I am a 1st year missionary serving at the University of Connecticut! Go Huskies! UConn boasts nearly 30,000 students and has a vibrant and growing Catholic center, but the campus remains a mission field desperately in need of a relationship with Christ. The Northeast is new territory for a Midwest kid like myself, but I am excited to see how the Lord challenges and blesses my ‘yes’ to mission!

My path to conversion has been filled with many ups and downs, and I have come to learn that our salvation is seldom gained through a one-off, singular transformation of the heart.

I was born and raised Catholic, and for many years, I thought my conversion happened in high school, and I was granted permission to coast. St. Augustine’s Confessions changed my life in high school. I found the cure for my restless heart in the embrace of our savior then, but it did not last.

For several years as an undergraduate at Benedictine College, I thought being a theology double major was good enough for the spiritual life, while I devoted most of my energies towards accolades and internships. During this time, God graced me with a variety of experiences outside of college that showed me the intense hunger my generation has for acceptance and love that the world cannot offer. I thought I was a good kid, but eventually I realized I was just like the people I pitied.

In my senior year of college, Christ began to unveil the worldly attachments in my heart and invite me again into a relationship. It wasn’t easy. I said yes to being a FOCUS missionary without knowing how the Lord would work through me. In the process, I lost one of my dear friends, Alex Lynch, to cancer. The grace he exemplified during the last months of his life galvanized my faith and solidified my resolve to answer the call Christ has placed on my life to serve his Church. Alex is a saint, and he is on mission with me!

We are all called to ‘go forth’ and proclaim the word of God. God has given me a unique mission to fulfill the Great Commission on college campuses, and by joining my support team, you will also be joining me on mission!

Christ came to give us life and give it to us abundantly (John 10:10), but this can only be done when we radically abandon ourselves to his divine providence and will. I want to show UConn the abundant life that God offers us, but this can only be done if people like you give in abundance. I encourage you to prayerfully discern your gift to my mission. Your generosity will change lives!