History

Eagle Eye began as a response by the Community of St. John to the thirst of young people…

Through their many apostolates with young people in the Church, from rock-climbing camps to downhill ski outings, Brothers and Sisters of the Community of St. John encountered many young people with a thirst to go to the heart of their Catholic Faith, to discover the profound harmony between their lives and the desires of Christ crucified. They began Eagle Eye to give the most, of the best, to the thirstiest.

In June of 2003, our first 8-day retreat took place in Princeville, Illinois. Since then, we have continuously expanded through the grace of God to a family of over 6000 alumni, and over 125 volunteers and benefactors.

Vision

The spirit behind Eagle Eye is the same as the spirit of Christ Jesus Himself, the “Eagle in flight,” (Rev. 4). In Jesus Crucified, and especially His cry of thirst and the piercing of His Heart (when He gave His Spirit, the Paraclete, to His Church (I Jn. 5:8)), we find the fullest expression of this mystery of Christ, “the Eagle in flight”. This spirit, lived out perfectly by the Virgin Mary, was also embodied and handed on to the Church in a special way in the person and writings of St. John the Apostle, and demonstrated vividly for us in the life and doctrine of St. Theresa of the Child Jesus. Following in their footsteps, Eagle Eye strives to bring each of its participants to experience the cry of thirst of Christ as intensely as possible by helping them delve as deeply as possible into the mystery of a Christian Charity lived out as a “sincere gift of themselves” (Lumen Gentium, 22) in prayer, study, fraternal charity and apostolic service.

Mission

Eagle Eye Ministries endeavors to form, unite, and inspire young Catholics for the new evangelization by deepening their relationship with Jesus Christ through prayer, study, culture, and community. We embolden our participants to do great things with their lives! We give them the formation that makes it possible, and provide them the resources to find their unique place in the Church. To that end, we:

bring them to an authentic faith encounter with Christ;
provide rigorous intellectual formation in the philosophy of Aristotle;
foster authentic expressions of human culture; and
immerse them in the experience of community to create real friendships and support on the path to holiness.

Since 2003...

Programs

From 1 day to 365 days in length, Eagle Eye Ministries has launched eight programs since its first Summer Institute in 2003. Four programs have since been retired, but four programs continue, namely: Summer Institutes, Excursions, Retreats, and Pilgrimages.

Events

Every year, Eagle Eye Ministries hosts an average of four Summer Institutes, three Excursions, two Retreats, and an annual Pilgrimage, as well as webinars, podcasts, and small groups, making formation available year-round to teens and young adults ages 16 to 35.

Participants

Over 7000 teens and young adults have passed through our programs. And they keep on coming! Eagle Eye Ministries is almost entirely dependent on a large and incredibly dedicated volunteer staff, many of whom are alumni.