Grow Ut Fidem in the Diocese of Lansing
Ut Fidem leads weekly small groups in Catholic high schools, focusing on conversion, personal prayer, sacraments, catechesis, and living one's entire life for God. 58 adult mentors led 341 students in 2022 at Dowling Catholic High School (Iowa), and the program expanded to two more schools in 2023 (including Lansing Catholic). Parental, school, and parish donations sustain a chapter after its initial launch. Ut Fidem is seeking $30,000 to launch at Flint Powers, Father Gabriel Richard or Lumen Christi in 2024.
Bring Catholic Worldview Fellowship to Southeastern Michigan
CWF is an intensive summer leadership formation program for college students (38 in 2023) in Germany and Rome. It focuses on three core areas of development: Intellectual (Catholic history, philosophy, and theology); Spiritual (liturgy and personal prayer); and Mission (evangelizing in the contemporary culture). Fr. Ryan Richardson, chaplain of Benedictine College leads the mostly volunteer staff. CWF is seeking $70,000 to launch a second cohort from Michigan colleges including UM, EMU, Wayne State, Hillsdale, & MSU.
Grow Kateri Institute at the University of Michigan
In its first year, Kateri supported hundreds of Catholic students and faculty at UM on a secular campus sometimes hostile to faith through talks, seminars, Masses, and other programs. Kateri is seeking $30,000 to fund programming in 2024 and build out its donor base. All volunteer efforts are led by two tenured UM professors.
