By John Hickey, Evangelization and Mission Leader, Roman Catholic Diocese of Saskatoon

The past year saw the launch of Project Timothy, a new initiative from the Roman Catholic Diocese of Saskatoon to equip young adults to be able to see and seize opportunities for mission in their daily life.

This year, we were blessed to have a wonderful group of 10 young adults who spent the year in formation in the areas of personal holiness and mission as a group.

Related: Project Tmiothy celebration marks completion of first year of program

Project Timothy Update – PDF

Called and Gifted

Project Timothy participants began the program taking the Called and Gifted series by the Saint Catherine of Siena Institute. They learned about many of the charisms that God instills in his people for the sake of mission, and were given discernment tools to see how they each might be uniquely gifted for the mission of sharing their faith with the world.

“After taking the Called and Gifted program, I felt called to view my work as a nurse as an opportunity to offer spiritual healing as well through the charism of intercessory prayer. I made it my goal to have the courage to ask a patient at least once per shift if they would like someone to pray with. I was surprised to find out that many of the patients were not only open to the idea, but very grateful. I would often see my patients experience inner peace and spiritual healing through this new ministry of prayer and pretty soon, I was getting frequent pages from patients asking for ‘the praying nurse’ to sit with them.” – Hannah McIntosh

As they year went on, they received formation from speakers both locally and abroad on a variety of topics ranging from how to lead small groups, how to share your testimony, evangelization opportunities in the workplace, and how to bring the mission to your parish, to name a few.

“Project Timothy provided me the opportunity to learn about my charisms and to test them out while also being among a supportive fellowship group doing the same thing. I felt the program helped me to feel more equipped to serve and volunteer in my parish in a way that makes use of my God-given gifts.” – Jaiden Christopher

Reaching the Youth

Towards the end of the program, members of our team were encouraged to put into practice all they learned and find ministry opportunities to get involved in. Many of our young adults have since become involved in local youth ministry through involvement in other organizations such as Face-to-Face Ministries, and through volunteering with their parish youth programs. Many of our participants have decided to take leadership ositions with the Search Retreats, aimed a high-school-aged teens.

One of our members did not initially see any opportunity in her small-town parish, but decided to start a small group, with the blessing of her pastor.

“Three of us leaders decided to start a virtual book club with a goup of 13 female high school students. The book we chose was “How to find your soulmate without losing your soul” by Jason and Crystalina Evert. It was a treat opportunity to connect with teenage girls on this topic because of the mixed messages our culture tells young girls today. We had a diverse group of girls, including practicing Catholics and non-Christians. It was great hearing others’ perspectives and also how the information we covered in the book impacted each one of their lives. The community I’ve built with these girls was also really important, especially in a time of isolation.” – Allison Karstens

Looking Ahead

For our inaugural year, we have been blown away by the immediate fruit that this small group of young adults are already producing. We believe that investing in this strategic age group will not only create future leaders for our parishes, but will be equipping a future generation of saints to have an impact on our society.

We are currently in active recruitment for next year’s Project Timothy team. We are looking to expand our team to include 12-20 new members who will receive another year of formation, mentorship, and accompaniment to become leaders in the New Evangelization.

Please pray for next year’s team, and consider referring any young adults you think would be a good fit. You can contact John Hickey at jhickey@rcdos.ca or 306-659-5847 for more information.

Finally, we want to thank all who supported this important ministry this year through financial giving to the Bishop’s Annual Appeal, and for sharing in the good news of what God has done in the lives of these young adults and those they are reaching. We hope that we can count on continued prayers and support as Project Timothy continues to grow.

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