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Gulf Pine Catholic
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July 28, 2017
Nothing but NET for Biloxi girl who is set to join
National Evangelization Team
BY TERRY DICKSON
BILOXI -- Caitlan Thompson, a parishioner of
Our Lady of the Rosary Parish at Keesler Air Force
Base, has been selected by NET Ministries to serve
on one of its National Evangelization Teams.
NET Ministries challenges young Catholics to
love Christ and embrace the life of the Church.
Every August, 175 young Catholics aged 18-28
leave behind their jobs, school, family, and friends
to devote nine months to serving with the National
Evangelization Teams (NET).
Divided into 16 teams, they travel across the
U.S. for nine months to share the Gospel with
young people and their families. Since 1981, NET
teams have led over 30,000 retreats and ministered
to more than 1.8 million young Catholics.
Thompson will leave on August 7 for training
in St. Paul, Minnesota.
“Upon arrival, I will be involved in a 10-day
music/worship leader training program, followed
by five weeks of evangelization training,” she said.
“The first three weeks will focus on personal
development of my faith and how to share it with
others. The last two weeks, I’ll be placed on a par-
ish school team or a traveling team and, during
those two weeks, I will learn how to work with my
team, taking the things I learned the previous three
weeks and applying them to the topics we will be dis-
cussing during retreats at youth groups and schools.”
Thompson applied for NET at the suggestion of
Father Jacob-Matthew Smith, O.F.M. Keesler Medical
Center Auxiliary Contract Priest.
“Father Jacob-Matthew often invites the military
youth of our parish to participate in retreats going on
outside of our community,” said Thompson.
“I was actually invited to attend a retreat in Laurel
that was hosted by NET. I learned a lot about what the
organization does and I just kind of fell in love with it.
They go around the country for about nine months,
spreading the Good News to young Catholic adults and
I really like that.”
Father Jacob-Matthew believes Caitlan is a perfect
fit for NET Ministries.
“I have known Caitlan for more than 2 years now
and she has never been one to pass up opportunities to
learn and engage herself in activities that would broad-
en her understanding of who she is and where she might
want to go in life. She has been active at all levels in
church ministries at Our Lady of the Rosary Parish at
Keesler Air Force Base and in youth activities with
other parishes of the diocese,” he said
“For her to be accepted as one of the group of teen-
agers to experience ministries around the country is a
milestone in her career. She not only represents the
diocese, but also the Archdiocese for Military Services
whom the Air Force falls under for Catholic services.
Caitlan exudes the kind of spirit our young people need
today regarding their faith, and I have no doubt Caitlan
will be a leader in youth ministries for the Church in the
years to come. Her can-do spirit draws people to her
and this will the catalyst for other teens to want to
engage their faith. I have nothing but praise for Caitlan
and I know Our Lord will be watching over her this
next year.”
After she finishes her training, Thompson will
embark on her nine-month journey.
“I’ll find out after training which path I get because
the path is kind of pertinent to which team I’m put on,
whether it’s a traveling team or a parish school team,”
said Thompson.
A self-described “military brat who was born at
Royal Air Force (RAF) Lakeheath, England, United
Kingdom, Thompson, 18, is the daughter of Major
Jerry and Heather Thompson. Caitlan is their only
child. The family has also lived in Alaska, Portugal,
California and Washington. They moved to Biloxi three
years ago. Both parents work at Keesler. Her dad is in
the United States Air Force Medical Service Corps and
serves as the Healthcare Administrator and Keesler
Medical Group Executive Officer. Heather Thompson
is the Catholic Pastoral & Religious Education
Coordinator at Our Lady of the Rosary Keesler AFB.
“My husband and I are very proud of her for
answering God’s call and having the courage and gen-
erosity to step out there and serve God’s people,” said
Heather Thompson.
“I’m a little nervous about her taking a year off from
school, but I think this will be an excellent learning
opportunity for to go out and share her faith, which
she is very good at doing.”
Caitlan, who was home-schooled, plans to
attend Ave Maria University, a private Catholic
university located in Southwest Florida.
Caitlan said she’s excited about the opportunity
but also nervous.
“This will be my first time being away from
home for such a long period of time,” she said.
“I actually won’t have my phone during train-
ing, so that’ll be the longest time I’ve gone without
speaking to my mom. I’ll have it during music
training but, during the five weeks of evangeliza-
tion training, it’ll be in a locker in another state.”
Major (Father) Laserian Nwoga, Senior
Catholic Priest-Chaplain and Pastor of Our Lady of
the Rosary, Keesler Air Force Base, offered a spe-
cial Mass and Blessing for Caitlan on July 17.
“I feel very confident with her selection to
serve as a missionary for NET. I know that she will
represent the Archdiocese for the Military Services
(AMS) very well,” Father Nwoga said. “She is
spiritually mature and I applaud her for taking such
a bold step to answer this call. I have no doubt that
God has a special ministry for her in the future. I
am very proud of her and wish her well.”
Caitlan shared a litany of gratitude to those who
have helped her along the way.
“I want to thank God and my family because I was
a little nervous about approaching my parents to tell
them I wanted to take a year off from college right
away. They’ve been nothing but supportive throughout
this whole process,” she said. “I also want to thank
Father Laz. He has provided our parish with so many
opportunities. He’s been nothing but supportive to the
youth of our parish. I’d also like to thank the people of
Our Lady of the Rosary for their support. Father Jacob
Matthew is always presenting us with different oppor-
tunities because, at Keesler, we don’t have a very
steady youth population.
“I also want to thank St. Mary Parish inWoolmarket.
They have been nothing but welcoming to the youth of
our parish by letting us get involved in their Life Teen
program and other youth activities, especially Matt
Johnson. He didn’t have to take in the kids from our
place but he was nothing but welcoming and encourag-
ing to us,” said Caitlan. “I’d also like to thank
Katherine Lingenfelder, who was the Life Teen Director
at St. Mary’s in Woolmarket when I first started attend-
ing Life Teen Mass and Youth Ministry in Woolmarket.
She met with the teens every Sunday with open arms. I
find her to be such an inspiration through the passion
she had for youth ministry and answering the call to
religious life (Currently in a discernment program).
She’s an incredible woman I feel blessed to have in my
life.”
Pictured are Major (Father) Laserian Nwoga Senior Catholic
Priest-Chaplain and Pastor of Our Lady of the Rosary,
Keesler Air Force Base, Caitlan Thompson and Deacon
Michael Butler. Father Nwoga offered a special Mass and
Blessing for Caitlan on July 17 as she prepares to spend a year
evangelizing for NET Ministries.