Omar Bravo

Omar Bravo

Psy.D. Candidate, PGSP-Stanford Psy.D. Consortium

“Having a community is not just a good idea, it is essential to human flourishing. One lives out their Catholic faith best when being part of a Catholic community. ”

I owe a significant part of my spiritual growth to CC@S. I was feeling a bit lost and lonely during my first weeks in the Bay Area, but that quickly changed once I joined a small group. Not only did I feel welcomed, but also, I felt encouraged to take a deeper dive into my faith with the support of other faithful Catholics. I thoroughly enjoyed going to the Catholic events as well since I got the sense that Catholics at Stanford took their faith seriously and wanted to grow in communion with God and with each other. Yet another major part of my formation as a Catholic Christian was the time I spent living with 9 other Stanford Graduate students at the Woodshop in Redwood City. Communing with these virtuous men brought me great joy and strengthened my prayer life and my faith. Moreover, they provided all types of support when I was in need, and for that I will always be grateful to them and CC@S.

Now that I am doing my Clinical Psychology internship at the Immaculate Heart of Mary Counseling Center in Lincoln, Nebraska, I am constantly seeking to integrate myself within the Catholic community here as well. Having a community is not just a good idea, it is essential to human flourishing. One lives out their Catholic faith best when being part of a Catholic community. CC@S has taught me this invaluable lesson, and I will carry that with me for the rest of my life and encourage others to find their community as well.

I also cannot fail to mention the immense help that spiritual direction with Fr. Bob provided. He has seen me at my best and my worst and has shown great love for me regardless of my weaknesses. I have made significant strides in my spiritual life through Fr. Bob’s love, guidance, and example.