Hi, I’m Cristina.
Christ follower, proud mama, teacher, and seeker of finding God’s grace and goodness in all things.
“What I loved about having Mrs. Dobbins is her ability to always be there for her students, the kind smile she offered everyone, and her willingness to share parts of her own life in order for her students to better grow in understanding.”
— Former Student
JOIN THE MISSION
Tips, advice, and resources in your inbox.
Sign up to receive insights, resources, and all the latest updates on a ministry anchored in a transformative love of God.
How it all started
A seeker of truth.
I grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area infused with the culture and pride of my Cuban family roots.
Having fallen in love with the beauty and gift of diversity, I have been on my own journey of discovering truth and falling in love with the beauty of the Catholic Faith.
Through the study of Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition, I completed my BA and Master’s degree at Franciscan University of Steubenville, OH.
I went on to work at several non-profits and, eventually, found my “home” in the world of teaching.
passion for teaching
A Theology Teacher
Encountering an explosion of love and passion for youth I decided early on that teaching would forever more be the place for me.
I began to see how deeply hope is needed. So many people I have worked with have simply lost hope in the idea of a God who loves us.
The ability to have a supernatural trust in something beyond ourselves is a virtue that has been weakened for many or diluted to a childish desire. This saddens me because I believe humans flourish when hope is alive.
becoming a mom
A Catholic Young Mama
Yet after becoming a mama of three, I began to experience the “divide” between motherhood and career.
In an effort to not miss the precious moments of raising my babies, I decided to step away from formal teaching and transition to an online setting instead.
Yet my goal remains the same: to bring the joy of Christ into everyday life.
our roots
Why Hope Renewed?
Along my journey, I’ve found a common theme between believers and non-believers alike when it comes to deepening their faith: a fear or experience of pain — a need for hope.
Sometimes pain manifests through anger, through disbelief, through apathy, even through intellectualism. Yet at its heart, I’ve found a core (and good) need for the human person to protect themselves from that fear or experience of pain, which I believe makes us all a lot more similar than we are different.
Hope Renewed is about moving past fear and into the full faith and freedom that God desires for each of us.
Hope Renewed is a ministry devoted to discovering the eternal hope found in an everlasting God. This is a type of hope that can weather the storms of life and can be an anchor through the trials of this world.
Founded by a desire to heal and evangelize through a transformative love of God is Hope Renewed:
An online ministry of teaching and catechesis to anyone who desires to better understand or deepen their own Catholic faith.
Imagine morphing together:
An awesome Theology Class that teaches the Catholic faith authentically
&
An impactful Spiritual Retreat that fosters overall spiritual growth, healing, and a relationship with God.
My approach
My approach to teaching the Catholic faith is both traditional and adaptive. While my teaching style will always remain authentic, grounded, and rooted in faith, my journey to getting there will always depend on the needs of my students — the needs of YOU!
Grounded
Don’t worry about feeling like you have to know a lot about the faith as you make an attempt to dive deeper.
This platform is full of opportunities to start where it works for you. Whether it’s through calming meditations, prayers, breath work, getting grounded in Christ, or hitting the books on the teachings of our faith. Start where it works for you!
Faith and Reason
Similar to the teachings of our faith — lessons and teachings found on Hope Renewed will reflect both faith and reason. As Saint Thomas Aquinas says, they are like the “two wings — upon which the human spirit rises to the contemplation of truth.” It is through both our spiritual and intellectual faculties that the soul can truly soar and reach new heights.
who
Who is this for?
Anyone! Genuinely anyone wanting to learn more about the transformative love of God founded in and through the Catholic faith.
- Non-believers wanting to “step in the shoes” of believers to cradle Catholics who never had the opportunity to deepen their own faith.
- Or perhaps seasoned Catholics who simply want to grow in an online community of support, prayers, and growth.
My prayers is that this can be precisely what you need it to be. May the Lord of all that is good manifest such wonders of His love in and through your seeking.
welcome!
I’m here for you.
Know of my prayers and know of my ongoing desire to know what YOU are interested in.
Feel free to take advantage of the contact form where you can vocalize your own hopes and desires for a Catholic platform.
May God bless you and keep you always in His rich love.
Blessings and love,
xo,
“Be who God meant you to be and you will set the world on fire.”
— St. Catherine of Siena
work with me
Choose the next step that feels best for you at this time.
Articles
Resources
Consultation
