THE NEED FOR CONNECTION IS GREATER NOW THAN EVER ANNUAL REPORT 2020 BOLD WITNESSES OF HOPE Dear Friends in Christ, This past year, I was honored to be chosen to 3 Being a Missionary During a Pandemic chair the USCCB Committee on Evangelization and Catechesis. This committee of bishops seeks to address the most pressing needs of 5 Farewell to SPO’s National Chaplain our time, most especially how do we share the life-transforming message of Jesus Christ with 7 Our Charisms the people of today, in particular our youth who are disaffiliating from religion in large numbers. St. Paul VI reminded us that "evangelization is 13 ASCEND Conference the church’s deepest identity." She "exists to evangelize." If there was ever a time to respond to this call with great urgency, it is now. 15 Our Mission Model SPO is one of the organizations making an incredible contribution to evangelizing university students. The present pandemic has intensified the experience of 19 Lives Impacted loneliness, anxiety, isolation, and the search for identity and purpose that afflicts so many of our young people. The Missionaries of SPO are the "first responders" on the front lines of the Church’s mission on campus. Even in the midst of the 24 A New Face in the Mission challenges of COVID shutdowns and restrictions, SPO Missionaries continue to reach students and draw them into relationships with a community of brothers and sisters and — most importantly — with Jesus Christ. They are making the 25 Mission Update Church present where you and I cannot. They are reaching college students who are often far from God, yet are still searching for truth that satisfies the deepest 27 The Faith Alive Campaign desires of their hearts. I am so grateful for the profound impact in which the Lord used SPO to deepen my own conversion and prepared me to discern and say yes to the call to priesthood. These men and women serve as bold witnesses of hope 29 A Message to Our Donors and love to our world in the midst of tremendous isolation and loneliness. It is often during times of difficulty and trial that we discover, in a deeper way, 31 National Leaders our need for the Lord and our need for one another. When things are stripped away, we learn that friendship with Jesus Christ and the life He offers is all that truly matters. That is what SPO offers. When you support SPO, you are giving that 33 2019-2020 Donors chance to help our young people to encounter Jesus and His Church in a new life- changing way. Thank you for your support and please keep this important work in your prayers. HIGHLIGHTS The Most Reverend Andrew H Cozzens, STD, DD Auxiliary Bishop of Saint Paul and Minneapolis Chair of SPO National Board and SPO Alumnus The desire to be known is innate within college campuses shut down in-person us. That is why relationship needs to be learning last spring, our Missionaries FROM OUR at the center of our Christian life. The stayed in place and continued to reach Church must become at every level an students. During this heightened time evangelizing community of missionary of isolation, our Households have PRESIDENT disciples. remained centers of life lived deeply in This is who we are in SPO. College Christ and places of rich joy. students are hungry for the Gospel, Our young people are not doing well, longing to be known and loved but with your help, we have reason for unconditionally. They yearn to find great hope. With over 40 Households Young people are not doing well. The us, we are experiencing the unraveling meaning and purpose in life. SPO is around the country, thousands of chaos of this year has only magnified of the social fabric of our culture, there, on campus, reaching young students, Missionaries, and alumni and deepened the potential for anxiety distancing us from one another. St. people relationally and inviting them reached through our programs, SPO and despair. A survey conducted by Teresa of Calcutta often reminded us to live deep relationship with God and is training leaders in faith who will the CDC this past June is proof of that that: with one another. graduate from college and make an reality. The impact of COVID-19 on The greatest disease in the West today... Right in the middle of this ever-growing impact in our Church and communities mental health and substance abuse is being unwanted, unloved, and uncared crisis of faith, I have witnessed a around the country! Thank you for your for 18-24 year olds is alarming (see for. We can cure physical diseases tremendous reawakening of faith in the partnership in the Gospel. There is so statistics below). This is a serious crisis with medicine, but the only cure for lives of countless young adults. When much more to do. which cries for our urgent and collective loneliness, despair, and hopelessness *according to a CDC study from June 24-30, 2020 response. is love... The poverty in the West is But how do we reach students today? a different kind of poverty – it is not Relationally. From the very beginning, only a poverty of loneliness but also of God has declared "It is not good for spirituality. There’s a hunger for love, as human beings to be alone" (Gen 2:18). We there is a hunger for God. are made for relationship. But all around In Christ, Gordon C. DeMarais 25% 63% 25% SPO President & Founder seriously considered suffer from anxiety started or increased suicide in the past or depression substance use to cope 30 days* with the pandemic 1 BEING A MISSIONARY... "In this time, I’ve actually experienced that hearts "Amidst all the uncertainty of COVID-19, our pattern of life have been more open. [Students] have had more time has been a huge gift to our community. Getting to share at home, alone, or away from community and are meals together and pray every morning has brought experiencing their need for relationship, and more so, a lot of order and normalcy. Our life in household is a their need for Jesus." huge gift." - Emilie, Missionary at Rutgers University - Katie, Chapter Leader at Florida State University "I have continued to meet students in creative and safe ways. Some examples are kayaking, baking, and virtual "We’ve been going out to meet other people by knocking coffee dates. I’ve seen women forget about the isolation on their doors. People’s faces light up like they are they were feeling from the pandemic and experience experiencing friendship for the first time." joy! Our mission is needed now more than ever." - Juan, Missionary at Rutgers University - Hanna, Missionary at the University of Minnesota "Things look different because of everything that’s going "I have seen in the women I live with this newfound zeal on, but one awesome thing is the Lord is still working! I’ve for mission and a new creativity for how they are on been really encouraged seeing the Household students mission to their classmates. The women have been quick getting out on campus; they’re meeting new students to get out of their comfort zones and work to move from and welcoming them into deep relationship." the digital space to an in-person one." - Josiah, Chapter Leader at the University of St. Thomas - Kylie, Missionary at Arizona State University ...DURING A PANDEMIC 3 4 FAREWELL TO SPO’S NATIONAL CHAPLAIN Thank you Fr. Phillip for your many years of service to SPO! We want to express heartfelt gratitude and more recently in SPO, has been to Fr. Phillip Merdinger, as he retires an inspiration and blessing beyond as SPO’s National Chaplain. One measure to the mission. Bringing of the great surprises of the Lord, wisdom in teaching, hope in the and one of the great joys of our sacraments, and joy in his vocational life in evangelistic work on college call, he has touched countless lives. campuses, has been the opportunity Fr. Phillip remains an inspiration, to partner in life and mission with the modeling for all of us what it is to run Brotherhood of Hope, and in particular the race well to the end. Although we with Fr. Phillip. What an incredible will miss his presence on our team, he gift and most amazing blessing to will always remain a part of the SPO have him, not only as our National family. Join us in praying for the Lord’s Chaplain, but as a brother, friend, and continued abundant blessings on mentor to all of us in SPO! Fr. Phillip’s Fr. Phillip as he enters into retirement. leadership in the Brotherhood of Hope, Fr. Phillip, you will be missed! Gordon DeMarais (SPO President) 5 and Fr. Phillip Merdinger, July 2020 OUR CHARISMS God has called us to be a transformational people who live deep relationship — with Him and with one another. Our charism values support our mission, characterizing the transformative way of life that God has given us and called us to share. 7 8 COMMUNITY ON MISSION We are made for communion: with God and with one another. Flowing from this conviction, community is at the heart of SPO. It is both the source and the fruit of our mission. We are a people sacrificially committed to one another and a common way of life, creating an immersive culture that transforms lives. Centered around Households and the formation community, this culture forms potent environments that awaken faith in Christ and bring it to maturity.