Founders' Appeal 2023

Do you recall Jesus’ final words to his disciples before his ascension?

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20).

Since our beginnings in 1988, these words have constantly beat a holy urgency in our hearts. As St. John Paul II said, The number of those who do not know Christ and do not belong to the Church is constantly on the increase. Indeed, since the end of the Council it has almost doubled. When we consider this immense portion of humanity which is loved by the Father and for whom he sent his Son, the urgency of the Church’s mission is obvious. Redemptoris Missio, 3

We believe that right now, God is inviting the Church to an even stronger focus and urgency in the evangelizing mission. Why is this coming up so strongly this year?

2033.

In ten years, it will be 2033. We anticipate it will be a Great Jubilee—the 2000th anniversary of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ—the 2000th anniversary of the coming of the Holy Spirit and the beginning of the Church.

Here at CCO, we started to dream. What could we give Jesus as a gift for this anniversary? Souls! Yes, Let’s rally to fulfill the Great Commission.

Wouldn’t you love to bring Jesus many souls?

CCO feels a clear calling to form, equip and activate leaders in evangelization to work towards the fulfillment of Jesus’ Great Commission. This focus will require renewing and increasing our strategic investments in campus and parishprogramming. We are also developing an alumni program to support and empower our graduates as they enter the world. This program will make CCO’s expertise accessible to you, our benefactors, too. We desire to equip more people—worldwide— because more than ever, the time for active witness is now.

And, of course, there’s our strategic mission to university students. With your help, CCO keeps growing and reaching more students despite the social landscape getting more and more hostile. We wish you could meet these fantastic, faithful and zealous young people. Your financial support enables us to find those who are far from Christ and his Church and, in a short amount of time, equip them. These young people are the next generation of leaders—ready to “go and make disciples of all nations.”

We invite you to give generously, pray for conversions and share Jesus with others. Join our missionaries, our students, our alumni, and our mission-minded friends worldwide as we set our gaze on Jesus, souls, and 2033!

This year we’ve set a goal of $125,000 to support our work in 2024. We invite you today to make a gift and join with us in this mission for the renewal of the Canadian Church and the world.