To Be Love in the Daily Grind

The Apostolic Internship at St. Therese Institute

God calls and inspires us in many different ways. One key way God calls to us at St. Therese Institute of Faith and Mission is through our simple but daring mission statement: “To be the love at the heart of the Church for the conversion of the world.” It’s a mission inspired by our patroness, St. Thérèse of Lisieux, who taught that holiness isn’t about doing extraordinary things, but about doing the smallest, most ordinary things with extraordinary love.

From the Greenhouse to the Field

For those in our Gap Year and Mission Year programs, this mission is germinated and nurtured in what Executive Director David Douglas calls a “curated reality—a spiritual ‘greenhouse’ of sorts” where students are protected and nurtured so the roots of their faith can grow strong. Buteventually, every plant must leave the greenhouse for the field. Being rootbound and boxed in isn’t an option for lives meant to be lived fully in Christ! One of the reasons that the Apostolic Internship program exists is to aid that transition. 

Now in its second successful year, the Apostolic Internship acts as the “in-between stage of care,” helping our graduates transition from the controlled environment of the formation programs into the unpredictable elements of the work world, giving them resume-worthy experience and leadership skills while continuing to encourage spiritual development. 

LOVE in Action

We often say the interns are the “junior staff” who keep the engine of St. Therese running, but it is more than that. They are taking the “Little Way” that they learned about during their years of formation and challenging themselves to apply this beautiful theological vision within the gears of our real operations. From the kitchen to the front office, from the laundry room to classroom, from the hidden internal document to the public external viral reel, their work provides the Institute with expanded capacity and a magnanimous witness – to others and (most importantly) to themselves – of what love in action can really do:

Miranda Willenborg, our Female Formation Intern, notes that this “behind-the-scenes” work is where the formation she received really gets used and honed:

“You take your formation and you get to the internship where you’re practically applying it every day—and sure you might mess that up, but you just kind of live it. I love being on the team… because that’s where my charisms lie.”

The true success of the program is what happens inside the interns. St. Thérèse once wrote that she wanted to find a “shortcut” to heaven through her little way of love. Our interns get a chance to seek that shortcut in the midst of their 9-to-5 workdays.

Joseph Côté, our Male Formation Intern, reflects on times when prepping classes or setting up for activities require working through the scheduled Eucharistic Adoration:

“What God has been really working on my heart is: ‘You can encounter Me through the ordinary and through the work just as much as you can there [in adoration].’ It’s an invitation from God being like, ‘Do you trust that I can encounter you and I can meet you in this place just as much as you could in adoration?’”

A Year of Growing Professional and Personal Fruit

The internship year is also a year of immense professional fruit. Our interns are gaining resume-quality experience that is opening doors before they even finish the program.

• Olivia Mase (Marketing): “I recently received a job offer from a University because of my work here at the Institute. It’s an exciting example of recognizing that my work here actually means something and it’s tangible life experience.”
• Rachelle Bentler (Reception): “This year has brought a lot of confidence in the gifts that I’ve been given… I can totally see this year really impacting the rest of my life because it’s really anchored me and given me direction.” Through skills and connections built in our front office, Rachelle has been offered an opportunity for reception/admin work within a professional health practice.

Daniel Berube, our Custodial intern, found that his practical background and keen attention to detail were a perfect fit for the custodial role St. Therese required. Through using and nurturing those gifts this year, he’s found new skills have blossomed: 

“I have a charism of hospitality, an attention for detail, and a background in carpentry. It’s quite amazing how well my skills and passions and charisms lined up with the position… This year has given me the communication skills and leadership skills to dive into whatever my next—both large ‘V’ vocation and career vocation.”

Ready for a Transplant?

As we look ahead to our third year of the program (2026–2027), we are inviting the next group of leaders to get their roots ready and move into the field.

• Current participants in the 2025-2026 STIFM programs: Applications have been open for two weeks, and many great candidates have already applied!
• Alumni (Gap Year 2025 or earlier, and Mission Year Alumni): Your turn is here. Applications for alumni will be accepted until mid-week. Your window closes Wednesday, Feb. 11.

Discernment is rarely a lightning bolt; more often, it is a quiet realization that the Lord has prepared a place specifically for your gifts. If you feel a tug toward participating in the daily operations of this mission, consider how the “Little Way” thrives in the soil of a generous “yes.”

Take a step of faith. Come do the ordinary work of a modern-day lay apostolate with extraordinary love.