LAY LEADERS ACTIVATED FOR MISSION
STORIES OF PERSONAL APOSTOLATES
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MEN’S GROUP APOSTOLATE
Leaders from St. Michael the Archangel in Olympia, WA, gather for a post-training huddle to support and encourage each other. Continuing to meet in formation and fellowship is crucial for apostolates!
| A Spanish-language men’s group in Georgia is encouraging fathers to lead their families back to Jesus:
After Reach More mission training, Carlos from St. Matthew’s in Winder, Georgia, was inspired to launch a small group for men in the parish’s Spanish-speaking community. Carlos was particularly excited about learning another man in his group was also from Venezuela, and the two men bonded over their shared experiences. Because of the men’s group and his fellowship with Carlos, the man began attending Mass after many years, bringing his family to celebrate as well.
Two mission training group leaders at the naval base in Yokosuka, Japan share their notes after a formation workshop. Over 6,000 Catholics around the world have been equipped for mission through Reach More training so far!
EVANGELIZATION AT 40,000 FEET
Evangelization can happen anywhere, even in the stratosphere. Pete Agosto knows this better than most. Pete is a commercial pilot for a major airline and spends a lot of time up in the air, many times with co-pilots that he hasn’t met before.
Pete had a zeal for his faith, but he had not learned how to share it with others in ordinary, daily conversations.
“I’m always looking for ways to break the ice,” Pete says. “When you’re in close proximity to someone on a fourteen-hour flight and spend five days in Seoul with them, you learn how to be a good conversationalist.”
It wasn’t always easy for Pete to slip into natural conversation with his co-pilots. He’s a big guy and
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Stories of real Catholics being transformed, equipped, and inspired to live out the Great Commission in their lives!
What does it look like when a baptized Catholic is equipped to live out the Great Commission in the world after being trained through Reach MoreTM? Well, it can look like anything! This is a collection of stories about seemingly-regular Catholics who are living their personal apostolates in the midst of the world.
STRANGER ON THE SIDEWALK
: The Evangelical Catholic's mission training was the preparation a leader needed to respond to an unexpected encounter:
One morning outside of St. Patrick’s in Janesville, WI, Pat saw a woman in distress. After some initial conversation, it was apparent she was in need of prayers. He called over two other parishioners, asked if they could pray for her, and she agreed. As they were praying, she was overcome with emotion and began weeping tears of joy. She exclaimed, praising God and commenting that Catholics are wonderful people. One of the women who had been praying for her accompanied her to get a few things she needed and continued to minister to her in her dire situation.
Scan to learn more about the Evangelical Catholic!
Leaders in Florida gather for a meal and fellowship as a part of their Reach More mission training group experience. The culture of discipleship can take many forms in different communities. Scan the QR code to support the work of the Evangelical Catholic!
40,000 FEET, CONTINUED
retired Air Force, too—he knows his first impression can come off as intimidating. Growing up in a devout Pentecostal family and becoming Catholic as an adult, he had a zeal for his faith, but he had not learned how to share it with others in ordinary, daily conversations.
Pete’s life took a sharp turn when he suffered a devastating loss in 2017—the passing of his thirteenyear-old daughter. Despite the tragedy, Pete’s faith deepened considerably. “I became closer to Jesus through that suffering,” he shares. Pete and his wife poured themselves into their parish, involving themselves in many ministries, events, and initiatives.
“I realized that I was already in my personal apostolate while I was in the cockpit! The Evangelical Catholic helped me reframe those encounters as evangelization opportunities."
Last year, they were approached by a parish staff member and invited to join an Evangelical Catholic mission training group. Pete was initially hesitant, but thought highly of the staff member and was honored that she personally approached them. Pete says:
"I admit that before joining the mission training, I had a pretty cynical view of evangelization. I tend to envision someone standing on a street corner with a big sign. I also had this idea that it was all up to me to convert others. But my perception of evangelization was totally turned on its head as I continued through the training group."
