Collaboration
Apostles of the Interior Life
Parish missions and campus talk series bringing faith to communities through prayer, formation, and encounter with Christ.
Renewing the Parish
Since the founding of our community, we sisters have offered hundreds of parish missions in Italy and in the United States. These missions are precious opportunities for a parish community to be revitalized and challenged to continue growing in holiness.
When priests and parishes invite us to collaborate, we help their communities dig deeper into their own interior lives. Whether through a multi-day parish mission or a focused retreat, we create space for people to encounter Christ in silence, prayer, and the beauty of the sacraments.
What is a Parish Mission?
A parish mission is an intensive time of spiritual renewal for the entire parish community. Over several days, we offer teaching, prayer experiences, and personal spiritual guidance to help parishioners deepen their relationship with God and grow in holiness.
Our Mission Format
Depending on the size of the parish, missions can vary between a 4-day and a 6-day program (Saturday through Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday evening). We work closely with the pastor to ensure we’re meeting the specific needs of the community.
Core Topics We Cover
Our missions typically focus on Holiness, Prayer, Eucharist, and Reconciliation, though we’re also available to cover other topics the pastor might request, especially if the mission falls during Advent or Lent, allowing us to tailor the experience to the liturgical season and parish needs.
What We Offer During the Mission
Spiritual Guidance
One-on-one spiritual direction available for individuals seeking personal accompaniment in their faith journey
Homebound Ministry
Visiting the homebound and seniors in nursing homes, bringing Christ’s presence to those who cannot attend
School Visits
Engaging with teens in Catholic schools to inspire young hearts toward Christ
Community Teaching
Evening presentations open to the whole parish on deepening prayer and growing in the interior life
Talk Series on Prayer for College Students
We offer an engaging talk series for college students on how to develop a deeper prayer life, and we offer spiritual direction during the day. Over the course of several days, we bring practical teaching, peer testimonies, and one-on-one spiritual accompaniment to Catholic campus ministries and student centers.
What is the Talk Series?
This is an immersive experience helping college students establish the motivation and dedication for daily prayer while navigating the unique challenges of campus life. Students receive practical tools to develop their interior lives and are encouraged through one-on-one spiritual direction.
Our Talk Series Format
Each evening talk is followed by a brief testimony from a fellow peer, a college student who is trying to commit to a daily life of prayer. The students who give testimonies are suggested by the chaplain. Then there is a guided meditation given by one of the sisters. Throughout the day, we offer one-on-one spiritual direction for students seeking personal guidance in their prayer journey. Events typically last around 1-1.5 hours and can be adapted to your campus ministry’s schedule.
Our Three-Talk Format
Talk 1: Laying the Foundation
Laying the foundation of prayer to hopefully motivate and encourage people to want to develop deeper their interior life by discovering how much they thirst for prayer. The talk is meant to help them realize that it is not only doable to have a daily prayer life but that it is also something to look forward to in your day. We underline the importance of how prayer is relational.
Talk 2: Embracing the Struggle
An overview of what was already shared and talk more about how to let struggles in prayer (lack of desire to pray, laziness, distracted prayer, falling asleep, disengagement, and discouragement) become leveraged so as to actually be helped in being more authentic and real in prayer, realizing we are human and have a deep spiritual poverty that will always remain. The good thing is that the more we are poor, the more we can receive from God!
Talk 3: Signs of Life
Providing for more motivation to say “yes” to a daily life of prayer continues to be the emphasis of the talk series. Unpacking the signs that there is fruitfulness to prayer how God transforms us through it. We also provide content for helping one to learn how to discern the voice of God in discernment.
What Campus Ministers Are Saying
“Having the Apostles of the Interior Life at our campus ministry for a few days brought life and joy to our students. The students and sisters were constantly engaged in laughter-filled conversations throughout each day. Each evening, one of the sisters offered a conference on prayer, which perfectly addressed a need that our campus ministry team had noticed. These presentations were engaging and insightful in teaching the students some fundamental dynamics in the life of prayer. The sisters also coached a few of our students to give witnesses about their own experiences of prayer, which was powerful for their peers to hear. I am so grateful for the way this brief Busy Student Retreat/School of Prayer helped our students to grow in the interior life!”
— Fr. Kevin Kolker, Chaplain of SMU Catholic Campus Ministry
Interested in Hosting a Mission or Talk Series?
If you are interested in having us lead a parish mission, retreat, or Talk Series in your community, please invite your pastor to contact Sr. Janel for Parish Missions and Sr. Tatum for Campus Talk Series to discuss the details and ensure we can best serve your parish’s needs.
Booking timeline: 6-18 months in advance, depending on the time of year
Learn More About Our Community
Discover the other ways we help people grow in their spiritual lives and encounter Christ.