Vanessa Arianto
When I started university, I really wanted to find a Catholic community, which was what first drew me to Catholic Christian Outreach (CCO).
At the time, I was mostly looking for a place to meet other Catholics. Although I believed in God, faith wasn’t deeply rooted in my everyday life, and I didn’t really know what it meant to have a personal relationship with Him.
Something shifted in my relationship with God in March 2022, when I attended a CCO retreat in Whistler and encountered Him personally in a way I never had before. Through Mass, community, faith studies, and eventually leading others in their faith, my relationship with Jesus continued to grow.
Rise Up has become a special part of that journey. One of my favourite parts is praise and worship. I love listening to worship music, so getting to sing the songs I know and love, lift my hands, and worship alongside hundreds of other young Catholics is incredibly special. Rise Up also gives me space to focus on God and listen to what He might be speaking into my life.
I experienced this in a particularly meaningful way at one of the Rise Up conferences I attended. During adoration, just before beginning a year-long placement, I pictured myself walking on water with Jesus and felt Him asking me, “Will you walk with Me with confidence?” I didn’t realize then how much I would need those words.
I chose “Confidence” as my word of the year. Throughout my placement, I was constantly stretched beyond what I thought I was capable of. I entered a new environment, faced uncertainty, learned so much, and gradually grew in confidence. What I didn’t know at the beginning was that this experience would become one of the best seasons of my life, filled with incredible people, meaningful opportunities, and so much personal growth. Looking back, I was amazed by how personally God had spoken to me at Rise Up before I knew what the year ahead would hold.
Today, faith is central to my life and shapes how I approach both joyful and uncertain seasons. My love for worship has also become a way to serve, as I now serve on CCO’s worship team and help create a space for others to encounter God. It’s amazing that I first came to CCO simply searching for community, and God used that desire to lead me into a relationship with Him that continues to transform my life.
Rise Up is Canada’s national Catholic conference for young adults.
Join hundreds of students and young professionals in Vancouver, December 29 – January 1, for four days of worship, Mass, and life-changing encounters with Jesus.
If you've never been to Rise Up, or it's been since 2019, use my code “YES” and save $25.