Who we are
Many young people lose their faith by the time they leave high school. We send teams of young adults to share their faith in schools and churches so youth are transformed and re-engaged in their Catholic faith.
Mission statement
To challenge young catholics to love Christ and embrace the life of the Church
It is accomplished by:
Proclaiming the Gospel of
Christ through a personal
witness of faith
Inviting young people
to live for Christ
Forming young people in Christian character through the study and practice of our faith
Equipping youth workers and young adults with the ministry skills needed for evangelization
Missionaries
Staff
Board of Directors
Archbishop Marcel Damphousse
Director
On May 6, 2020, Archbishop Marcel Damphousse was named the coadjutor archbishop of the newly created Archdiocese of Ottawa-Cornwall. He succeeded Archbishop Terrence Prendergast following the latter’s retirement on December 3, 2020. As a priest of the Archdiocese of St. Boniface, before becoming a bishop in 2012, he was an instructor at the Manitoba Catholic School of Evangelization, a vocations director, and a Catholic high-school chaplain. Archbishop Marcel is proud to serve on the board of directors of NET Ministries Canada because he truly believes in the power of youth sharing their faith with their peers.
Archbishop Marcel Damphousse
Director
Bishop Christian Riesbeck
Director
Bishop Riesbeck of the Diocese of Saint John, New Brunswick is passionate about living the Joy of the Gospel and leading people into a deep encounter with Jesus and the Church. His pastoral focus is to raise up disciples who are joyfully living out the mission, proclaiming the Good News of Jesus Christ, and making disciples of others. Bishop Riesbeck encourages people to give God permission to build a Church that is explosively alive. His long standing support of NET allows him to contribute to one of his greatest joys, which is to see young people give their hearts to Jesus and discover the true meaning of their lives in Him.
Bishop Christian Riesbeck
Director
Bonnie Annicchiarico
Vice-Chair
Bonnie Annicchiarico is a consultant and retired Catholic educator residing within the Diocese of Calgary in Brooks, Alberta. As a principal and superintendent, Bonnie worked extensively with NET, hosting a team for one year in her school district and ensuring that schools had multiple encounters with NET travelling teams. Her passion for Catholic education includes an absolute commitment to providing young people with strong leaders, authentic witnesses and multiple opportunities to encounter Jesus. She is grateful to have the opportunity to support NET Canada in their efforts to do just that.
Bonnie Annicchiarico
Vice-Chair
James Mikulasik
Director; Co-Founder
James Mikulasik grew up in Kamloops, B.C. in a loving, Catholic, Cursillo, ranching/logging family. After graduating from Olds Agriculture College, James went on NET USA in 1988 and NET USA Staff from 1989-1994. In 1994 James brought NET to Canada where it was launched in Ottawa, Ontario. He served as Executive Director for NET Canada from 1994 – 2008. In 2004 he was instrumental in bringing NET to Ireland and starting NET Ireland. Involved in residential land development, James and his wife Pati have two boys ages 19 and 21 and currently reside in Carleton Place, Ontario. James and his family pray the rosary together and love their Catholic life. James has been on the NET boards for both NET Canada and NET Ireland since their beginnings.
James Mikulasik
Director; Co-Founder
Jean Lafrance
Director
Jean Lafrance hails from the parish of Holy Cross in Winnipeg, Manitoba. He is a husband and father of five amazing children ages 7-18. Jean’s desire to live out his Catholic faith began as a child and was greatly influenced by his devout grandmother. While spending three years in seminary in Ottawa, Jean experienced the ministry of NET Canada and since then he has come to know and become friends with many NET missionaries and staff. Currently working as an engineer, Jean is honored to be a member of the NET board and prays that the Lord will continue to bless this organization in its many endeavors.
Jean Lafrance
Director
Jim Meuse
Director
Jim Meuse is a retired businessman who has been married to Rebecca Meuse (former NET Board member for 7 years ) for 40 years. He has 3 children and 7 grandchildren. Jim is in his seventh year of service on the NET board. He has had vast experience on many nonprofit Boards and Committees. Jim has a real heart for NET. He and his wife have hosted over 100 NET missionaries over the years. They have arranged for 5 different parish teams at their parishes in Canada and USA. Jim knows the particular charism of NET and knows the importance and potential of NET to the church in Canada.
Jim Meuse
Director
Lisa Polk
Chair
Lisa Polk currently serves as the Director of Pastoral Services for the Archdiocese of Regina. She has hosted NET missionaries in her home and enjoyed praying with the young people and experiencing their witness to the faith. Lisa enjoys walking, golfing, and spending time with her husband and adult daughters. She has a zeal for the Lord and lives her call to leadership with compassion and generosity. Serving on the NET board and sharing her passion and expertise in the area of board governance is fulfilling for Lisa. She appreciates working with others and the variety of gifts they bring.
Lisa Polk
Chair
Maxine Brown
Director
Maxine Brown works for the Vocation’s Office of the Diocese of Halifax-Yarmouth. She has a heart for young people and helping them grow in their vocation to serve God.
In the early 90’s Maxine and her husband Phil met a few young people who had served with NET USA. They were immediately intrigued by their openness to the Holy Spirit and their obvious love of Jesus. When the opportunity came for them to host a NET Canada team in their home in Halifax they jumped on it. There haven’t been many years since that the “Halifax Browns” haven’t hosted a team or two. They couldn’t have been more excited for their children Jacob and Maria when they decided to serve with the ministry.
Maxine Brown
Director
Co-missionaries
NET’s mission is made possible by the many people who give of their time, their talents, their treasures and their hearts. Anyone who helps out by donating, volunteering or hosting our missionaries is a co-missionary.
Interested in becoming a co-missionary? Here are some ways you can help!
Host Missionaries
Provide NET Missionaries with meals and a place to sleep while they are in your town
Donate
Give financially to support the work of NET Missionaries sharing the Gospel with young people across Canada.
Volunteer
Lend your time and talent to fill the many support roles that make NET’s mission possible.
OUR STORY
NET (National Evangelization Teams) Ministries officially began in St. Paul, Minnesota, in 1982. After a team of young adults spent a few weeks conducting retreats in local high schools, high demand for these retreats developed and NET Ministries was born. In 1994, James Mikulasik and Tiffany Scott, two Canadians who were missionaries in Minnesota, responded to an invitation from Archbishop Emeritus Marcel Gervais, to come to Ottawa and NET Canada was born.
NET Canada began as one travelling retreat team, but quickly expanded with the addition of more teams. Soon, parishes began requesting more follow-up to NET retreats and parish ministry teams were born. Over the years, NET Canada has sent teams to Ireland and multiple french communities in Canada, as well to northern Indigenous communities in the Diocese of Mackenzie-Fort Smith and the Archdiocese of Keewatin-La Pas.
Since the founding of NET Canada, over 700 young adults have served as NET missionaries and over 300,000 young people have heard the Gospel through an encounter with a NET team. Young people’s lives are being transformed through an encounter with Jesus Christ, and we hope to continue bringing hope and re-engaging youth in their Catholic faith for years to come!