Collaborative Catholic Formation
Ministries
Missionaries:
Matt Rice
Matt Rice
Hometown: College Station, Texas
Education: Texas A&M, B.S. in Computer Science, 2000
Catholic Theological Union, M.Div with Biblical Studies concentration, 2008
Ministry at CCFM: Ministry Coordinator
Ministry background: I have been working in youth ministry since August of 2001 when I was the Director of Youth Ministry for St. Philip the Apostle Catholic Church in Lewisville, TX. My most recent experience is here in the Brazos valley, working at St. Joseph parish in Bryan. We have been there since the spring of 2009 and have built the ministry up from 9 to an average of 30+ youth per night. Before coming to St. Joseph’s in Bryan much of my experience had been with high school youth, to be honest middle school youth scared me! After years of ministry in the middle school age group I have come to see how important it is to minister to these youth and help them ignite a fire for Christ and discipleship that will help them on their journey with Christ.
At least once a year I am brought in to the Diocese of Austin by the Youth and Young Adult Ministry
office to help train local youth ministers by presenting portions of the Basic Certificate of Youth Ministry. For more details please view my personal site.
Passions & Interests: I am the proud father of 5 amazing children, 2 boys and 2 girls. Levi (11), Asher (8), Trinity (4), Eden (2), baby Isaac, and the loving husband of my beautiful bride Weslei. Much of my passions and interests revolve around my family. I am a den leader, t-ball and baseball coach and stay at home dad.
I am constantly reading books about our faith, the more and more I learn the more I fall in love with this beautiful Church that Christ founded. I want every Catholic no matter their age to truly realize this amazing gift, and I hope to be able to do everything that God wants me to do in order to realize this.
How did you become involved with CCFM and why? As I noticed the worrisome trends I began talking with Sarah Masters, J.P. Quinn, Kyle Turner and Alyssa Trutter to develop a solution. CCFM is the result of many discussions, much prayer and discernment. I truly believe that CCFM presents a viable model to respond to the needs of every church.
Favorite Quote / Bible Verse: Mt. 18:10-14, “See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven always look upon the face of my heavenly Father. What is your opinion? If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray, will he not leave the ninety-nine in the hills and go in search of the stray? And if he finds it, amen, I say to you, he rejoices more over it than over the ninety-nine that did not stray. In just the same way, it is not the will of your heavenly Father that one of these little ones be lost.”