I am currently serving at the University of Valparaiso in Valparaiso, Indiana. Go Beacons!!! Though it holds the same name as my hometown, there are many aspects of the campus that are different from what I am used to. Going from from a Big Ten university with over 25k students to a school with less than 2.5k has been a transition. In many ways, however, it has been a welcome one. Evangelizing the entire campus seems much more in reach when you see many of the same students around campus multiple times a week. Valparaiso is also a Luthern affilicated school with a large Luthern chapel on campus. Consequently, we are likely to encounter a number of students from other faith traditions and the theologian hat is one that we often find ourselves wearing. It all goes to show the importance of being versatile and meeting everyone where they are at. These are the skills that have been the most beneficial in my missionary journey so far at the University of Valparaiso.

Sanctity is the work of a lifetime. Our faith journeys do not end when we graduate college, get married, or even have our first grandkids. God is ever new and a well spring of graces continue to flow from Christ’s side throughout each of our lifetimes, ever beckoning us greater and loftier heights of holiness. This is the eternal vision that every good Catholic should constantly be striving for: to become holy and righteous in this life through the grace of God, with the goal of becoming a saint! Sadly, there are millions of souls who have either forgotten this truth or have never acknowledged it in the first place. But fear not, for there is always hope!

I can attest from firsthand experience that there is no better time to form a lifelong relationship with Jesus than in college. I was blessed to have the opportunity to be poured into at one of the largest and most active Newman Centers in the country. It was there that I learned how to incorporate the habits of a practical Catholic into my daily life. It was there that I formed real and authentic friendships based on mutual love of Christ and building each other up in virtue. It was there that God called me out of the darkness and fear of a life lived for the fading things of this world and into the sweet freedom of His celestial light! The Holy Spirit is truly doing incredible work in our time!

Brothers and sister, I want to invite you to be a part of the great work that has already begun on campuses across the country and world. Though I have been blessed with a calling to dedicate myself as a laborer of the harvest full time, I understand that this sort of lifestyle is not feasible for many. By supporting my ministry, however, you will become an active participant in the crucial work of evangelization that has and will continue to transform the lives of so many college students. Friends, there are as many ways to become a saint as there are people. By partnering together, we will not only be aiding each other as coworkers in God’s vineyard, but pushing each other closer to the finish line as fellow runners in God’s great race! Let’s be saints!

The impact of Focus reaches far and wide throughout the country and world as well as down multiple generations throughout human history. We are transforming lives in the prime of their youth by brining them to Christ. The impact of a conversion experienced in one’s youth has a lasting impact far beyond the immediately visible transformation. These young people are the parents and grandparents of the next generations. These are the future leaders of our local buisnesses and governments. A life won for Jesus in college does more for the kingdom than we can possibley imagine. Words cannot express our gratitude for your generosity in supporting this vital mission to which we have been called at this particular time and place. May God richly bless you!