At Eagle Eye Ministries, we want to bring young people into the cry of thirst of Jesus Christ – to hear that cry, to live it, and to pass it on to others. To do this, participants of the Ecclesia Institute were plunged into a month-long formation program centered on encountering the Person of Jesus and allowing His love for the Father and for men to take hold of them. This is the heart of the mystery of the Church, the unity of believers in the love of the Savior. All of the activities and the rich offerings of the program (contemplative prayer, beautiful, reverent liturgy, invigorating studies, abundant fraternal charity, debates, discussions, sports, authentic cultural experiences, etc.) sought to bring about and enhance this encounter.

Designed to give “The most of the best to the thirstiest” the Ecclesia Institute was a kind of open door to the heart of the Church. Thanks to the engaging combination of the monastic life (provided by both the Benedictine Sisters whose university hosts the program and the Brothers and Sisters of St. John who facilitate it) and the open and engaging atmosphere of a thoroughly modern university, Ecclesia was an ideal setting for the future protagonists of the Church’s efforts in the Third Millennium to meet one another, discuss the timeless truths of Catholicism, and engage the difficult and deep questions of our modern society without fear or pretension.

Through rich liturgy, intense silent Adoration, invigorating and challenging classes, and fruitful, fun experiences of Community, participants were given a true taste of the inner life of the Catholic Church – a life of love, of mercy, of joy, and of intense gift. Nothing evangelizes the world more than the life of the Church; nothing transmits the truth of Christ more faithfully than the life of the Church; nothing bears witness more to the presence of God than the life of the Church. And so, this is what the Ecclesia Institute sought to give – an authentic experience of Catholic community, rooted in the monastic life, and flowing into an intelligent dynamic encounter with the modern world.

Participants were immersed in the monastic rhythms and intensity of the Brothers and Sisters of St. John. They met other young Catholic leaders just like themselves. They drank at the source of the Wisdom of the tradition and challenged the questions of the modern world without fear. They heard the cry of thirst and passed it on. They will continue to serve the Church of the third millennium.

Evening Events

Monday | Optional Marian Consecration
Tuesday | Witness on Evangelization
Wednesday | Study Groups
Thursday | Campfire
Friday | Debate Night
Saturday | Free Evening
Sunday | Movie Night