SASKATOON (CCN) — A second annual night of prayer and discussion sharing experiences of family members becoming “lukewarm Catholics” or totally abandoning practice of their faith was held Aug. 27 in Saskatoon.
After dessert, reflection, and discussion, the “Pursue the Power of Prayer” event held at Saint Anne Parish in Saskatoon ended in a time of quiet meditative prayer on the feast day of St. Monica, the mother of St. Augustine and the patron saint of non-nonpracticing Catholics.
For many years, St. Monica fervently prayed unceasingly for her son who avoided the Christian faith and lived enjoying the pleasures of the world. After he finally converted, St. Augustine of Hippo became one of the Catholic Church’s greatest theologians.
Saint Anne pastor Fr. Gregory Roth encouraged those present to trust in God’s desire for their children to return to the Church, and to never give up on prayer. He said that grace always works, even when it is unseen.
MC Anne-Marie Hughes described the origins of the evening, which stemmed from the realization that many devout Catholics live with the sorrow of seeing people close to them — whether children, relatives or friends — leave the Church or stop practising their faith.
Key points made during the evening by Roth, and guest speakers Paulette and Olivia Wilson, included
- life-long seeds of faith planted by parents can bear fruit later;
- being a personal witness and having a community are powerful tools for evangelization;
- authentic faith is more than rituals, rather it is a deep and personal relationship with God;
- young people are increasingly open to faith, despite cultural trends; and
- encountering God often comes after a step of trust or surrender.
Mother-daughter experience
Paulette and Olivia Wilson’s experiences share a resemblance to St. Monica and St. Augustine, with the former describing herself as a “single Catholic mother” with her husband not sharing her faith. At the same time, her daughter, who was raised Catholic along with her five siblings, shared her personal journey from drifting away from the Church at an early age to coming back home to the faith as a young adult.
Paulette described raising Olivia and her siblings Catholic as challenging, as she ensured they regularly attended Mass and received all their sacraments—Baptism, First Communion, Confirmation, and Reconciliation. However, 19-year-old Olivia admitted that she had never connected with the faith and felt that the Catholic Church was more like a fairy tale than reality, even comparing it to Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny; and sharing how her disinterest grew throughout her teenage years.
Paulette said she felt desperate to instill the Catholic faith in her children, to the point of having to “drag” them to attend Mass, a difficult time that also tested her own faith, especially during a particularly difficult time in her marriage. But, during those low points in her life, she found strength in the sacraments and the support of her Catholic community.
Olivia shared that reconnecting with her Catholic faith was a gradual process, first in admiring the joy she saw in those family members who were devoutly practising their faith. She said that, initially, she wanted to experience the same joy, but without the “Jesus part.” Slowly, she had more open conversations with her mother, as she witnessed her strength in faith, rooted in Christ.
Olivia also noted that being a competitive track athlete aided her spiritual growth. She was frustrated for failing to win or even record her personal best times, when Paulette suggested that she pray before competing, and Olivia thought the idea was not so bad, since she looked up to some athletes who are Catholic and also pray before a competition.
Olivia said that during a big track event, she prayed and she won. From then on, she began praying before every race and saw more victories, causing her to take her faith more seriously. Her mother had encouraged her to trust God after all the hard training, and that encouragement stuck.
The real turning point came during a university Catholic Christian Outreach conference called Rise Up, where Olivia experienced a profound encounter with Jesus during Eucharistic adoration. Initially hesitant, she was overcome by memories and visions of both joy in faith and sadness in its absence. Choosing to kneel before the Blessed Sacrament and give her life to Jesus, she felt an overwhelming emotional release and clarity.
She described the experience as seeing a silhouette of Jesus coming from the Blessed Sacrament, His hand reaching out to her, similar to the scene from The Chosen, where Christ, walking on water during a storm, reaches out to Peter, saying, “Take my hand.” She felt the words of Jesus telling her, “I see you, I hear you, and I love you.” That moment was life-changing for her.
Her mother reflected on how years of faithfulness, prayer, and small gestures — such as blessing her children as they left the house — had laid a foundation that eventually bore fruit. Even when her children weren’t practicing, she believes those seeds mattered.
Fr. Gregory Roth concluded the reflection portion of the evening by pointing out a surprising cultural shift: many young people today, even those from non-religious homes, are seeking out faith. He noted that this might signal a turning point, and stories like Olivia’s highlight the power of persistence, prayer, and being ready for when people come looking for more.
The team that organized the St. Monica event included Anne-Marie Hughes, Vanessa Nyssen, Shannon Granger, Donna Dupuis, Brenda Tryhuba, Shelley Timmons, and Tina Claxton. The diocesan Adult Faith office (which is supported by the Bishop’s Annual Appeal), helped sponsor the event.
