Second STMA Alumnus to Become a Missionary
Elliot Baggett (‘10) has chosen to dedicate a year to mission work; he will begin serving as a member of NET Ministries on August 9, 2010. NET (National Evangelization Teams) is an international missionary organization which began in Minnesota in 1981 and operates primarily in the US, Canada, and Australia. The mission of NET Ministries is “to challenge young Catholics to love Christ and embrace the life of the Church.”
Baggett will spend 8 weeks in training before being assigned to a mission team serving in the Midwest. He will serve a one-year commitment along with up to eleven other members of his team.
When asked what led him to answer this call to serve, Baggett related that when he was praying in the Adoration Chapel he thought about how many of today’s problems could be fixed if the youth were more faithful. While praying for all those who worked in youth evangelization, he felt called to this type of work himself. At the time, he had no idea how to go about this, but found out about NET when a representative came to St. Thomas More Academy to talk about their program.
It was on a Diocesan Faithful Servant Retreat, while praying a Novena to St. Therese of Lisieux, that Baggett discerned he should apply to become a NET Missionary. He later came to realize that St. Therese was the patron saint of missionaries.
When asked about the role STMA played, Baggett said, “STMA made me aware of the need for missionaries to the youth, especially because of our call to witness as Christians in the world. He added, “I saw how formation and a truly Christian influence can completely change a persons life, because STMA did just that for me and so many of my friends.”
Baggett joins Katie O’Donnell (’05) as the second graduate to become a full-time missionary. O’Donnell became a FOCUS Missionary (Fellowship of Catholic University Students) in the fall of 2009 upon graduating from college. FOCUS is “a national collegiate outreach that meets college students where they are and invites them to examine the meaning and purpose of their lives. FOCUS missionaries are equipped to introduce college students to the Person of Jesus Christ and the Catholic faith, empowering them to share His love with the world.” This fall will be her second year as a member of the FOCUS Team at Auburn University in Alabama.
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