About Us
About Our Name
PALADIN (dictionary.com)
- Any one of the 12 legendary peers or knightly champions in attendance on Charlemagne.
- Any knightly or heroic champion.
- Any determined advocate or defender of a noble cause.
I see in the Paladin name loyal defenders of a holy cause, a name resurrected from history to defend the Church and boldly remain loyal to Christ and the faith. A name associated with a small group of comrades (originally twelve). A name bearing mystery and romance. A name distancing itself from any and every modern connection. A name honoring the glorious past of our beloved church. A name that rolls off the tongue with honor and conviction.
About Our Purpose
There is a mass exodus of folks leaving the Church. Catholic culture and familial influences are largely ineffective in forming faithful, committed Catholics. Attending weekend Mass and catechism have proven entirely inept as well. Even attending Catholic schools and involvement with youth groups have proven to have no effect on retaining Catholics. The call for a new evangelization within the Church went out, but nothing really changed in most places. Most dioceses and parishes neither understand the new evangelism nor make it a priority. Indeed, most grassroots movements to respond to the call are ignored or even quashed.
Of course, there are effective exceptions. Good work is being done in many places. There are resources. An impassioned pastor can do wonders. Some programs are powerful as well. But most parishes don’t have such a pastor, and most programs aren’t meant to maintain long-term formation and support for living, growing disciples. We must embrace strategies for serious ongoing formation.
We recommend three approaches to ongoing formation. These are the mentor approach (one on one), the discipleship quad approach (4-person team), and the Paladin small church community approach (6-10 people).
This website and our videos seek to help faithful Catholics progress on their lifelong journey to God and to equip them to likewise help others. We gladly wrestle with anything and everything relevant to that goal.
About VW Malzahn
In 1986, God used an argument with a Christian fundamentalist to propel me on a quest to discover the true nature of salvation. I discovered that salvation is knowing God and that our life is meant to be a journey to God. This journey to God was meant to be so much more than a habitual Mass attendance and a minimalist following of church rules; this journey was meant to thoroughly transform us into children of God by truly and intimately knowing God and continually growing closer to him throughout our lives. Upon grasping the truth of this journey, I dubbed it “Our Forgotten Journey to God,” as so few modern folks clearly perceive it.
I have prayerful studied the Catholic faith with a special focus on the new evangelization, small church communities, and the domestic church. I have belonged to and led many small church communities since 1986. I now work to hone and promote a new vision for small church communities and assist in the formation of such communities. I also expresses my faith through my zealous yet ecumenical writing; I write for this website, and I am working on Catholic nonfiction books as well.
I live with my wife and daughter in the Yakima Valley, Washington State. I designed this website in 2022. I am the webmaster and primary contributor.
-VW Malzahn
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