We encounter God in an intimate relationship through daily prayer, the sacraments and the Scriptures.
Hi I’m Chris, I’m a first year focus missionary!
“The world offers you comfort, but you were not made for comfort. You were made for greatness!” – Benedict XVI
This academic year I am going to be serving at Vanderbilt University in Nashville Tennessee!
I was impacted by FOCUS my freshman year of college at FAU. Going into college I had just ran around my diocese teaching kids in a Totus Tuus program. I had made great friends in a community who desired me to be a saint, and challenged me to grow. I also has a desire to deepen my faith and become the man God wants me to be. So as I entered into my freshman year of college I found FOCUS quickly, and they became good friends and mentors. From day one, my missionaries showed me the love of Christ, walking with me on campus.
After my freshman year of college I discerned Jesus was asking me to enter seminary. So, I promptly finished up my freshman year, gathered my things, and left for college seminary in Saint Louis. In this time, to my surprise, I encountered Christ more deeply in prayer and daily life. After three formative years in college seminary, the Lord gave me clarity in my desires. He showed me that he was not putting a desire on my heart for the ordained priesthood. What I thought were desires for priesthood, I learned were desires to be an upright and holy man. So as I graduated, I wondered what I want to do with my life, and more importantly what the next step was for me. As I prayed and pondered this, a desire to be a missionary rose in my heart.
I wanted to show others the love of Christ in the way I live, as the missionaries in my life did. I especially desire to share with others the formation I received in seminary, and bring men to a deeper knowledge of Christ and themselves, so that we may fulfill Jesus’ great commission to evangelize the world!
When I answered 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, please let me know of the best way to reach you and I will schedule an appointment. I’d be honored to share this mission with you.
If you partner with me I can further answer Jesus’ call to bring the gospel to all corners of the world, especially to those college students who unknowingly have a deep longing for relationship with the God who is the cause of our existence.
We encounter God in an intimate relationship through daily prayer, the sacraments and the Scriptures.
By building genuine friendships, we meet students on a deeper level.
We teach students how to share the gospel, who in turn teach other students how to pass it on.