• 2006: God's Embrace designated an official 501 (c) (3) non-profit.
• 2008: Program launches in Diocese of Grand Rapids, MI.
• 2010: Program launches in Diocese of Victoria, TX.
• 2014: Lead Me, Instruct Me, Mold Me, Hallow Me all publisehd.
• 2015: Anoint Us and all Leader Guides published
• 2016: Shepherd Me published, Lead Me & Shepherd Me received Imprimatur.
• 2017: Make Us Your Holy Family, Lord published.
• 2018 A school of Prayer and Holiness Booklet published.
• 2020: Began online program offerings, First GEM Holy Land Pilgrimage. Published Let Me Praise Your Enduring Mercy, Lord.
• 2021: Published Revised edition Hallow Me as Your Disciple, Lord.

Michael Fonseca, D.Min., has an extensive background in Spiritual Formation and Direction. As the Director of Spiritual Formation at Saint Luke Institute, a Psychiatric Residential Center, he treated clergy struggling with addictions in a clinical setting from 1993 to 1999. From 1998 through 2014, he was engaged as the Coordinator for Spiritual Formation in the Diaconate Program of the Diocese of Victoria, Texas. Concurrently, the Diocese of Gaylord, Michigan employed Dr. Fonseca as Director of Spiritual Formation of Adults (2000 to 2013), while the Diocese of Grand Rapids, Michigan named him Coordinator for Spiritual Formation of the Diaconate Program (2000 to 2005).

During this period of time, Dr. Fonseca made some compelling observations that would become the mission of God’s Embrace Ministries. Evident in the hearts of many sincere seekers was a deep longing for a fuller understanding of their Catholic faith and for proper formation in Catholic discipleship. Catechetical Programs often proved insufficient to meet such a need.  Thus the seed of God’s Embrace Ministries was planted within the prayer of Michael and his wife, Cherrie.

Michael and Cherrie Fonseca experienced an extraordinary calling to light candles rather than curse the darkness. Under the Holy Spirit’s direction, GEM took shape with the creation of programs to instruct and empower Catholics to love and practice their traditional faith with devotion and authentic enthusiasm.

As a mission-driven organization in tune with our Catholic faith, GEM relies on user-friendly programs which provide thoughtful content to deepen the disciple’s covenant union with the Lord through prayer, Scripture, and sharing. We also utilize the wisdom of the Saints to prepare ardent disciples in service of the Church, the Body of Christ. GEM is continually fine-tuning its programs to better serve the spiritual formation needs of faith-filled Catholics as they become saints for the greater praise and glory of God.

       The Logo of God’s Embrace Ministries expresses the central reason for our existence:

    The outer circle symbolizes God’s Trinitarian life, without beginning or end. This golden circle is an apt, yet inadequate, image to express the Divine perfection and mystery.  Indeed God is beyond our comprehension.
  Encompassed by the golden outer circle are almond-shaped figures, or mandorlas, which represent the three distinct Persons of the Holy Trinity.  Two overlapping arcs form each discrete mandorla, once again reflecting Divine unity and community in God.  The mandorla is also reminiscent of the early Christian symbol composed by two intersecting arcs to form a fish.

• The Father is represented by the color green as the source of all life and our abiding hope for participation in God’s Trinitarian life.

• Jesus, the Son of God, is represented by the color purple which exemplifies His divine sovereignty as our Lord and King.  He wears the Victor’s crown.  He is indeed the Word made Flesh and our Emmanuel, God with us.

• The Holy Spirit is represented by the color red signifying the transformative power that recreates us - through prayer, the Sacraments, and the Word - into the image and likeness of Jesus.

  The mandorlas overlap within the inner circle, forming a triangle at the heart of the logo.  Another apt, yet inadequate, image of the Triune God, this triangle incorporates each of the three prominent colors while maintaining perfect unity.  In this context, the fullness of the Divine essence and nature takes form: Three in One, One in Three.
  The presence of the golden inner circle symbolizes God’s infinite love and delight in creating the universe with us at its center, whom He has created in His divine image and likeness.  God enfolds all of Creation in His loving embrace.  Indeed every expression of our existence – physical, intellectual, spiritual – finds its fulfillment within God’s embrace.
  The outer circle is surrounded by two prayer aspirations, in Latin and English, which complete our logo design. The phrase in Latin translates as “Holy Trinity, my God and my all,” and, with its compliment in English, emphasizes the central truth of our Catholic faith: we are anchored and grafted onto our Triune God through Jesus. They express our acceptance of the Lord’s invitation to enter deeply into covenantal union with Him through prayer, the Sacramental life, and the Word.  The two prayer sentiments are joined by three interpuncts (۰ ۰ ۰) as a reminder that our discipleship should be a living continuum of prayer, praise, and thanksgiving.
  Through Jesus’ act of redemption on the cross, we are invited to participate in God’s divine life.  We accept this invitation faithfully and enthusiastically, and respond to the Holy Spirit’s instruction to wholeheartedly shine as a light within the world and renew God’s covenant family.  God’s Embrace Ministries receives its vision and mission from the Blessed Trinity, as we have been sent into the world to light candles, not curse the darkness.
   Authentic prayer is living every moment of daily life with and in the Holy Presence. Such prayer leads to surrender and profound peace and joy. Our programs are designed to offer every help to those seeking a deeper union with the Lord through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and to be a vehicle by which the Holy Spirit continues to reveal the depths of God’s love and life.  God Bless you.  You are in our daily prayers!