iTHIRST Initiative

Recovery, Spirituality, 12 steps

iTHIRST Newsletters

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Welcome, Diocese of Columbus!

We are thrilled to welcome the Diocese of Columbus, Ohio to the iTHIRST Spiritual Companionship family! They join dozens of other dioceses dedicated to bringing hope and healing to those struggling with addiction—both within their parishes and beyond.

In Fall 2024, 37 individuals successfully completed the training, equipping them for the vital work ahead.

A special thank you to Tammy Foeller of OpenDoor Women’s Recovery and her entire core team for their unwavering commitment and passion for serving those in need.

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Shalom World TV & iTHIRST

It’s Time for our iTHIRST “Close-Up”!

Keaton Douglas, Executive Director of iTHIRST, has been invited to develop a 12-episode television series exploring the intersection of our Catholic faith and addiction recovery for Shalom World TV. This global network reaches 8 million viewers across 140 countries on five continents.

Keaton will soon be meeting with the creative team, and details regarding filming and broadcast will be shared as they become available.

We are both humbled and excited that Shalom World recognizes the profound impact of iTHIRST’s mission!

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Exciting Grant News!

iTHIRST has been awarded a $200,000 grant in partnership with Catholic Extension, funded by the Lilly Foundation. This grant is specifically designed to bring Catholic faith-based recovery resources and spiritual consolation to rural communities across the U.S. and its territories.

With this funding, we will develop an iTHIRST app that will offer scalable recovery resources, spiritual reflections, and tools for establishing a multifaceted recovery ministry within parishes and beyond. Additionally, the grant will support 12 Spiritual Companionship Trainings in both English and Spanish over the next four years, as well as the creation of a specialized curriculum aimed at bringing spiritual consolation, hope, and healing to incarcerated youth.

We are deeply grateful to Catholic Extension for their partnership and for recognizing the profound impact of our mission!

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iTHIRST Africa

iTHIRST Africa – iTHIRST is thrilled to announce the launch of our first all-Africa iTHIRST Spiritual Companionship Training cohort, set to begin this fall! Participants from five nations—Kenya, Nigeria, Malawi, Cameroon, and South Africa—are expected to take part in this transformative program.

Our dedicated African team is actively recruiting for the class and eager to bring hope and healing to countless individuals across the continent.

A heartfelt thank you to Fr. Joseph Oganda, Lynn Tidgwell, and Irene Mutooni for their leadership and dedication in making this initiative a reality!

AFIDEV Community– The iTHIRST Team proudly supported the launch of the largest therapeutic community for drug and alcohol addiction in all of Western Africa, located just outside Abuja, Nigeria. Under the leadership of Frs. Vitalis and Athanasius—both certified iTHIRST Spiritual Companions—the AFIDEV Community officially opened this past fall after years of dedicated planning.

Here are photos showcasing some of the facilities, along with a special moment featuring the community’s first “homemate” completing his program. Surrounded by his peers, he received well-earned recognition for his journey and has returned home a transformed man!

A heartfelt thank you to our dear friend Jody Riscen, esteemed clinical director at Haven Health in New Jersey and a valued supporter of iTHIRST, for providing essential clinical guidance to our Nigerian team!

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Keaton joins Darrin Nelson’s Podcast: Catholics Living Discipleship

I’m thriled to share this recording of my recent appearance on the Catholics Living Discipleship podcast with Darrin Nelson.   

I invite you to stream this episode exploring iTHIRST, and how parishes can spiritually accompany families afflicted with substance abuse. 

A note from Darrin: 

“In this podcast video I speak with Keaton Douglas, Executive Director and creator of iThirst. The iTHIRST Initiative is a comprehensive program which focuses on spirituality in the prevention, treatment, and aftercare of those suffering from substance use disorders and their families. The iTHIRST Spiritual Companionship (ITSC) Training, is a faith-based continuing education which instructs lay leaders and clergy on the spiritual dimension of addiction/recovery, certified through Seton Hall University. This is a wonderful way to broaden how we Accompany people along their life journey at parishes.”

–Darrin Nelson

Visit Catholics Living Discipleship website:

To view the episode on YouTube, click here.

Yours in the Most Holy Trinity,

Keaton