Testimonials

My parents separated before I was one. I hadn’t experienced the full extent of what marriage in a single household is supposed to be like and the beauty of that. I liked not just learning the teachings of St. John Paul II, but seeing it lived out and hearing people give their own personal account of what a good thing marriage is, and that it’s worth pursuing.

In a culture caught between extreme and contrary understandings of what it means to be a human person, the Institute presents a model that upholds humanity’s God-given dignity. The perspectives given by the priests, religious, seminarians, and lay people has helped to shine light on the wisdom of St. John Paul II and bring the reality of God’s universal call to commiunion into focus in my life as a single man.

This is the antidote for the world’s problems today. It is healing; for me personally, and in the lives of so many of our loved ones. Once you learn it, you want to learn more and more, We’d love to give back – whether that’s sharing our testimony or welcoming people into our homes, just knowing how much that impacted us, we want to return that gift to someone else.

What I experienced through the Image of God Institute gave me the ability to look at the world in a different way. It’s brought life to our marriage and our family, and healing to me personally and to the lives of so many of our loved ones. People need to know God’s plan for our bodies and sexuality, who we are to Him. It’s helped me be more compassionate and empathetic

The Institute ended up changing the course of my life. I learned about Natural Family Planning. As a nurse, I had learned so much about our bodies through nursing school, but nothing about fertility as far as natural fertility. So, I was really interested in that and I ended up going to school at Pope Paul VI, which focused on the Creighton model for NFP.

The Institute really lit a fire under us! The Church teaching wasn’t just a set of rules. It came to life in such a beautiful and tangible way; experiencing the witness couples, the discussions and being in the home of a Christian family.

I knew something was very ‘off’ in our culture, but I couldn’t put my finger on it. I am now able to recognize, name, and reject when the culture of death distorts sexuality. The Institute has given me the tools to reveal Love Himself to all those I interact with. I am so grateful to have received the hope that the Institute offers, beginning when you walk through the front door.

After my Theology of the Body retreat with the Institute (over a year ago), I have recalled it everyday. It also enriches my homilies. This is not just a ‘program.’ This is a grassroots movement, with formation of leaders that has the deepest impact on the hurch. Some formation goes far and wide, reaching many but giving little. What the Institute offers is narrow and deep, like Jesus with his Apostles.

While I was fortunate to learn about St. John Paul II’s Theology of the Body decades ago, attending the retreat sparked a desire to explore it more extensively, ensuring I don’t miss out on any of this rich teaching. I’ve procured a copy of the complete (over 500-page) set of JPII’s talks, determined to learn how I may more deeply live and spread the good news they contain. Additionally, it was uplifting during the retreat and the Unpack talks to hear people share how beautifully their lives have been enriched as, by grace, they’ve embraced the truth conveyed by these teachings.

It opened up my eyes to see the world from a deeper Biblical perspective…how Christ as the groom gives his entire body over to his bride the Church and how we as husbands are to do the same. Our relationship with God and intimacy with Him can help us love our spouse and that intimacy with our spouse can grow intimacy with God.

Learning and embracing the wisdom of St. John Paul II transformed the way I interact with the children in my class. I try to truly see them with their inherent dignity. Now, I also have the philosophical and theological foundation that makes me comfortable answering children’s questions about the body

I was quite skeptical about attending this retreat at first. I have been on so many retreats. I was blown away by the first evening’s fundamental teachings of the body and soul in a way I have never understood before. I was raised in the 60’s and wish I could have learned this years ago! Now, I want others to have this opportunity and encourage everyone who wants a better understanding of the Bible and Christ’s teachings to attend this remarkable retreat

I participated in most of the events that the Image of God Institute presented at our parish and what a great gift it was to us! I had known a little bit about these teachings but had never done a deep dive and it was very moving to begin to understand what JPII wanted us to know so many years ago. It has changed the way I do my ministry. I now look for opportunites to bring healing and understanding to what people have been through, leading and helping them to understand who God is and who we are.

It was all valuable. The hospitality was superb, the content was heavenly, the small group discussion was enlightening, and the resources were very helpful!

When we first encountered the Image of God Institute, we knew that it was an organization which we
wanted to be involved with for the rest of our lives. We were immediately hooked by the mission of the Institute and the people that were involved. Being in a home setting, sharing a meal, seeing how the leaders talked with people, how they listened and how they loved — we always say it was the best marriage prep we received. And we received it before we were even engaged! Looking back now as a married couple we are able to reflect and ask – what did the Institute do for us? What did we receive? And the answer: we received from the Institute an understanding of who we are and what we are made for.

I just wrapped up my first year as a teacher at an all boys high school where I was able to share the Gospel and the teachings of St. John Paul II with over 90 of my students; and not only in the classroom but also on retreats and with extracurricular opportunites outside of school where we were able to talk about marriage, family and the meaning of life I couldn’t have done it without the Institue and all of the formation they have provided me. I have learned so much and I can’t wait to get back at it again next year!

I have been part of a small group which has been a game changer in helping me live out my faith. In studying the teachings of St. John Paul II with the Image of God Institute, and bringing it back to my small group, it has taken things to the next level in my faith journey.

The Unpack speaker series and the Behold retreat put on by the Image of God Institue were really great events! I loved the way they were presented because it gave all who attended a chance to see how these teachings work in everyday life, how couples and families utilize these concepts, and how it is impacting people in their everyday life. This experience reaches down and grabs you and it helps you truly find a way to deepen your faith.

Through attending retreats and bible studies with the Image of God Institute I was able to learn more and bring healing to the women that I walk with who struggle with sexual addiction. I knew that I could share these teachings of St. John Paul II to help provide hope and give them the opportunity to spread this hope with others. What was most surprising though was how a lot of healing occurred in my own heart. Hearing couples testimony on marriage, it healed the wound that I had from divorced parents. It was very beautiful and very unexpected.

The Institute has done an amazing job of making the wisdom of St. John Paul II come to life. I like leading bible studies and having a good foundation in the teachings of St. John Paull II has been really helpful in making these more effective. Having an adequate understanding of the human person, which is what this movement is all about, makes every ministry way more powerful. Seeing the growth in the guys that I’ve been mentoring in bible study, has been quite amazing.

The Image of God Institute has been such an incredible gift in my life. I started going to small group discussions a couple of years ago, and have been able to have a deeper understanding of the beauty of the human person especially in my vocation as a wife and my profession as a nurse. It’s been an incredibly vibrant community for me!

I have been involved with the Institute for over 10 years and what I’ve learned has been beneficial to me as I work with middle school and high school teens, preschool and everything in between. This wisdom has been a connecting point to Christ giving of himself and has helped me lead these young people to see and understand how much Christ loves them and how He is calling them to love others the way He did.

In my working helping sexually exploited and trafficked children and teens, I see the worst of our world’s broken view of sexuality. At the Behold retreat, I saw the goodness and beauty of our sexuality. When we see ourselves and each other with our God-given dignity, there’s no room to use another person.