Our Mission
Our mission is to establish a Catholic Addiction Recovery Home in the Diocese of Phoenix. Phoenix is the fifth-largest city in the United States, and we lack a Catholic recovery center.
Healing Through Catholic Spirituality
Addiction and substance abuse have a devastating effect on society, families, and individuals. Our Catholic spirituality offers a unique and powerful path to healing from addictions. Jesus’ healing and saving grace is what people suffering from addiction desperately need to bring them the joy and peace they won’t find anywhere else. Our vision is to have a Catholic home to serve those battling addictions. Kolbe Mission will strengthen the mind, body and soul through prayer, works, and fellowship.
Kolbe Mission community members will participate in common and individual prayer, and have access to the Catholic sacraments. They will be required to take part in an addiction recovery program. They will be expected to maintain the facilities, take care of the property, work the land, cook for one another, meet together to discuss their rehabilitation, and have time for recreation together.
There will be no charges for services provided by the Kolbe Mission. We will institute a psychological screening process for all prospective community members, and ask for an application fee to cover the cost. While the Kolbe Mission will be distinctly Catholic, persons of all faiths are welcome.
St. Maximilian Kolbe
The Patron Saint, and namesake, of our community is Saint Maximilian Kolbe. He is best know for heroically standing in for a fellow prisoner who had been selected for death by the Nazi guards. Fr. Kolbe and nine other men were thrown into a pit to starve to death. Rather than descending into despair and anger, Fr. Kolbe led the men in praise to God.
Fr. Kolbe is the patron saint of prisoners, addicts, and families. Under the patronage of this martyr of charity, and by his example of loving sacrifice, we seek healing for those imprisoned by addiction.
The four primary pillars
At The Kolbe Mission, healing will be experienced through four primary pillars:
- Walking with Jesus. Residents will take part in the sacraments, daily prayer, both individual and in common. Emphasis will be given to the virtues of temperance, fortitude, and prudence.
- Mental health care. Many people suffering from addiction also have histories of trauma. Staff will be trained in 12-step recovery programs and trauma-informed care, incorporating them into the program.
- Work. Residents of The Kolbe Mission will not be idle. They will work to prepare and clean up from meals, to maintain the house and property, and to produce products for use and for sale.
- Fellowship and recreation. Fellowship and recreation are crucial elements to building a community and healing. In The Kolbe Mission homes there will be a recreation room for games, exercise, and socializing.
Support and encouragement from the Diocese of Phoenix
At Kolbe Mission, we witness the power of Christ’s healing in the lives of those battling addiction. Recovery is not just about breaking free from substance dependency – it’s about restoring dignity, renewing hope, and reclaiming one’s identity as a beloved child of God. Through restorative justice and the mercy of Jesus, we are called to walk alongside our brothers and sisters, bringing them back into the heart of the Church and the wider community. In this mission, we do not abandon but accompany, ensuring that no one is left outside the embrace of God’s love.
Bishop John P. Dolan
Bishop of Phoenix
I am so excited that the The Kolbe Mission is now moving forward to build Catholic recovery homes in Arizona. They have my full support. Come join us.
Bishop Emeritus Thomas J. Olmsted
Diocese of Phoenix