Lily-Kate Pritchard

Lily Pritchard

“Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.”

– Saint Theresa of Calcutta

My Story

I grew up Catholic, but I didn’t have a relationship with God until college. I was just about to walk away from the faith during my freshman year at Hope College, when two upperclassmen came into my life and changed it forever. They taught me about who the Father is and revealed to me the depth of the Catholic faith. We did not have FOCUS on campus, yet these two students acted as missionaries for Christ, rekindling the fire of my faith.

FOCUS came to Hope during my junior year. One missionary in particular, Gabby, taught me about how radically God loves us–He is constantly running after our hearts. I realized as Gabby shared the Gospel message with me, that I had never heard it before. Despite 21 years as a Catholic, I never truly understood what Jesus had done for us.

Before this, I was incredibly lonely and had whole-heartedly bought into lies that I was unknown and unloved. Learning about the Father’s love for me–as well as how much Hope’s missionaries cared for me–turned my world upside down. It was the Holy Spirit’s work through Gabby that made me want to become a missionary. I could not believe that I had lived so long without knowing the basic yet life-changing truth about God. Now I cannot imagine keeping that truth to myself.

I have always loved my confirmation saint Mother Teresa. As I was discerning FOCUS, I worried that I might be giving up great life plans. I remembered Mother Teresa said, “not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.” I was sitting, lamenting the fact that I would no longer change the world with my grand plans, when the Lord spoke directly to my heart and said “you will change someone’s world.” And it’s true. With the help of FOCUS, I will do great things in Christ who strengthens me (Phil 4:13)–like going after souls for His Kingdom!

Your Impact

When I answered the call to join FOCUS, I made the decision to rely on the spiritual and financial support of mission partners to support me and join with me throughout this mission. I cannot change the world without you! 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 only ask that instead of thinking about it, you pray about it. You can reach me at [email protected]

“Let us more and more insist on raising funds of love, of kindness, of understanding, of peace. Money will come if we seek first the Kingdom of God –the rest will be given.”

– Saint Mother Teresa

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

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

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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