re:gen IS A MISSIONARY PROGRAM OFFERED BY THE OFFICE OF CATHOLIC YOUTH IN THE ARCHDIOCESE OF TORONTO.
We focus on building a culture of life on campus by journeying with post-secondary students in their faith.
Our campus missionaries are placed at different campus ministries in the Archdiocese of Toronto, serving with the chaplaincy team in their events and programs.
We witness to the truth, goodness and beauty of St. John Paul II’s Theology of the Body so that each person we encounter will freely commit to a lifestyle of authentic love.
We speak to classes, retreats, and assemblies of students as well as young adult groups to present a variety of topics that focus on restoring their understanding of love, sexuality and chastity.
If you would like to have a re:gen chastity missionary team come and give a presentation, please contact us at regen@ocytoronto.org
Father Joshua was ordained in 2013 and served previously at Holy Martyrs of Japan Parish in Bradford.
Genicia has been serving as a missionary speaker and a support staff member over five years. She continues to be blown away by the transformative message of authentic love and that is why she keeps responding to the call to #BAMissionary. This year, she hopes to accompany the new missionaries in discovering their belovedness and the gift of mission. When not speaking about chastity and mission work, she is most likely learning Italian, drinking bubble tea or reading a good book.
Sunardi was raised in Jakarta, Indonesia. He initially served as a campus missionary for two years and is now a support staff member. He chose to #BAMissionary with re:gen because he experienced profound conversion during his early university days. That experience fueled his desire to do what God wills for him. He acknowledges the importance of journeying with university students, walking side by side to know, love, and serve God. He hopes to use his skills and talents to serve the mission in his new role. He has many hobbies, especially in the area of sports. A fun fact about Sunardi is that he is afraid of rollercoasters.
Born in the Philippines, raised in the Middle East, and heavily influenced by Scarborough, Keith answered the call to #BAMissionary with re:gen so that he could be a witness to God’s ongoing redemption of his desires. He currently lives in Oshawa with his family which includes a fluffy, white, Bichon Bolognese named Boyo. His hobbies include reading, playing sports, and spending quality time with his family and friends. With great difficulty but even greater support, Keith continues to practice habits in order to direct his desires beyond self-gratification and toward the love that truly satisfies: selfless and life-giving for all.
Kimberly chose to #BAMissionary with re:gen as a chastity missionary because she believes that as a society, we have settled for so many lesser goods that mock love. The result is that whenever we think about chastity or even hear the word chastity, we think that it has nothing to offer. There is a serious need to teach both Christians and non-Christians alike the true beauty of the message of chastity, and she hopes by the end of her mission year, she can change the perspective of what chastity is in the hearts of both youth and young adults, so that they may choose and strive after the greatest love of all. A fun fact about Kimberly is that she desires to be part of a Broadway musical at least once in her life, as she LOVES acting and singing.
Judel Villardo is serving in his first year as a re:gen Digital Media Missionary, feeling the call to #BAMissionary and use his creative skills for the Church and Her people - to journey with them online, especially through the mental strain of social media use. He hopes that, through this mission, he can grow deeper in his faith, nurture his skills, and launch some fun content along the way. His mascot online is a personified rock named Geo.
Andrea Nicole is serving in her first year as a campus missionary. She was drawn to #BAMissionary in re:gen because of a desire to serve her diocese and out of love for campus ministry, which supported her through her undergraduate and graduate studies. Through her mission, she hopes to share the love that Christ has given her in abundance and to witness to the joy of living in total surrender to Christ. If not working at the UTSC/Centennial Chaplaincy, she can be found going on long walks or baking for her friends, family, and the re:gen team.
Michelle is a first year Campus Missionary serving the Catholic Chaplaincy at the University of Toronto - Mississauga. She chose to #BAMissionary with re:gen because she wants to accompany university students as they grow closer to God and embrace a Catholic lifestyle. In this mission year, Michelle hopes that more people will encounter Jesus and see that following Jesus leads to a life filled with joy, hope, freedom, and peace. A fun fact: Michelle has been to 9 of the 10 provinces in Canada!
Come and see whether you are called to take on a total commitment to share your faith with our re:gen family. The deadline to apply to become a missionary will be determined in Spring 2022 and we really want to hear from you and speak with you regarding your interest in joining the mission. Please email us to set up a time to chat.
We are all disciples called to witness. Becoming a re:gen missionary is a way for you to intentionally take a year (or more) out of your life and dedicate it to evangelization. If you feel called to witness on campus to College or University students or if you feel called toward speaking to high school teens about St. John Paul II's Theology of the Body, please reach out to us to find out more about our mission.
All of our missionaries - both campus and chastity - receive thorough training and ongoing mission support. We want to equip those called to serve as part of this mission to be the best they can possibly be. It has been our experience that missionaries receive as much as they give when they allow the Lord to transform their lives through a year of service.
It is not always easy to determine what the Lord is calling you to do in life. Please continue to pray and consider becoming a young Catholic missionary with re:gen. If you have any questions at all, please do not hesitate to reach out to us for more information!
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A RE:GEN CHASTITY MISSIONARY TEAM COME AND GIVE A PRESENTATION, PLEASE CONTACT US AT regen@ocytoronto.org. If there is a theme that you would like to request specific to the needs of your group, we would be happy to accommodate you. Please contact us and let us know.
Overview: We all know, or at least have heard, the word chastity before, but do we really know what chastity is? If we think of chastity and words like “rules,” “restriction,” and “repression” are the first ones that come to mind, we are not actually thinking of chastity. Through this introductory presentation, we invite youth to rethink and ponder the beauty of chastity by highlighting what it really is through the wisdom of the Catholic Church, including the thought of St. John Paul II. By the end of this presentation, we intend to redeem the meaning of chastity in youth’s minds and hearts where rather than restriction, they see chastity as freedom, and rather than repression, they see chastity as a bold way to love.
Recommended Audience: Grade 9-12
Overview: With the consumption of pornography becoming increasingly common among adolescents and young adults, one is left asking, “With everyone doing it, what’s so bad about it? What’s the harm?” Using a neurological and relational perspective, we invite youth to rethink the impact of pornography by highlighting the negative effects it has on our brains and on our relationships. As habitual consumption reduces our capacity to reason and re-wires our brain to normalize sexually objectifying people, we lose sight of the wonder and beauty of the entirety of the person. The goal of our talk is to encourage youth to think critically about the consumption of pornography and to choose real love over today’s modern counterfeit of love.
Recommended Audience: Grade 9-12
Overview: In our current society, our identity – the way we define our worth, dignity, and significance – is often based on factors that are conditional, temporary, and achievable such as our appearances and our school successes, and this outlook has severe ramifications on how youth see themselves and live their lives. Although it may encourage self-improvement, it often causes severe distress, anxiety, depression, and feelings of worthlessness. In this talk, we challenge the mainstream narrative on identity by elaborating the truth that we are made by love, with love, and for love. Through this presentation, we encourage youth, by reflecting on the beauty of God’s love for them and their main identity as beloved children of God, to live out their calling to love others as Jesus loves them.
Recommended Audience: Grade 5-8
WE DO NOT CHARGE FOR OUR CHARITABLE WORK AND BUDGET CUTS SHOULD NEVER BE A DETERRENT. WE WILL COME EVEN IF A SUGGESTED DONATION CANNOT BE MADE.
For more information or to indicate your interest in becoming a re:gen missionary, please fill out the form below and we will be sure to get back to you as soon as possible.