Antonio Montoya from the Denver Province, Ben Nicholas from the Province of Canada, and McQuain Clovis from the Baltimore Province were the key preachers for each of the three nights. The mission reflected collaboration within the theologate community, bringing together students from diverse provinces—Baltimore, Canada, Curitiba, and Denver—as well as participation from the Extra-Patriam Vice Province.

In a brilliant start to the three days, Antonio led us in reflecting on “Believing in the Gospel: Here and Now.” He explored what it means to be truly present – in prayer, life and our relationship with God. Using the image of a dash on a tombstone, he compared it to our entire lives – how we spend our time between birth and death.

Life’s demands – anxiety about the past, worry about the future – pulls us away from the present moment, the only place where we can truly encounter God. Antonio drew from a personal story of vocational doubt and a passage from Ezekiel to emphasize that God meets us here and now, just as Jesus – the same yesterday, today, and always – wants a personal relationship with each of us. He invited us to not just read God’s word, but to let it read us, and ultimately ended his reflection by posing the question – do you dare to believe? Using the symbol of the night, Antonio concluded the evening by inviting all in attendance to venerate the Word of God, presented by Cody Hill, Hieu Bui, and Andrew Tran-Chung.

On our second night, Ben emphasised how our authentic belief in the Gospel requires unity in recognizing Jesus’s identity because sin is ultimately a form of division from God and from others. Using John’s Gospel, Ben explained that those who rejected Jesus didn’t accept his divine identity, a struggle that persists today as we tend to “place Jesus in a box.” Through a personal story of being misidentified by confreres for a stranger at the park, Ben shared how easily our perception distorts identity and reinforces division. Ultimately, he presented the Cross as the central symbol of unity, where Christ bridges what is above and below and offers salvation to all. In a dynamic invitation, Dang Nguyen invited everyone to meet someone new, encouraging people to pair up. Together, each pair went up to a cross set-in front of the altar, to pray for one another. McQuain even carried a second cross around the Church to those who couldn’t walk to the front.

On our final night, Hieu Bui warmed up the crowd before Mass. After the Gospel, McQuain preached on transformation in Christ through the Eucharist, presenting Jesus as the one who moves us from faith into a living relationship. He reflected on how easy it is to take the Eucharist for granted, drawing on his own experience in formation as a Redemptorist. His own journey – from longing for the Eucharist to struggling with familiarity – allowed many people to connect with his personal story. McQuain emphasised that true belief is not just intellectual, calling us to total surrender to Christ as the source of life. He shared how his ministry at Our Lady of the Lake University allowed him to rediscover a deeper personal faith through the simplicity and sincerity of others. Finally, he shared how the Eucharist is not just a ritual, but a personal encounter where Jesus meets us in our brokenness, and transforms us. As McQuain shared this reflection during Mass, he invited everyone to take part in the Eucharist as a sacrament of unity, to come together as the Body of Christ.

The three nights were transformative for St. Gerard Parish because it illustrated not only how Redemptorists work together for parish missions, but also how important the community is to the formation of the next generation of Redemptorists. After each night, over some refreshments, parishioners got to meet with many of the students. They provided valuable feedback, especially about how they received the messages shared. As we prepare to celebrate Easter, we hope that our mission ignited something in the hearts of those at St. Gerard – preaching the Good News, that all might believe in the Gospel.