Abha Marie Parmar

I first met Jesus at a youth retreat when I was 12 years old. Although I was blessed to grow up in a Catholic home, it was only until I was by myself and in the wilderness that I came to know Who I was missing. I walked into a room of twenty kids my age who were so absorbed in praise and worship, and I was so attracted to the beauty around me, and the Person they were worshipping. It was at this retreat that I realized that Beauty had a Name, and His Name was Jesus, and He was calling me to come home. I placed Christ at the centre of my life and since then, my desire to grow in my relationship with Him led me to meeting CCO in 2018.

CCO has given me the opportunity to get to know Jesus deeply, to be so confident in Him and my faith, and to share my heart, and my story, and my God with others– and what a wonderful thing that is!

My Mission

As young people, we are entrusted with the future generations of the Church, and with this truth, CCO’s mission focuses on reaching university students. The Oxford definition of a university is “an educational institution designed for instruction, examination, or both, of students in many branches of advanced learning, conferring degrees in various faculties…” and with CCO, I imagine hubs of instruction and examination of hearts, advanced learning of Jesus Christ and our purpose, conferring the Kingdom of Heaven, and paving the way for others. Thus, I see universities as establishments that have the potential to graduate saints and holy men and women that will renew the world, and I want to be on the front-lines of that. Through CCO, I get to work as a campus missionary at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, and there is nothing more that brings me joy.