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September 13, 2018
In a 2002 apostolic visit to Toronto, Saint John Paul II addressed the crowd by saying: “Dear young people, let yourselves be taken over by the light of Christ, and spread that light wherever you are.”
This message for young people to illuminate the world with the light of Christ is something that has captivated many young people around the world.
Beginning his sophomore year at the University of Oklahoma, Caleb McDonald is a proud product of a lifetime of Catholic education in the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City. McDonald attended Christ the King Catholic School in Oklahoma City through eighth grade and went on to graduate from Bishop McGuinness Catholic High School. He is now active at Saint Thomas More University Parish.
“Our Lady of Guadalupe camp definitely played a massive part in shaping my faith,” McDonald said. “I have been at camp every summer for the past 10 years.”
McDonald also attributes his passion for his Catholic faith to his youth group and high school retreats such as Kairos.
“All of the things I’ve been fortunate enough to participate in like camp, Kairos and Bishop McGuinness provided me with a great foundation of faith to constantly build on, and an amazing community of friends to help me continually strive to be better at loving Christ and loving others,” McDonald said.
Abby Ross, a senior at Oklahoma State University, had a solid relationship with Jesus before college.
“Through being on the youth advisory board in high school in Enid, working at camp, teaching Totus Tuus, going to youth group, attending retreats and conferences, I knew how important my faith was to me going into college,” Ross said. “Starting college with a strong faith life definitely helped me to remain ‘on fire’ in my relationship with Christ, and it helped me to better spread the message of God’s love to others through leading discipleship groups and Bible studies.”
Hundreds, potentially thousands, of youth and young adults participate in retreats, youth groups, religious education, workshops, campus ministry efforts, summer camp, conferences and other events throughout the archdiocese every year.
Through the “One Church, Many Disciples” campaign, there is an even greater opportunity to help support the programs and ministries that impact the lives of the next generation of Catholics in Oklahoma.
Through the Saint John Paul II Endowment for Youth, Young Adult and Campus Ministry, and the Saint Therese of Lisieux Endowment for Catechists and Adult Discipleship, funds raised from the campaign will support the numerous ministries that will help youth and young adults for years to come.
For more information about the “One Church, Many Disciples” campaign, or to make a gift online, visit www.onechurchmanydisciples.org.