Dear friends of the center,

Eastertime is upon us! After the long journey of Lent, we are reminded that the desert was never meant to be a place of abandonment, but a place of encounter. Jesus invites us there not to deprive us, but to draw us closer to his heart and to prepare us for new life.

Over the past 18 months, it has been an absolute joy to serve at the Catholic Information Center. Together with my colleagues, I have witnessed something beautiful unfold week after week: people showing up, sometimes curious, sometimes tired, sometimes searching, and discovering anew that they are disciples of Jesus, entrusted with a mission.

One of the most transformative ways we accompany people on this journey is through the Leadership Formation Institute (LFI). This yearlong formation experience invites participants to go deeper: deeper into their faith, deeper into discernment of their God-given gifts, and deeper into collaboration with others as they launch meaningful, spirited projects within their parish communities.

What moves me most is not just what participants learn, but who they are becoming. I am continually inspired by their creativity, courage, and willingness to stretch beyond what is comfortable. They are choosing to live more, more intentionally, more prayerfully, more generously, for the sake of the Gospel.

To offer you a glimpse of the transformation taking place on Wednesday nights at the CIC, I want to share a few reflections from our participants:

“Knowing that God is closer to us than we are to ourselves fills my heart with an indescribable joy.”

“It’s challenging to slow down and truly be with Him in the moment, but when our hearts finally come to rest together, it is so good.”

“I wake up each morning asking God, ‘What do you have planned for me today?’ I know now that He has a mission for each of us.”

This is the quiet miracle of formation: hearts being renewed, vision being clarified, and ordinary people discovering the extraordinary ways God desires to work through them.

During this Easter season, my prayer is that you, too, may experience the joy of the risen Christ, and that you share that joy generously with your family, your workplace, and your community. Thank you for your continued support of the Catholic Information Center. Your prayers and generosity make this work possible, and lives are being changed because of it.

With gratitude and hope in the risen Lord,