Mission Statement
The Culture Project is an initiative of young people set out to restore culture through the experience of virtue. We proclaim the dignity of the human person and the richness of living sexual integrity, inviting our culture to become fully alive.
The Culture Project returns to Philadelphia
Founded by Ms. Cristina Barba Whalen, a graduate of Archbishop John Carroll High School, The Culture Project missionaries visit Catholic middle schools, high schools, parish religious education, and youth ministry programs, and young adult settings to speak about human dignity and sexual integrity. All sessions and talks are free of cost for any location within the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. The Culture Project offers students an encounter with other young people who are inspiring witnesses of counter-cultural virtue.
Through dynamic presentations, compelling personal stories, and one-on-one encounters, the Culture Project missionaries draw young people back to the basic truth that all human beings have inherent dignity and worth, evidenced by Church teachings and biological facts. After establishing this groundwork, they address chastity, sexual integrity, and social media best practices. Their work is steeped in St. John Paul II’s teachings on the Theology of the Body. It is an invitation to the beauty and greatness of a life of virtue.
Who are the Culture Project missionaries?
The Culture Project missionaries are a team of six vibrant, faithful young adults (recent college graduates) who have committed a year or more of their life to outreach in the Diocese where they are stationed. Before they begin work, the missionaries undergo months of extensive training from nationally and internationally renowned psychologists, theologians, medical doctors and youth ministry leaders. This training is strengthened by their commitments to daily mass, daily holy hour of prayer before the Blessed Sacrament, continued personal formation and intentional community life. To get involved in The Culture Project in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, click below:
Schedule a visit
Missionaries are available to speak to teens (7th-12th grade), young adults, and parents at schools, parishes, conferences and community events, October through May. Scheduling for the 2022-2023 School Year has begun! To learn more or schedule a session, please visit https://thecultureproject.org/plan/.
Meet the Missionaries
Juliet Alise recently graduated from Tulane University with a Master of Science Degree in Behavioral Health. She has a deep passion for understanding and helping people, which led her to pursue a graduate degree in psychology. This same passion drew her to the mission of the Culture Project. “People have a desire for love that is embedded in their human nature. The only way to truly understand this desire is to encounter Love Himself–our Lord Jesus Christ. I feel called to help young people understand themselves more fully by having a relationship with God and experiencing His authentic love.”
Benjamin Colombo graduated in 2023 from Angelo State University with a B.A. in History and minors in Communications and Sociology. While in college, a mentor introduced Ben to the Culture Project and recommended that he apply. While substitute teaching at a public middle school, Ben saw young people struggling with their identity and taking extreme measures to try and change how God made them to be. “If only they knew how much God loves them, sees them, they would be fully alive.” I became a missionary to prime the hearts and minds of youth to let God act in their lives.
Patrick Kilgannon graduated in 2023 from the University of Virginia where he studied Economics. The Church’s teachings on human dignity and sexual integrity, the same teachings that inspire the Culture Project’s mission, are what brought Patrick back to the faith in his third year of college. He met The Culture Project at SEEK23 in Saint Louis and answered the call from Christ to give a year of his life to serve others as a Culture Project missionary. “We are all made for a life united with the Trinity. I hope to expel Satan’s empty promises and be a light that brings young men and women into a life of true joy through Jesus Christ.”
Emily Najvar graduated cum laude in 2022 from the University of Dallas with a B.A. in Theology. She grew up in Houston with ten siblings and rode horses competitively for more than 10 years. Emily served as a missionary in the summer of 2020 with Dumb Ox Ministries. She discovered her passion for sharing the message of the dignity and beauty of the human body and sexuality with many different people and watching them come alive as they embraced this truth for themselves. She heard about the Culture Project through her time with Dumb Ox, various SEEK conferences, and her brother, who encouraged her to apply. The message of the beauty, truth, goodness, and immense value of the human person is something she longs to pass on to others. After much discernment, Emily answered the call to give her life in service as a missionary for a year with the Culture Project. “I have never seen people come more alive than when they hear this message. They truly find joy within themselves. “I became a missionary to take this message to those who struggle to see their dignity and the beauty of what it means to be human as created by God.”
Nicky Orozco graduated in 2022 from Franciscan University of Steubenville with a B.S. in Social Work. She grew up in Southern New Hampshire, worked as a karate instructor, and served in various high school and college ministries. While in college, Nicky was part of a women’s community inspired by Saint John Paul II’s teachings and dedicated to the pro-life cause. When Nicky met the Culture Project, she felt the saintly pontiff tugging at her heart again. The Culture Project’s focus on beauty, dignity, and hope, compelled Nicky to answer the call from Christ to give a year of her life to serve others as a missionary. “Christ set me free from a life of despair and continues to be the keeper of my heart. Now, the Culture Project allows me to share the freedom that Christ brings with others.”
Support The Culture Project
The Culture Project enriches the Church through sharing the Gospel of Life. Share in this blessing by staying informed with digital newsletters and help be a part of the mission.
Resources
CONTACT US
P.O. Box 86 • Wynnewood, PA 19096
1 (800) 315 8684 • [email protected]
https://thecultureproject.org
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ TheCultureProjectIntl
Instagram: @thecultureprojectintl