The Interior path to deep prayer and divine union

Join thousands of others escaping modern shallowness in search of divine depth.

About soca

Join thousands of others escaping modern shallowness in search of divine depth.

Empowering Deep, Personal Connections with God Through Discipleship

At SOCA, we confront a critical challenge within the Church: declining retention rates and the essential role of mental prayer in fostering a vibrant spiritual life. Research shows a concerning trend: for every individual who joins the Church, six depart. This cannot be countered solely through external focuses like doctrine or social outreach. The core issue lies deeper—a profound emptiness that can only be filled through direct, interior communion with God. Saints like Teresa of Avila and Alphonsus Liguori have emphasized that mental prayer is not just a practice but a necessity for spiritual survival and growth.

Our Vision: A World Transformed by Deep Prayer

We envision a world where a significant number of Catholics engage in daily mental prayer, believing this would dramatically change the spiritual landscape overnight. SOCA's mission is multi-fold: to raise awareness about mental prayer, to support individuals in establishing and maintaining this practice, and to guide them through the stages of spiritual growth, from initial engagement to the heights of contemplation and mission.

A New Approach: Interior Life Discipleship:

Practical, Personal, and Communal Spiritual Formation

Step-by-Step Discipleship: We offer a structured program that guides participants through the traditional stages of the spiritual life—purgative, illuminative, and unitive—ensuring practical and applicable steps at each stage.
Personalized Support: Each participant is paired with a personal outreach coordinator. This one-on-one support is crucial in helping individuals integrate mental prayer into their daily lives, overcoming obstacles, and finding personalized pathways to spiritual growth.
Communal Accountability: Beyond individual support, we provide a communal framework. Participants engage in regular group meetings and partner with peers for weekly check-ins, creating a supportive community that fosters accountability and perseverance in prayer.

Impact and Goals

Since our inception from a basement in 2018, SOCA has made significant strides:

Over 1,300 individuals have committed to regular mental prayer. We have grown to 12,000 followers and have engaged tens of thousands through talks and conferences. Our message has resonated across diverse demographics, from young individuals exploring vocations to professionals and seniors seeking deeper spiritual meaning.

Our long-term goal is ambitious: to guide over 100,000 souls to commit to mental prayer and develop 5,000 disciples who will carry and spread the richness of the interior life. Over the next few years, we aim to expand our outreach significantly, requiring enhanced marketing strategies and increased staffing to meet these objectives.

Details

SOCA is headquartered in Denver but operates primarily remotely with participants across the US and world.

Email: [email protected]

SOCA's team is comprised of men and women who meet with participants and disciples to walk with them through the Interior Path.

Episcopal Encouragement

Bishop Strickland

“SOCA’s work to make [The Soul of the Apostolate] a way of life takes the person to the center of who they are. We are built to live from the soul and our modern world is starving for the food that nurtures the very core of our life as children of God. . . . (SOCA is) essential for feeding that hunger and changing our world.”

Archbishop Aquila

“SOCA is unique in its blend of zeal, authentically Catholic mysticism, and practicality, to form the next generation of Catholic lay apostles and Catholic leaders. All are called to holiness, which is the source of fruitful apostolic activity . . . "

Bishop

Vasa

“Soul of the Apostolate: This is both the title of a book and the identification of an essential element of Catholic Social apostolates. The book repeatedly makes clear that God is more important to our apostolates than we are. The spiritual life, that essential connection of the individual soul to God, is the SOUL of any apostolate. Without this connection, this interior life, this connection with God, the apostolate may continue but it will be largely very much like an NGO. There are an abundance of ‘catchy phrases’ in the book which speak volumes of truth. Do not leave the God of works in order to pursue the works of God.”

Archbishop Gullickson

“SOCA – Souls of the Christian Apostolate— is among the honest and enthusiastic efforts in the Church today to contribute to the all-important work of Evangelization, sowing the seed of the Gospel in people’s hearts, and thereby to bring our world to Jesus, the Lord of Life. I must say, SOCA sought me out and in doing so caught me pleasantly by surprise. This group is both solid and genuine; it speaks to our times. Men and young men, in particular, need a challenge, while being offered solid Catholic nourishment rooted in our best tradition. Take a closer look at SOCA and if you have not yet encountered Dom Jean-Baptiste Chautard’s The Soul of the Apostolate, treat yourself to one of the classic books on the spiritual life.”

Testimonials

Katie

Disciple-Leader as of 2019; now married to a former SOCA member

Tony

Nathan

“I just wanted to give you a big thank you to you and your whole team. It has made a very big difference in my life. I’ve realized that I have been ignoring a lot of things such as God’s will for me. The focus on mental prayer is what I think I was missing. In my head I already had preconceived ideas what I WANTED for myself. I was missing the point. So after SOCA, I really really focused on mental prayer and surrendered myself to God and I am so thankful to say that I am now discerning religious life and I will be visiting a religious order in January. So I just want to thank you for your amazing dedication to bring people closer to Christ through mental prayer."

Young Woman

One of many who have been inspired to discern religious life

“As a father of three, spending time with the Lord has too often been one of the first things I allow myself to neglect when my time is short... having a group of men that I know are committed to the same discipline has been a missing piece in building this habit. I am much more mindful of how I'm building my daily prayer. I am grateful to SOCA for offering this accountability. The advice shared by our missionary during these meetings is also a gift for tackling the particular challenges that present themselves each week.”

Christian

"SOCA pulls knowledge and wisdom from the Saints in a condensed format which is easy to follow, to discuss with others, and then, most importantly, to implement mental prayer as a way of life."