Jenna Galakatos

“Who except God can give you peace? Has the world ever been able to satisfy the heart?”

Saint Gerard Majella

Where I serve

To round off my doctoral degree in Occupational Therapy from Mizzou, I am completing a final capstone project in Kansas City from the summer through the fall. I will be developing a program for those battling Parkinson’s disease to address loneliness and poor mental health to improve quality of life and mental health awareness and education.

Because of this, I will be starting with FOCUS as a December graduate. This means that I will learn what university I am being placed at in December, and I will start at that campus in January! What an opportunity from the Lord to practice and grow in patience!

My Story

After the Holy Spirit descended at Pentecost and Peter calls for the crowd to repent and be baptized, Luke states that they all devoted themselves to the apostles’ teachings (Scripture), to fellowship, to the breaking of the bread (the Eucharist), and to prayer (Acts 2:42). After growing up a cradle Catholic (and Greek Orthodox) and having fallen away from the faith at the beginning of college, it was fellowship with my new roommates and their community at the Newman Center that drew me back to the Catholic faith my junior year.

I had searched high and low hoping to find my identity and my worth in school work, in extra curriculars, in friends, and in the stereotypical ‘college life’, all with no luck. Better yet, I couldn’t deny the genuine love, friendship, and deep care for one another I was starting to see in my new community. After attending the SEEK conference my senior year, I asked a FOCUS missionary to teach me to pray because I realized I couldn’t begin to know Jesus and build a relationship with Him if I didn’t know how to pray. From this, a deep encounter with the Lord through prayer became a daily habit, and I couldn’t help but turn my face away from the temporary pleasures of the world to the One who calls me His Beloved Daughter. Jesus is so incredibly jealous for our hearts. My desire in becoming a missionary is to encounter college students with the gospel of Jesus Christ that they are made for a Love so much greater than anything else they can find.

“Apart from the cross, there is no other ladder by which we may get to heaven.” -St. Rose of Lima

Your Impact

In answering the call to join FOCUS, I made the decision to rely on the spiritual and financial support of mission partners to help me through this mission. I’ve been blessed with the most amazing people who have journeyed with me as I serve on campus. If you are interested in partnering with me, you can contact me at (314)717-6596 or [email protected] as I would be honored to schedule an appointment with you to share about this mission!

SUPPORT Jenna

Find other missionaries

FOCUS brings the joy of the Gospel to colleges and parishes across the United States (and beyond)!

GET STARTED

FOCUS Find A Missionary Know Love Serve God Monstrance

Know, Love and Serve God

We encounter God in an intimate relationship through daily prayer, the sacraments and the Scriptures.

Build Virtuous Friendships

By building genuine friendships, we meet students on a deeper level.

FOCUS Find A Missionary Teach Others Share Christ Smiling

Teach Others to Share Christ

We teach students how to share the gospel, who in turn teach other students how to pass it on.

Host	Retreat Type	Start Date	End Date
Tulane University	Way of the Disciple	09/05/24	09/07/24
University of Nebraska Lincoln	The Sanctifier	09/13/24	09/15/24
Parish Outreach	The Father’s House	09/16/24	09/18/24
Kansas State University	The Father’s House	09/20/24	09/22/24
University of Delaware	Rec	09/20/24	09/22/24
University of South Carolina – Columbia	Rec	09/27/24	09/29/24
St. Francis University	The Father’s House	10/04/24	10/06/24
Nicholls State University	The Father’s House	10/04/24	10/06/24
Northwestern State University	The Father’s House	10/11/24	10/13/24
University of Memphis	The Father’s House	10/11/24	10/13/24
Southern Illinois University – Edwardsville	The Father’s House	10/18/24	10/20/24
Ohio State University	The Father’s House	10/18/24	10/20/24
University of Dallas	The Sanctifier	10/24/24	10/26/24
Central Connecticut State University	The Father’s House	10/25/24	10/27/24
Universidad de Monterrey	The Father’s House	10/25/24	10/27/24
California State University – Fullerton	The Father’s House	10/25/24	10/27/24
Sts. Anne and Joaquim, Fargo, ND	Way of the Disciple	11/01/24	11/03/24
University of Krems	Men’s	11/01/24	11/03/24
University of Mary	The Father’s House	11/08/24	11/10/24
DePauw University	Rec	11/08/24	11/10/24
Philanthropy Engagement	Way of the Disciple	11/15/24	11/17/24
University of Passau	Rec	11/21/24	11/23/24
Texas A&M University	The Sanctifier	02/07/25	02/09/25
FOCUS Greek Southeast	The Father’s House	02/14/25	02/16/25
FOCUS Greek Midwest	The Father’s House	02/14/25	02/16/25
Worcester Polytechnic Institute	The Sanctifier	02/14/25	02/16/25
FOCUS Greek Southwest	The Father’s House	02/21/25	02/23/25
Wayne State University	The Father’s House	02/21/25	02/23/25
University of Illinois-Chicago	The Sanctifier	02/21/25	02/23/25
Queens College of the City University of New York	The Father’s House	03/07/25	03/09/25
Nicholls State University	Way of the Disciple	03/07/25	03/09/25
Grand Valley State University	The Father’s House	03/28/25	03/30/25
University of Northern Iowa	Way of the Disciple	04/03/25	04/05/25
University of Nebraska Lincoln	The Father’s House	04/04/25	04/06/25
Arizona State University	Men’s	02/07/25	02/09/25
University of Nebraska at Kearney	Rec	09/27/24	09/29/24