,, hello, and welcome to mosaic. today we are going to talk about catholic missionaries. the new catholic missionaries, and we're going tok talking about especially young, new catholic missionaries, and i've got, as my guest today, mr. gabriel m ilano. thanks for being here. >> thank you for having me, chris. i really appreciate it. >> this is going to be a short show because there's a lot to talk about, but i want -- we're going to talk about the fact you grew up in a bay area. you're part of one of these new waives of missionaries into the catholic church for the catholic church, but tle's a quote. i think this pretty much sums up

the objective of all missionaries. often, the only thing standing between young people and a life of faith is that they haven't heard the invitation of jesus christ in a convincing way. we're here in august, just about august, about one year after pope francis gathered, oh, i think, what is it, 2 pinpoint weather 7 million people in rio di janeiro. a huge, huge event. obviously there's something going on. somebody getting fired up. 2.7 million, whatever the stats are, that is huge amount of people. that is new thing that the pope is -- has been going out. john paul, ii, started world youth days. it's an indication that there is a new sooil, a new renewed effort to really bring the message of jesus christ to the world and to the culture and in particular, to young people. now, you've been to a world youth day; is that right?

can you till me about that? >> yeah. how long ago was that? it was my senior year of -- of high school so that was 2005. so i was actually -- >> nine years ago. >> yeah. it was pope benedict's first world youth day. >> and where was that? >> it was pretty exciting. actually, at the time it wasn't a big teal he was catholic. i just knew a bunch of people were going to europe. i've never been to europe. >> that's where you were? >> yeah. that's sort of where i was with my faith and everything. some of my friends were going, friends from my school. you was like, yeah, i want to go, and -- but just going there, and it just made it so real, like, oh, wow, like the pope is actually, like, a real person. you know, i get to see him. >> he was like this small. i'm like, oh my gosh, there's pope benedict, and he was talking to all of us. you know, it's like we were --

>> it was a personal encounter. >> yeah. >> that's exactly what weir talking about. what's what i think is your objective as lay catholic missionary is to witness, basically, tell the people, anyone that you can, and you're talking to groups of high school students, schools and things like that, hey, i have experienced the love of jesus christ. i've experienced jesus christ. i'd like you to experience him, too, and what that means for your whole life and all of the challenges yo u you're facing. 3.7 million attended the world youth day right about this time, and that is a huge amount of people. that's huge amount of people. well, you are part of an organization that's just starting, sort of a new bud on this vine of new catholic e advantagelization focussed on bringing this message to young people, and first of all, tell me the name of this new

organization you're a part of. >> we are called the culture project international. >> the culture project international. >> uh-huh. >> tell me about that name. >> so our task is to renew the culture. our culture, it really is good in many different ways. we have a lot of -- i mean, yeah, i mean, our movies and a lot of different things, there's goodness in the world. we're seeking to renew it and really show people that there is -- there's a better -- there's a way to call people to virtue, to call people to -- to live a life of virtue, specifically a life of sexual integrity. that is a huge part of our mission. >> you're focussing especially on the whole sexual moral -- the sexual morals have degenerated. in other words, every movant

that dpoes by, i'm out of date in terms of the lyngo. obviously no matter what, it leaves in its wake a devastated dproup of people who have thought they were going to find some sort of happiness or fulfillment in sexual expression, acting out that way, but it ends up that emotionally, spiritually for sure, it's a wreck, and -- and i think you're -- you're trying to be proactive -- >> yeah. >> -- in the organization to -- and you've been doing this -- this is not brand new for you. you've actually been studying, getting degrees and things like that? >> yeah. i have a master's degree in theology and -- and undergrad in philosophy and theology. so it's something i've been -- you know, i guess i have a heart for trying to understand the world and trying to understand truth, and it's also been with many mistakes, as well. you know, i'm going to be giving talks to all these different students. it's not like i'm coming from this place of perfection so, like, i'm definitely --

>> yeah. >> -- i've definitely made my mistakes in the past. it's from a place of, you know, i've recognized that, oh, i was seek out happiness here, but this wasn't making me happy, you know, and living a life of sexual integrity will make me happy. >> yeah. >> you know, it's something that i've come to. >> you seem like a pretty happy guy. >> thank you. >> that's great. weir going to talk more about it in a second. my name is chris, and you're watching mosaic. we'll be right back. ,,,,,,,, ,,

hi, welcome to mosaic.

