Lay missionaries moving on from Agape

By JEFF GRAHAM

When Pat and Vicky Conroy look back at their time in Vancouver, they’ll no doubt feel a tremendous sense of accomplishment, and reminisce in awe at the work God was able to do through them. Pat and Vicky, now in their 18th year of working as lay missionaries and their 10th with Agape Street Ministry, are answering God’s call to go elsewhere.

“We’ve discerned that it’s time for us to leave Agape and the Lower Mainland,” said Pat.
“We’re probably headed for Tijuana.”

Jeff Graham/The B.C. Catholic Vicky and Pat Conroy

Moving on from Agape was no doubt a difficult decision, the couple having invested so much into the ministry and its volunteers, as well as into the lives of so many women working in the downtown east side. They plan to leave Vancouver by the middle of December.

“We were in discernment during the beginning of the year to make sure it was God’s choice, not our choice,” said Pat.

“We’re pulling up all of our roots and moving again, and it’s scary,” added Vicky.  

“When we got here, we didn’t know Agape was going to happen, and now, as we’re moving on, it could be anything; we could end up in China.”

Both Pat and Vicky said as they were discerning where to go they had a vision of a candle in a dark room, where with every step they took through the darkness they were able to see more of the room. They feel this vision is God’s way of telling them to take another step for Him to reveal to them what He wants.  

“We don’t know if this is the direction He wants us to go, but we just hear Him telling us to take a step,” said Pat.
“That’s what it’s been for our whole missionary journey; we’ve never really known what we’re doing,” he continued, “but because we’ve been missionaries for 18 years, we’re a lot more confident than we were, because we know that there will be something on the other end.”  

Pat and Vicky both laugh at the fact that people have been asking them whether their move to Tijuana represents a sort of retirement.

“Most people say oh, you’re retiring,” said Pat, “but missionaries don’t retire, they expire, and that’s the retirement we’re waiting for.”

The ministry will pass into the capable hands of Dan and Sharon Dobin, members of Immaculate Conception Church in Delta. The Dobins have already established a branch of Agape Street Ministry in Surrey.  

“We asked them if they would start a street ministry in Surrey,” said Pat, explaining that the Surrey expansion is doing exceptionally well, “and so in our discernment we asked them to take over, and they agreed. They’ve very active in their parish, very Christ centred, and very much in love with the Catholic Church.”  

Pat and Vicky explained that when they leave at the end of the year they will take as little as possible with them. The couple also said they don’t know exactly what ministry they will get involved in when they arrive in Tijuana, but are confident that God will show them the way.

“We have an interest in human trafficking, prostitution, prison ministry, and street ministry,” said Pat. “We intend to go down and see what’s going on.”

Both Pat and Vicky said they are thankful for all of the help and support they’ve received during their time in Vancouver and will miss the many friends they made in their time here.

“We’d like to thank all the friends, volunteers, and benefactors of Agape,” said Vicky. “We also ask for their continued support of Dan and Sharon (Dobin) and the board and Agape.”