WHERE WE COME FROM
Founders & Past Leaders
History
2004
Under the guidance of Bishop Sam Jacobs and the vision of Fr. Mark Toups and Paul George, Adore began as an outreach to lead people into a relationship with God in Houma, LA.
Through teaching, sacramental worship, and community nights, Adore began ministering to groups of people in homes to bring the relevancy of the Gospel to the disenchanted, fallen away, un-evangelized, and marginalized.
2005
Project Starfish is born as an answer to the need of natural disaster in our mission communities. Adore’s worship spaces became emergency shelters and re-entry centers, Adore develops a strong social justice charism.
2006
Adore partnered with Youth Arise North America and the Diocese of Phoenix to begin a full time mission at the Arizona State University Newman Center in Tempe, AZ.
2008
Adore partners with the Companions of the Cross religious community and brings on board, Ennie Hickman to begin it’s third full time mission. This one in Houston, TX, first at the Catholic Charismatic Center and the third ward and then St. Thomas More Catholic Church and Southwest Houston.
Ennie with his wife Cana and their family start the very first weekly Family Dinner in a move that formalized the community gatherings in homes that started in 2004.
2010
After returning from Haiti to aid in the aftermath of the devastating earthquake, Adore missionary Ennie Hickman passes through the slums of Houston’s 5th ward. The challenge is clear, how can we leave to care for people in another country when we are not caring for our own neighbors.
Adore’s calling becomes more clearly that of domestic missionaries to the underserved in our local cities and neighborhoods.
2011
As the Lord began to reveal the great needs in the poorest parts of Houston, two more mission outreaches to youth directed by Jonathan Alexander were born, one in rural Richmond, TX and one in the Fifth Ward Houston.
2011 also brought about an expansion to the town of Cecilia, LA directed by Nic Frank.
2013
Adore grows to serve more and more people as new missionaries come aboard to serve the existing missions.
A new mission is also established in post-industrial Portsmouth, OH, directed by Paul Baum, to minister in a community where four parishes are forced to merge into one community with a single pastor due to dwindling priestly vocation.
2016
Adore partners with Franciscan University of Steubenville for the first Encounter Conference for young adults and families in Houston with over 900 in attendance.
This major outreach into the underserved young adult generation paves the way for more young adults to encounter the living Christ, and be called to mission.
2017
Exactly one month before the second Encounter Conference, Hurricane Harvey devastates Houston, TX. Every single mission community is severely affected and Project Starfish returns as Adore Missionaries pour out their every moment to help mobilize clean out crews and walk with people in the aftermath of losing everything.
2019
The Encounter Conference moves to Fort Worth biggest attendance yet of over 1400 at the Gaylord Resort. In its fourth and final year, the conference truly ends with a bang with support from our great friends including Matt Maher, Fr. Mike Schmitz, Mark Hart, and Bishop Olson even joined for the closing mass.
Adore Ministries felt an undeniable call from the Holy Spirit to devote all of our resources to building Family Dinner into a nationwide movement headed by Peter Fontana. As a result a break from hosting major conferences while we pursued this call was discerned.