my name is chris lyford. i have gabriel milano here with me. gabriel, you're a young person born and raised in the san francisco bay area. you're involved with an organization called the culture project international. i think we have a picture of the culture project international group of people you're starting to hook up with, to reach out to young people in a way that is engaging, clear and definite about jesus christ. you' trying to es personal personally help with regard to the area of chastity, of sexual purity, of -- of healing >> yes. >> healing involved in the wounds that happen as a result in people experimenting all of what's going on in our culture, which is just constant. >> yeah. >> so it's a big challenge to live in this culture as oo young adult trying to be a good person, trying to be a chase person, a virtuous person. you were born and raised here. what were some of the

experiences that you had that began that call that brought you into this work? >> yeah. it's -- it's been a -- it's been a difficult road. i think, especially, you know, like you said, you know, growing up here, there is -- there's a lot of -- there's a lot of different messages that i received from the culture, from some of my different friends of what happiness is, of what -- you know, how to live out sexual integrity, how to live out your sexuality in different ways, and i bought into a lot of these different understandings of -- of the world in that way, and it didn't make me happy. it didn't. it made me quite miserable in many different ways, and i think it was, you know, that specific lifestyle that made it that way, and so it was really difficult for awhile, and it wasn't until actually i ended up getting into a fight with my brother, like,

a -- it was pretty intense, and basically after that, i -- like, i even got -- you know, i actually started bleeding from it and everything. it was pretty crazy. basically after that, i was laying on my bed, you know, holding my -- my arm, and for the first time in the longest time, i talked to god, and i am felt kind of crazy, you know, i don't even know if you're there, you know. >> yeah. >> but i -- this is not the life i ever wanted. >> right. >> help me to change. i think you're there. if you are, help me to change, i want to change. so it was there that i really started to change my life, to -- to live for christ, and to live a life of deeper integrity. it was a slow process, but -- but the lord has made me whole.

he really has. and i want to show that wholeness to other people, you know. this isn't, like, speaking from, like i said before, a place of superiority or anything like that. no. >> yeah. >> it's speaking -- it's one beggar showing another beggar where i had found om bread. >> okay. wow. beautiful. beautiful. and you're witnessing especially not just about your testimony, about that time where you were at a dark place, and you said, "i don't want to be here anymore. i'm out of here." and you said -- you knew about the faith that you -- you were raised in a catholic home, catholic upbringing so you knew about god. you know, you had some basic understanding, but it wasn't until that moment that you actually engaged in a conversation with got for real, you know, and it was at that point, you started -- you put one foot in front of the other and started walking. >> uh-huh. yes. >> what were some of the significant milestones that

happened in that path, in that pilgrimage. >> well, a huge one was -- was going to francis university, actually. >> okay. >> it's a catholic school in ohio. it's a great school of other young people actually wanting to live lives of integrity. i was like, wow, i'm not alone in this. >> for example, being there, i've been there. at mass, everyone is singing and you're singing so loud, you can be the even hear your own voice. >> yeah. >> that's intense. that's huge. people travel from around the world to go there so you went there not only for a degree in philosophy, but a master's. >> my master's was in washington dc, actually. >> okay. that's another part of the story. >> uh-huh. >> now, we are going to look at what happened in washington dc in a second, but what i wanted

to do is, again, mention the name the culture project. this is the organization you're just literally ground lifl. what is the intent of the culture project, you and 30 other people? >> to -- to renew the culture, to have a new experience of virtue, to have a renewed sense of our -- our sexual integrity, and to invite them into this -- this -- this wholeness, this -- the sexual integrity which can be found through -- through knowing christ and through -- yeah, through -- through living -- we're lionsing chastely and living purely. >> chas challenge to do in this culture. >> yeah. >> we're going to talk more about that in a second. you're watching mosaic. we're talking with gabriel milano. my name is chris lyford. we will be right back.

hi, my name is chris lyford. you're watching mosaic. i am the chief digital officer for the archdiocese of san francisco. we're here talking with gabriel milano. we're talking about the whole subject of catholic mission -- missionaries. what are some of the attitudes and challenges that young people have to face, especially with regard to the whole sexual lifestyles offered to them? what do you think? >> yeah. i think there's a lot of pressure for both men and women to -- to hook up, you know. >> yeah. >> that, you know, women -- in order to feel loved, they need to, you know, give themselves away sexually. meven, in order to be a man, like, that's what you need to do. you need to go get a girl. >> right. >> and i don't think that's

true. what true masculinity is is stabding up for what's beautiful. that's part of why i'm doing this is to show what true masculinity is. >> a lot of myths out there in society about what's authentic femininewe thent -- the objective seems to be to move towards this state, almost not human, you know, in a way. it's almost taking away or attempting to draw away the true beauty of humanity, you know. so -- so pornography, you know, huge issue. addiction. i mean, we're talking about an addiction -- >> yeah. >> -- that is life levelling. it is -- it is an addiction that so many people have. the statistics are out there. bad results, you know, with

regard to pornography and the availability of it that hasn't been here years ago. >> yeah. yeah. it's just destroying are -- it just destroys the lives of so many men and women now. it's becoming much more common even among women. >> yeah. and, yeah, it's -- you know, it's funny, you know, they put it up there because, you know, they think this will make you haup pi, but it's the complete opposite affect. >> right. >> it destroys any -- >> the after effect; depression, sense of self worth and so forth. now, you vintures off in your life to this place called franciscan university where there was an atmosphere of support. what are some of the actual things that were the points of support for you with regard to the catholic faith and the community there that really were the answer that you were looking for? >> yeah.

