The Called and Gifted™ Discernment Process from the Catherine of Siena Institute is designed to help Christians discern the presence of charisms (God’s gifts) in their lives. In January 2025, members of the Called and Gifted team in the diocese of Saskatoon travelled to the Philippines on a mission trip to introduce the gift discernment process to communities there.
By Brenda Tryhuba, Our Lady of Lourdes Parish
“Rocked our world” was a phrase that came to mind when we accepted an invitation from Sr. Malou Tibayan to travel to the Philippines with a mission team to bring Called and Gifted.
We accepted the invitation with excitement and anticipation mixed in with some trepidation and nervousness. Away from our family and home for a month and being so far away was not something we thought we would ever experience.
We truly were “Pilgrims of Hope” as we shared our faith, creating and fostering spiritual connections with the people of the Philippines; creating a network for God. What a gift it was for us to share our faith and knowledge with our “Catholic Family” in the Philippines.
Bringing to fruition, our hopes, and fulfillment of the Called and Gifted process in the Philippines was a prayer come true. God opened a door of possibilities and we had to be open to Him and to serving Him.
Praise be to God for opening up the opportunities to be able to share our knowledge, experiences and charisms with these participants. The people were eager to learn this discernment process and discover their God-given charisms. During and after the workshops, it was apparent that the participants were curious to learn more.
We received positive feedback from the participants regarding the workshop, how it was implemented and team effectiveness. The participants were happy to be there, to be a part of this mission and were prepared to do the work.
It was inspiring for us to see their openness to the process, and we were humbled by their presence. Some of the participants were sponsored by people from Saskatoon, encouraging them to attend. Their transformation after the workshop, was one of thankfulness, and joy in knowing they were learning how to discern their gifts so they could better serve God.
Clarity of their possible charisms was profound for the participants and how they will live through their charism in all aspects of their lives, bringing Glory to our Lord and building up His Kingdom. This is just the beginning of their journey of charism discernment and we look forward to hearing their testimonies.
Team included six travellers and three at home
We were a team of nine; six hit the road and three stayed behind the scenes at home. Sr. Malou Tibayan, Anne Williams, Cameron Choquette, Astrid Alas, Jim and Brenda Tryhuba were the road crew. Donna and Rick Dupuis and Joan Hoerdt-Lukan were the home crew; praying for us and getting things prepared for our next Called and Gifted workshop at Holy Family Cathedral on March 22.
The next Called and Gifted introductory workshop in Saskatoon will be held March 22 at the Cathedral of the Holy Family in Saskatoon. Cost is $80. Find online registration at: JotForm Link For more information about the Called and Gifted program in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Saskatoon, contact Sr. Malou Tibayan at mtibayan@rcdos.ca or (306) 659-5843 or see the pamphlet (PDF).
The team: I have to say something about that! We were a group of people who knew each other but not everyone knew each other well. We know that God put us together to fulfill this mission in His name and for His glory. We worked very well together and got along famously. No fights, just fun and tons of laughter. The six of us spent every day and evening together for three weeks and no one would ever think that we had never travelled together before.
It really was profound and remarkable, our ability to live together, all of us for three weeks and four of us for an extra 10 days. The unity of our team was God’s doing because He brought us together for this mission. We will forever be connected through our common shared experiences with each other and with the people in the Philippines.
We had many opportunities to learn patience and how to be flexible. We were on Filipino time as they say. We learned the true meaning of “more or less,” a term frequently used by Sr. Malou when talking about the Philippines. Because of the masses of people and vehicles it’s hard to determine just how long a trip can take, so: “more or less.” There were many fruitful, enlightening, comical and spiritual conversations in the taxi while we waited for traffic. Praying the Rosary in a taxi, at the airport or on a boat was not uncommon for us to pass the time.
Two retreat centres
Being immersed in the culture by living simply with the missionaries was a blessing for us. It helped us to see how they really lived and to experience some of that by not staying at a hotel. The workshops were held at the Verbum Dei Pasig and Tagaytay retreat centres.
The centre at Tagaytay is nestled in the community, surrounded by lush vegetation, peacefulness and serenity. The world is outside their gate but somehow, it is quiet in God’s space.
Pasig was different, as the building was a warehouse converted to a retreat centre. Spacious, sparse and beautifully arranged to be able to spend time with Jesus any time and to be aware of His presence. In comparison, Pasig was surrounded by concrete, and constant traffic.
The two centres physically were different but both were filled with vitality and spirituality by the missionaries and staff that lived and worked there. You knew you were in a special, loving and God-filled place.
God’s providence at work
I think I speak for the team, that this mission experience has awakened in us a renewed sense of purpose, and zeal for bringing more Christians to the Called and Gifted process. It was interesting and exciting to see how the Lord was using us every day to mentor and minister to the people. By living out of our comfort zones, we learned humility, acceptance and trust in the Lord.
Seeing the positive experiences of the people both in the Saskatoon diocese and in the Philippines, is confirmation that our shared belief in the effectiveness of using our charisms for God’s glory brings value to us as a team, through Gods providence.
As we move forward, we will always treasure the wonderful new friendships, the fun and shared laughter the team had together, our own spiritual growth, the excitement and curiosity of the missionaries, disciples, and lay people who experienced the confidence, joy, and discovery of charisms.
Fellowship, blessings, friendships, hard work, dedication, love, spirituality, sincerity, creativeness, accomplishment, mission- all words to describe this mission trip, of encouraging charism discernment, a unique call God has given every baptized Christian.
Bringing the Called and Gifted to the Philippines was a most humbling and powerful experience and we often felt the presence of the Holy Spirit working through us for their benefit. We thank God for this experience and pray for all of the participants of the Called and Gifted. May God’s purpose for them be fulfilled in living through their charisms.
“Each one, as a good manager of God’s different gifts, must use for the good of others the special gift he has received from God.” – 1 Peter 4:10
First Called and Gifted workshop Jan 18th, 2025 held at Verbum Dei Retreat House, Tagaytay City, Philippines.
Called and Gifted Workshop held at Verbum Dei Formation Centre, Pasig City, Philippines. (Submitted photo)
Called and Gifted introductory workshop March 22 in Saskatoon:
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