About Thierry SANSON 

  Founder of Inspired Gateways ©

A product of Catholic education, Thierry Sanson grew up in Nantes, France. He graduated from La Sorbonne University of Paris with a master’s degree in business and economics. After his graduation he traveled for a year throughout Southeast Asia and ended his trip at Calcutta, India. There he spent several weeks with Mother Teresa's sisters as a volunteer. His encounter with the Saint of Calcutta made a deep impression on him.

Returning to Paris, Sanson began his career as the head of products for an insurance broker. Aware that his interests were in travel and spiritual experiences, he resigned from his job to found his own company, Ictus Voyages, which has organized cultural trips and religious pilgrimages all over the world.  For over 16 years Ictus Voyages has helped 50,000 people travel to more than 45 countries.  

Through his amazing encounters with different religions & cultures, Thierry Sanson realized how France is still a land of Catholic heritage with the potential for an exciting renewal of the Catholic faith. Later on, this intuition pushed him to create Lumen Terra, a tour-operating brand dedicated to the promotion of France in that way.

Through his work, his professional and personal network has expanded widely, little by little, throughout the Catholic Church in France and abroad. He has come to know so many wonderful Catholic families, vibrant priests and bishops, Catholic media outlets, committed laypeople and professors in universities.

Because of his love for and interest in the United States, he moved with his family to Florida for several years to expand his business and embrace this country where everything is possible. After traveling all around the United States and meeting so many vibrant American Catholics, a new vision struck him. He had the idea to build Catholic bridges between well-educated French and American young people between the ages of 14 and 17. 

Sanson says, “We prepare the next generation by building a Catholic network of future leaders, by building the Civilization of Love so dear to Pope John Paul II. It‘s a very exciting challenge!”

Sanson is married to Marie and has four boys, He is very committed to the church in France and he is also a board member of the Vatican Charity's French subsidiary, Church in Need.