Written by Natasha Fernandes

Photos by the CCO Society

The Catholic Christian Organization is a faith-based society that welcomes everyone from all walks of life and helps people learn about faith and how to challenge life’s biggest problems. The Catholic Christian Organization (CCO) Society strives to make inspiring leaders for the ever-changing new world. CCO has made its impact all across Canada with its footprint reaching sixteen college and university campuses nationwide, and having over 100 full-time missionaries. It allows you to ask life’s biggest questions and to seek answers. It is a place for young adults, religious or not, to meet and share ideas together. Through CCO young adults all over the world have been inspired to create bonds and start exploring greater avenues of life. Have you ever wondered how you can contribute to society and gain confidence in yourself to be a true leader? If you feel now is the time to reach out of your comfort zone and be ameliorative, this is the perfect safe place for you.

Being an international student myself, I was very nervous about being in a new university in a foreign country, and about the idea of having to fit in and prove my worth. This new environment was highly competitive, and I always felt left behind. I was losing sight of my goals. That was the moment CCO found me, just like a family would.

The principal focus of CCO as a Campus Society at SMU is the Faith Studies and Outreach. There are five faith studies in total: Discovery, Source, Growth, Trust and Commission. Discovery is the first study that invites you to encounter faith through a simple but challenging look at the Gospel message. Source introduces you to the Holy Spirit. Growth examines the fundamental practices that nurture our day to day life. Trust deepens our trust in God. I have taken two faith studies and lead one as a leader. Commission is the last step you take in order to reveal your missionary identity. These studies are designed to deepen your understanding of your faith and create avenues for you to meet new people and engage with them. Through leading and taking faith studies I grew more confident in myself and realized I was on the path to becoming the woman I was born to be. The link to sign up for a faith study this year: ccofaithstudies.ca

CCO offers student outreach programs like Summit, Rise Up, Spring banquet, yearly international missions, and faith studies. Summit is where students gather under one roof to spend some time in praise and worship. Summits take place in different universities and venues each year. I experienced Summit at Dalhousie a year ago and the memory of it still resonates within me. Young adults travel from all over the world travel to attend the biggest Catholic youth conference in Canada known as RISE UP. I had the opportunity to attend RISE UP when it was held in Toronto and got to meet like-minded and passionate young adults who were shaping the new world by spreading God’s love freely and willingly. It was a one-week conference held at the Westin Harbour Castle.

I was an executive member of CCO at Saint Mary’s University for the 2019-2020 term. During that time I led the discovery faith study for five glorious SMU students who have now become my closest companions. Through being a part of CCO, one gets the opportunity to meet amazing people that enable a person to come out of their comfort zones and learn how to form new connections and polish their networking skills. I even had a chance to meet and interact with new student leaders who shared the same passions as me which was to inculcate new values and change the way we see the world.

I had the chance to meet up for a quick chat with Mark Saldanha, the former executive leader of CCO Dalhousie and currently, the founder of Greater Love, which is a non-profit society at Dalhousie University. We spoke about the mission of Greater Love which is to empower the young generation to nurture and care for the homeless people who have no one to turn to. Saldanha mentioned how he learned his basic leadership skills through being an executive, standing up for what is right, being passionate, and leading faith studies. Many of his friends from CCO also belong to Greater Love which has made the family grow even larger. He was also part of the CCO Mexico mission in 2017 which he said was an unforgettable experience that he would like to revisit. Greater Love is an example of how societies like CCO can help people learn to become better people and produce a change in the world. An excerpt from the zoom conversation with Mark Saldanha:

“The most meaningful thing that I can do is serve others. The joy that you get from it is truly riveting. You learn so much from the people you work with and the people you serve. Developing that servant attitude translates into many different aspects of your life, the relationships that you have with your close ones, your family, friends and the people you work with. Being an MBA graduate myself, the leadership skills that I have garnered through my experiences has made me more confident in my work life and to handle the pressures of the corporate world.”

CCO is not just a place for religious people. It is a place where you can make the decisions that shape the course of your life where you can create real, positive change in the world around you. It’s a place for passionate young adults who want to be a compelling force of change that motivates others who will motivate the next generation and so forth. The mission never stops. Are you ready to take this giant leap of faith? If yes, then hold on tight because you’re in for a long bumpy ride which only looks ahead.

Catholic Christian Society (CCO): A Society that Raises Future Leaders

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