The FOCUS Evangelization Ministry - by Sarah Billman
July29,2017
The FOCUS Evangelization Ministry
Dear Parishioners of St. Thomas Aquinas,
My name is Sara Billman and in May I graduated from UC Berkeley! I want to tell you some good news about what is going on in the Church but before I do so, I want to convey this message; in parishes around the country, I look around and I feel sad. I feel sad because my generation isn’t practicing their faith. In fact, 80% of those who leave the Catholic Church do so by the time they graduate from college. This is a generation in crisis — of identity, of purpose and of belief. Faced with so many distractions, empty pleasures and a loss of faith in God, they are losing hope. For the sake of so many souls, the joyful message of Jesus Christ’s life and salvation needs to be shared, now more than ever.
But here’s the good news. Someone is doing something about it, specifically an apostolate called FOCUS, the Fellowship of Catholic University Students. Encouraged and driven by Pope St. John Paul II’s call to a New Evangelization and encouraged with steadfast hope to change the culture for Christ, FOCUS has forged ahead into the battlefield of the college campus. As a result, FOCUS missionaries have spread the gospel message to tens of thousands of college students through on-campus outreach, Bible studies, discipleship, mission trips, national conferences and more.
God has called me to serve students and invest in the Church’s future by becoming a missionary and I would love to invite you into this mission with me!
If you are interested in learning more about what FOCUS does, how your student could get involved, or how you could join my prayer and financial support team please reach out at [email protected] or 650.862.3602. Part of the mission of FOCUS is to engage our family, friends and parish communities in the New Evangelization, inviting those outside of the college campus to participate as active members of our ministry through financial support. This means that I will be funded by a support team of mission partners (individuals, families…etc.) who commit to supporting my mission on a monthly basis. Thank you for taking the time to read this—it is an honor to share my vocation with the parish that strongly influenced my faith. I am praying for you all!
Sincerely, Your FOCUS Missionary, Sara [email protected] or 650.862.3602