Outreach in Love (OIL)
 Faith Formation for Adults with disAbilities

 

Anne-Marie and Kyle share their faith journey, which includes RCIA, a COVID wedding, and stewardship:



Kyle & Ann-Marie René
Coordinators | Outreach in Love














We are both attorneys who met in May 2019 after Kyle moved to Richmond for work.  It wasn't long before we were engaged in December.  Kyle was raised Presbyterian, but with Ann-Marie being a "cradle" Catholic and several members of Kyle's family having also converted, the Catholic Church felt like home.  Kyle began RCIA classes in the Fall of 2019, and we first reached out to St. Michael Parish to learn about the OIL community around the same time. 

Our interest in OIL was sparked by Kyle's involvement with a similar group, Religious Experience for Exceptional People (REX), several years back in college.  Like OIL, REX focused on developing a community of faith for adults with disabilities and ensuring they had an opportunity to share their thoughts and ideas with others.  We began working with OIL with the hope that we might help nourish a similar sense of community at St. Mikes. 

Since the onset of COVID-19, our OIL meetings have looked different than usual. 
To stay engaged and upbeat, we've held a Zoom call once a month, with a focus on God's seasons and celebrations, such as Thanksgiving, Christmas, St. Valentine's Day, and Lent.  We are enthusiastic to transition back to in-person meetings in (hopefully) the coming months.  We are expecting our first child in July and cannot wait for him to meet all of the OIL participants who have brought so much joy to our lives this past year! 

Update:
Kyle and Ann-Marie now have two children and continue to lead the Outreach in Love Ministry here at St. Michael Parish.