laurent Blvd, Ottawa, ON K1K 4H4
Phone: 613.736.1999 or Toll-Free 1-844-Talk CCO (844-825-5226)
Email: hq@cco.ca Web: cco.ca