Welcome back to Season 3 of Fruits from the Fields! In this episode, hosts Josh Burcroff and Mike Hickey sit down with Michelle Lo Piccolo, President-Elect of Young Catholic Professionals (YCP) Detroit and owner of Mosaic Travel Company.
Join us as we dive into:
-The mission of Young Catholic Professionals and how it equips young adults to witness in the workforce.
-The importance of authentic Catholic community, building friendships, and supporting one another in faith.
-Michelle’s journey in leadership, her passion for Catholic young adult formation, and the exciting direction of YCP Detroit.
-A sneak peek into Camp Gonzagaa, an upcoming Catholic summer camp experience for young adults!This episode is packed with wisdom on integrating faith into daily life, finding courage in an apostolic age, and pursuing God’s call in career, relationships, and community.
Don’t miss it!🎧 Tune in now & stay connected with us for future episodes!
Aaron became a good friend of mine when we crossed paths in Rome at the North American College for two years. I've always valued his insight and his insistence on optimism and hope. We discuss how he fosters these virtues and the sources he turns to in difficult times.
Far from being simply a physical health benefit, Lorenzo enters deep into the reality that his practice of cold showers and ice baths bring him into a place of prayer. Most people have heard about the various trends in self betterment that exist, but Lorenzo is adamant that this is much more important than simply "choosing to do something hard". We talk about the death-to-self component of Baptism, the significance of cultivating personalized space for prayer, and the difficult task of mastering and having control over our innate drive for self-preservation.
I've heard before that the two most difficult disciplines to study at the collegiate level are physics and math, and my sister happens to be doing the latter. The opposite of utilitarian and pragmatic, Amanda is truly passionate about the field itself and has placed herself in a position to research what she is interested in while sacrificing roles with attractive salaries and choosing to be a lifelong student. I learned a lot talking with her in this format, understanding better her process of discernment and coming to an understanding of what she wants to pursue.
What does it look like at the higher levels of post-secondary education today? Where does our education system thrive and where does it fall short? How we make humility a reality when so much of the world is a meritocracy and wants to push us further into pulling ourselves up by our bootstraps and outcompeting others? These are all topics we cover today with Zach Antwan, a dear friend who understands systems on all levels very well.
Fr. Peter John Cameron O.P. takes us on a narrative journey through the connections between George Bailey, the protagonist of Frank Capra's It's a Wonderful Life, and the life of St. Joseph. What might seem like a nice concept at the beginning transforms into this undeniable interplay between the life of service, the role of dreams, and the saving of lives that both of them share that left me edified beyond belief in viewing my own life and understanding that God is the one who gifts us our destinies. Rather than trying to craft our own, we have to dream bigger and be evermore receptive of just how big God's plan for our life is.
A very logical and methodical take on some of the deepest truths about the faith. Alec offers such a different approach to understanding God that simply just makes a lot of sense.
Fr. Joe is a newly ordained priest of the diocese of Providence, Rhode Island. I was so blessed to overlap with Joe in Rome for two years and can say that he is one of the deepest, most spiritual thinkers that I know. His humility exudes through every word he says and every minute of his ministry. Grateful to God for priests like Fr. Brodeur!
Rather than simply revisiting past memories, we take time to talk about what life was like for three friends who were just starting their high school careers when everything got shut down. Rather than being an annoyance or hindrance, all three of these young women were able to find God in this difficult time through different and unique ways. Tune in to hear the seeds that God was planting in their lives and the fruits that have been born as a result of their faith.
"But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ." -Philippians 3:20 This week we are joined by a friend of OLF, John Brahier, who serves as the Associate Superintendent of Catholic Culture for the Archdiocese of Detroit. Within his role, John is able to offer ample insight into the state of all 79 of the Catholic schools in the archdiocese as well as the future forward for promoting a solid culture at each of these schools in hopes of bringing the entire group together. As a father of three (soon to be four!), John himself has personal interest in paving a bright future for all of the youth that we serve.
"Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith." -Hebrews 13:7
Live from the MANS conference in downtown Detroit at the Huntington Place with over 1700 attendees, we had a wonderful conversation with Sr. Kateri Burbee and Laura Ilov, the principal and assistant principal at Holy Redeemer Grade School in Mexicantown. They run an astonishingly faith-based program and encourage their students above all to be saints. We sit down and discuss how they're able to do that in 2024, the fruits they've noticed from taking such a radical approach, and how we all play an active role in the formation and catechesis of others.
"Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name: you are mine." -Isaiah 43:1
When it comes to our programs staff, no one is more beloved by our groups than Paco Herrera, who truly invests himself into each and every participant of the program he's running. Paco talks about the importance of calling someone by name, the need to "put on a show" to bring energy program, and how this all harmonizes with a deep and profound spiritual environment. Tune in to hear Paco break open and investigate the technique that has made him a staple for any OLF retreat.
"He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness." 2 Corinthians 9:10
All five of the Hickey kids come together in the same room to share their experiences of growing up within the camp setting. Far from being the ordinary childhood experience, all five of the Hickeys share their gratitude for what they received and how it equipped them to be attentive to people on the personal level as they've grown into adulthood. We're grateful for the opportunity to have this conversation and we hope you are edified by all of the lessons learned and shared by Jeremy, Maria, Jacob, Bryan, and Michelle.
"Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen." -Ephesians 4:29We take some time to reflect in our own St. George Shrine about the graces, the stumbling blocks, and the lessons involved within the topic of communication. More than a byproduct of humanity, words have a divine origin and a potential to build someone up or completely cut them down. It's eternally important to reflect on how we communicate and more importantly how we are open to communication from a God who is constantly reaching out to us, hoping dearly for a response.
We get the chance to sit down with Mrs. Kerwin, the middle school theology teacher at St. Fabian in Farmington Hills to discuss her expertise: breaking through the walls of middle schoolers. We explore topics of the deep desire for authenticity as well as how to truly think like a middle schooler in order to see where they're coming from. We were so blessed by all of the insight that Kim has to offer with encouraging vulnerability and edified by all that she is doing for the Church.
"Do you not know that the runners in the stadium all run in the race, but only one wins the prize? Run so as to win." -1 Corinthians 9:24
This week we're joined by two great coaches, Jeremy and Jacob Hickey, who break open the beauty of sport and show how their coaching is a direct vehicle to Christ, to help others run so as to win. They highlight the importance of healthy competition and stories of moments when the circumstances of victory mattered much more than the victory itself. Tune in to hear the connection between athletics and being a disciple of Christ.
This week, we travel out to Prince of Peace Catholic Church to speak with Fr. Andrew Dawson about the power of the sacraments. Combining his experience as a camp counselor as well as a priest, Fr. Andrew offers many deep points of reflection in terms of how we can allow ourselves to be overwhelmed by the sacramental grace that the Lord desires for all of us. Tune in to hear how Fr. Andrew makes this reality present at his parish and how he views its importance within the upcoming generation of the Church.
This episode we're joined by our very own Melissa Marter! Combining her experiences with Hard as Nails Ministry and Catholic Family Land to now serving at Our Lady of the Fields, Melissa brings a breadth of ministerial knowledge and a deep understanding of the youth. Tune in to hear about her specialty: the art of debriefing and how it enhances the experience of all of the groups we have here.
Before Damascus finished up for the summer, we had the wonderful opportunity to speak with Abby and Tyler about praise and worship, as well as how they help others to enter into this form of prayer. With insights even new to our ears, they both truly bring a refreshing and creative perspective to praise and worship, which reflects in their effectiveness to reach youth and adults alike. We hope that you are as blessed by this conversation as we were.
Fr. John has been a long time supporter of OLF and a vibrant figure during many of our retreats. We get a chance to sit down with him and really talk about the spirituality behind forming a relationship with Christ and how that relationship can help us model love to those around us.