Brooke Joiner
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Even before I was a Catholic, Our Blessed Mother called me to her Immaculate Heart.
Following my conversion in April 2012, I travelled to Kolkata, India to volunteer with the Missionaries of Charity. I had received an urgent call to serve at Kalighat, the very first Mother Teresa house, founded by my patron saint, so I said yes.
On my first day of the work, I was introduced to a fellow volunteer from Italy named Matteo. We didn’t speak a common language at the time, but from that first day, it was clear that we were made for each other.
We were married the following year, lived in Italy for four years, and eventually moved to the US. As our family and careers grew, so did our devotion to Our Blessed Mother, along with a persistent conviction that we were being called to deepen our “yes” and build something great for God.
We saw that Catholics wanted to support businesses that shared their faith and values, and we believed everyday spending could become a practical way to strengthen the Catholic community. Catholics just needed an easy, centralized way to turn their support into action.
In 2023, we left everything behind to create that way through Catholic Owned®.
I vividly remember the day Matteo and I quit our jobs. Our fourth baby was about a month old and we had just sold our house. We walked into the office where we worked together knowing exactly what we had to say. Once the words were spoken, there was no turning back.
What followed was 24 months without income and a total reliance on God as we worked diligently to bring Catholic Owned to life.
Today, Catholic Owned serves as both a business directory and product marketplace. By helping Catholics discover, support, and buy from Catholic-owned businesses for more and more of their needs, we make it easier for them to use their everyday purchases in real, meaningful ways to strengthen Catholic families, communities, and the Church.
Above all, the work of Catholic Owned is consecrated to the Immaculate Heart and offered in reparation for the many sins and blasphemies against her. We rely on her constant intercession and unfailing help, and continue to grow in our devotion to her.
Just recently, I learned that Kalighat is also called Nirmal Hriday, which means Pure Heart, in honor of the Immaculate Heart. Fourteen years later, these details are continually revealed, reminding me that our story is part of a greater story: how Our Blessed Mother calls each of us to her Immaculate Heart.