For eight months, the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians (FMA) in the United States and Canada accompany women in their 20s and 30s through an “onlife” experience—both online (a “third space”) and, in some cases, in person. This journey offers guided vocational discernment, helping participants explore a call to marriage, religious life, or consecrated virginity.
By Sr. Alejandra Treviño, FMA
The seeds of the Fiat Project were planted in 2017 during a convocation of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops for Catholic leaders. At this gathering, Sr. Bernadette Mota, FMA, and Sr. Phuong Nguyen, FMA, from the Western USA Province, learned about the Samuel Group—a discernment initiative for young adults that originated in Italy through the Apostles of the Interior Life.
Later that year, the sisters introduced the Samuel Group in the Diocese of Colorado Springs. Sr. Linda Gonzalez, FMA, soon joined the team guiding the program. By March 2019, the initiative was flourishing; however, the pandemic abruptly halted all in-person gatherings.
A creative digital approach to ministry
The new reality encouraged the sisters to gather online and think of an alternative way to guide the young people in their vocational discernment. Sr. Sydney Moss, FMA, the Vocation Director for the Sisters’ Western USA Province, reflects about the fact that “during the pandemic, when we had to really pivot and find a different approach to ministry, it was totally the work of the Holy Spirit to come up with the idea of the Fiat Project.”
The Samuel Group evolved into what is now the Fiat Project, incorporating a final three-month Salesian segment focused specifically on religious life, using Sr. Clare Matthiass’s book Discerning Religious Life. The Fiat Project’s name was an inspiration to encourage the participants to say their own “yes” like Mary. “Because of this new project, we have been able to reach more women than if we had kept doing things the same way.”
Sr. Cherilly Galley, FMA and Sr. Bernadette Mota, FMA with Fiat Project participants
Creating new communities
The Fiat project is a space to create community. Marylynn Alvarado, 2025-2026 Fiat Project participant shares how “it has been really great to know that there are other young women who are in similar situations; we are in it together. I have entered this community through a discernment process, not by myself. It’s been divinely guided, I am walking with Christ and I am not alone.”
A new spiritual direction
As part of the program, the participants are asked to meet with a spiritual director once a month to process the information that is shared during each session. Lucia Martinez, a 2024-2025 Fiat Project participant affirms that “the biggest highlight for me was being guided through a spiritual direction, specifically with a sister.
Getting to hear and learn from Sister’s experience and wisdom was something that was really helpful for me to understand how God was moving in my life and what it is that He’s calling me to.”
Take the mind off distractions
Cecilia Garcia, willing to discern her vocation divided between marriage and community life, participated in the Fiat project 2021-2022 onlife: that is, in person, in California, where she connected online with other participants around the United States and other countries.
She shares, “The Fiat Project allowed me to find a space to pause from my busy schedule as a student and to take my mind off distractions and try to hear what God wants from me. It allowed me to create a more structured way to set aside time to talk about the different vocations and meditate on Scripture. We talked a lot about Mary, what she embodied, and the gifts of the Holy Spirit that come with each vocation.”
Christian and Cecilia Garcia (’22)
Discerning the inner wounds
During the Fiat Project, the sisters share talks related to discernment, self-knowledge, healing from inner wounds, and different elements of religious life, all through Zoom. The online portion of the Fiat project ends with an optional in-person retreat for the participants.
This fourth space a space that connects the digital experience with an in-person experience, provides the opportunity to retire from the world and gather in person after 8 months of journeying in a digital space together.
Powerful insights
Courtney discerned her vocation as she participated in the 2024-2025 Fiat program online and the in-person retreat at the end. She shares how reflecting on the sisters talks helped her quest, highlighting some significant insights: “How is your heart designed to love? Do you feel like your heart has been designed to love one person exclusively? If so, that’s how God wants you to become a saint.”
After attending the in-person retreat, she decided to take the next step and is currently in the first stage of formation with the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians.
From left to right; Daughter of Mary Help of Christians Pre-candidate Victoria Villanueva, and Candidates, Diana Valencia, Anadalia Luna and Courtney Holbrook, 2024-2025 Fiat project participants.
Pope Leo XIV in his apostolic letter A Fidelity that Generates the Future says, “Every vocation in the Church arises from a personal encounter with Christ, which “gives life a new horizon and a decisive direction.” Before any commitment, personal aspiration or service, there is the voice of the Master calling: ‘Follow me’ (Mk 1:17).”
The Sisters are in their 6th year of being an evangelizing presence immersed in digital culture through the Fiat Project. They are providing an onlife space for young women to enter a discernment process. The encounter of Sisters and participants through The Fiat Project is made possible by those who offer their prayers for holy vocations to marriage and religious life, and by all those who have supported the program financially, especially the Our Sunday Visitor Institute (OSV) and the Scanlan Foundation.
