Sent to the waiting heart

Someone very close to me has been away from the Church since we were teenagers, and for many years I have prayed for a return to the healing love the Lord holds in His heart. The two of us never did agree on much, and it has been that way for as long as I can remember. Over the years, we have learned to avoid certain topics to keep the peace, and that has worked because we care about each other very much. 
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We all have people in our lives that we would so dearly love to come home to Jesus and His Church.  For the most part, we are called to pray and fast for them. Because of how close we are to them (and often the baggage that goes with that) it is likely that we are not the ones the Lord will send to share the Good News with them. He will send another. We are called to pray and fast. 
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However, it is also likely that the Lord wishes us to reach someone else’s loved one, someone with whom we are called to share the Gospel.

And how are they to hear without a preacher?  And how can men preach unless they are sent? As it is written ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!’” ~ Romans 10:14-15

On April 17 and 18, 2026 at St. Michael’s Catholic Community, the Diocese of Calgary will host its first-ever Renewal Conference:  Evangelization – at the Heart of Renewal. By attending this conference, you will come away with two things: First, you will learn practical means of sharing the Gospel with others in everyday life, and second, you will learn about tools and programs that your parish can use to share the Good News as a community. 

Bishop Scott McCaig, CC will be the keynote speaker. He is an expert in evangelization and a passionate speaker who also happens to have an incredible sense of humour. It is the perfect combination and I guarantee you will be glued to the pew. You will also hear from Ed Zadeiks, (Alpha in a Catholic Context Director), Catholic Christian Outreach, Nicolas Simoni (who will teach you how to build your testimony) and our very own Bishop McGrattan who has a mission in store for you. Your will be drawn into prayer through mass, adoration with sacred music, and a beautiful litany of the Saints.  Finally, in our pop–up recording studio, you will have the option to practice your testimony and receive a video of it sent back to you instantly. 

I pray that the Lord will send one of your loved ones in my path so that I may share the Good News with them, and that perhaps he will send one of you to the one I ache to see come home.    

Please consider answering the call and joining us at the Renewal Conference so as to be "prepared to give an answer for the hope that is in you" (1 Peter 3:15). 

Answer the Call - REGISTER HERE

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Written by Ryan Schmidt, Director of Renewal, Diocese of Calgary.