Catherine W.

Hi! My name is Catherine!

I’m a 20 year-old from Ottawa, Ontario. I am a second-year student currently studying at the University of Ottawa for an Honours Bachelor of Arts in History with a Minor in Greek and Roman Studies. I am a very passionate person and love so much of God’s creation. From the animals, big and small, to the ecosystem they live in, I love to capture the beauty and love that has been poured out through their creation through my photography. I am also a lover of computers, building my desktop, piece by piece, and playing online games with friends and family.

I grew up in a catholic family that went to mass every Sunday and had an evening family prayer time but I never thought of faith as being a personal thing and I did not understand the faith even with weekly mass. I fell from the faith in my teens after a big heartbreak where I thought that I did not deserve any love from others and I lost trust in God with my heart. My family had many connections with CCO and it wasn’t a surprise to find catholics on campus. Before starting my university career, I attended RiseUp 2023, which was conveniently in Ottawa. There I was able to really understand what the faith is and there I had my conversion. I gave my yes after being reconciled from my heartbreak. Healing is a journey and I am still growing in my relationship with Jesus but I have not looked back since. From my faith studies on campus to another RiseUp conference in Calgary, I am excited to continue in my relationship with Him.

Why do I want to be on Mission?

I had never thought about mission and evangelizing to others growing up until I was introduced to it by my cousin who went on mission with CCO when I was younger. I’ve seen missions happening over the years but brushed off the possibility. I had heard about the Rome mission earlier due to a worship night I had with my fellow catholic students from Ottawa. Since it was in Rome, I was interested due to my studies of Greek and Roman culture and history but brushed off the possibility as I usually did. At RiseUp in Calgary this past New Year’s, after adoration, worship, and confession I was able to talk to a missionary. I felt called to mission, in a comforting way. I knew that the Lord wanted to push me out of my comfort zone to show me that it is okay to trust God with my life and decisions. I am excited to share the mission experience with others, grow even more for my faith, and share the Good News.