it's funny. out here, you know, on the west coast, at least in the community that i had out here, there was a lot of pressure to do some of those things -- >> yeah. right. >> -- that i do not think really will make you happy. at franciscan, it was the opposite effect. there was a culture that was encouraging me to virtue, encouraging me to become a better man, to -- to defend women, to -- to even develop deeper relationship with god, something that oh, you know, relationship with god, what are you talking about, you know. >> this is a university setting. >> yeah. and these are people that encouraged me to do that, and we -- we encourage one another, but not in a pressuring kind of way. in an inviting way. >> invitation. >> yeah. >> beautiful. now, you ended up going to get a master's degree in washington dc. tell us about that experience and what led you to there and what was that all about? >> a lot of different reasons.

the desire to understand masculinity and femininity more, i went to the john paul ii institute in washington dc to study theology and marriage and family. so to understand a human person more deeply and also understand marriage more deeply because i -- i come from a broken family. my parents are actually divorced. and so -- so i -- i come to, you know, gripple with what does it mean to be married, what does it mean to even be in love. >> yeah. >> you know, is there -- is it actually forever? is love forever, you know? >> yeah. and what is love? >> what is love. >> so you went to the expert john paul ii, and the institute that unpacked over time his theology of the body, and your -- your experience is the same experience of many, many people coming from a broken

family, a family where pain happened and divorce happened and so on, and there's brokenness of other kinds led you to say, okay, now, i've seen what i would rather not have happen to me. how can i build a strong foundation. so you actually went to a place that studies the -- the beauty and truth of sexuality, the beauty and truth of marriage, the beauty and truth of the theology of the body, what god can say about our body, and there's plenty, right? there's plenty. >> yeah. he created us. i think he knows about it. >> he's pretty good at that. there's a word that is -- i wanted to broach this subject and talk about this word because -- because you are a speaker. you go to high schools, grade schools, many groups of people you'll be speaking to in the next year and a half or so. the word is chastity. chastity is a word that the moment people hear it, they go, oh. they think prude. they think something. i don't know what they think. they're thinking -- they're not

thinking something good. i mean, i'm talking about just the average person. when you hear chastity, slad maybe it's because they've actually had the experience of someone attempting to talk to them about chastity but was not a very good example or something. you have a group of 30 young adults who are zealous about going out and talking about the beauty and truth of chastity. >> yeah. >> what is the -- the hope that you -- what do you want to leave people with when you talk with them? >> it's funny you say that about chastity because the reason why i' eve been using the word sexual integrity because people hear the word chastity and they think no sex and that's not what it's about at all. we're about living our sexuality fully, but in a very -- in a pure way, and in a complete way. so that's what we're about. so when we bring this to teens, it's not like this isn't what you're supposed to do. no. that's not what we're about. we're about showing them a

greater way, a way of virtue, and virtue is what will make you happy. >> virtue, essentially, it's a good habit. >> yeah. >> it's such a good habit that you've got momentum going, that chances are you're going to do that same good thing. as opposed to vice. vice is a bad habit. so chastity is -- is that which helps us to truly see others without lust but with love. >> yeah. >> yeah. >> true love. >> one of my favorite catholic writers, his name is matthew kelly. he says happiness doesn't come from the pursuit of happiness, but from right living. that's really what we're presenting is a way of living rightly. >> living right. >> living the way, you know, we're made to live. >> it's almost way too simple. >> yeah. >> we're going to talk more about it when we come back. you're watching mosaic.

my name is chris lyford. this is gabriel milano. we'll be right back.

hi. my name is chris lyford. welcome back. we just have a few minutes left. gabriel milano, you are representing the culture project international. i'd like to see if we could have the contact information for the culture project, if we could put that up on the screen there. if you want more information, phone number, ((202) 821-8635. now, you're in such a pre-launch state, but tell us what the culture project will be doing, what you do, and how do people then get in contact with you? >> yeah.

so what we're basically doing is, you know, telling -- bringing this message of sexual integrity to high school students. so we're going to be going -- this is mainly beyond the east coast actually where it started out in philadelphia. so we're going to go to catholic and public schools in philadelphia and bring this message of sexual integrity to high school students. and then as well, we'll be in new york. we actually might even be -- we'll be abroad in australia, for instance. so i might be in australia. i don't know. yeah, and that's basically what we're going to end up doing. >> so it targets high school aged and school settings, large gatherings, small gatherings? >> yeah. some smaller and some may have, you know, about a thousand, so it can be -- yeah, it can range somewhere between there. >> right. >> yeah. >> so, now, we're going to keep you in our prayers, and we want to see if you guys could come to the bay area. >> i would love that. >> see you guys start giving

talks around especially the public schools because obviously it's a positive message. we wish you the very best, gabriel milano, the culture project. thanks for joining us today on mosaic. my name is chris lyford. if you want to get in touch with gabriel, it's gmilano33@gmail.com. thanks for joining us today on mosaic. >> thanks for having me. >> all right.

welcome to bay sunday. we begin with our weekly pitch. if you have a show yesterday we'd love to hear from you. go to our facebook page. it's the beacon of light in one of san francisco's beautiful neighborhoods, a place where young and old alike can feel a sense of family and develop their skills. everything from computer training to relationship training, the sunset beacon center does it. we're pleased to have their director matt with us this morning. how are you? >> hi, frank. good to be here. >> how many kids go through this on a given day and adults? >> during the school year over 1,100