During the session on personal apostolates, a lightbulb went off in Pete’s head. He says, “I realized that I was already in my personal apostolate while I was in the cockpit! The Evangelical Catholic helped me reframe those encounters as evangelization opportunities. Now when I have conversations with my co-pilots, I do so much more intentionally.”
Now when Pete spends time with his co-pilots, he’s always looking for opportunities to share the Good News of Jesus he has experienced in his life. He stays in touch and checks in with fellow pilots he encounters and continues to be a witness even when they’re not flying together.
DINNER APOSTOLATE
| One woman in Texas is sharing the love of Jesus with her friends, one dinner party at a time:
Amy, a parishioner at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in Keller, TX, felt called to grow deeper in her friendship with Celeste. Amy invited Celeste to dinner to get to know her better. Later, Celeste began attending Amy’s small group and eventually invited a friend herself. Celeste admitted that she had never owned a Bible before joining the small group, but is now praying with Scripture and attending Mass after a three-year hiatus.
SORORITY
APOSTOLATE | A Bradley University student is inviting the Holy Spirit into her sorority by nurturing more intentional relationships with her sisters:
Jordyn, a female student at Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois, was inspired by Reach More mission training to approach the relationships with her sorority sisters in a more intentional way. She allowed the Holy Spirit to lead her during conversations, especially while sharing meals with the women she lived with. Jordyn dedicated more of her time praying and interceding for her fellow sisters. The campus minister, Sara, noticed that more and more of Jordyn’s sorority sisters have been showing up to Mass each week.
WHEN "THE CHURCH AS A FIELD HOSPITAL" BECOMES A REALITY
Many of us are already familiar with Pope Francis’ words on the Church being “a field hospital”, but how many of us are able to take that quote literally? Austin Verrett, a pharmacist at a hospital in Louisiana, was inspired after the Reach More mission training to bring Jesus into his workplace.
Austin was just your typical parishioner: raised Catholic, received all his sacraments, and went to Mass every Sunday. He was enjoying his family, his career, and his social groups. Everything in his life seemed to be in place. But two years ago, Austin began suffering from medical issues and was facing recovery time that could last from six months to a year.
"I had never seen myself as a leader and I had never even participated in a small group, but God’s timing [in the invitation to mission training] was perfect.”
He was disheartened by the prognosis, but didn’t know what to do about it. Soon after, Austin began experiencing “miraculous recovery time”—he recovered from his issue in six weeks instead of six months. He learned later that Masses had been offered for his recovery, and his pastor, Fr. Nathan Long, had been a large proponent of interceding in prayer for Austin’s health.
“After my recovery, I was full of so much energy, zeal, and this sense of reckless abandon,” Austin shared, “I didn’t know what to do with it. So when Fr. Long approached me to join the mission training, I was really moved by his invitation. I had never seen myself as a leader and I had never even participated in a small group, but God’s timing was perfect.”
The mission training proved to be a fruitful experience for Austin, and led him to a perspective shift in sharing his faith with others. “In high school, I thought stuff like what I learned in the training group was lame,” Austin laughs, “but when I heard these real people sharing real and oftentimes raw ways in which the Holy Spirit was working in their lives, I was really moved.”
Austin saw the training group and discerning his personal apostolate as the exact challenge that he needed.
Mimi Tran, the campus minister at Rice University in Houston, TX, chats with a student in a one-on-one meeting. One-on-ones are a great way to discuss faith in an organic, low-pressure environment.
FISHING APOSTOLATE | Love of Jesus and the outdoors led an Ohio man to his personal brand of evangelization:
Greg, from New Albany, OH, was greatly impacted by Reach More mission training. He was inspired to increase his situational awareness of others in his parish community, and to strengthen his habit of prayer and openness to the Holy Spirit. Because of this, Greg has begun accompanying a fellow parishioner in his faith journey by inviting him on a weekly fishing trip. They are growing in friendship, and Greg is excited to help connect his friend into a deeper relationship with Jesus.
These Catholics all have something in common: they have been equipped with formation and skills to enrich their relationship with Jesus, they interact intentionally with those in their lives, and they confidently thrive in their baptismal call to be the light of Christ.
