Hello, my name is Marcelli Vios! The Lord has called me to serve at the University of Illinois-Chicago – GO FLAMES! 🔥 I recently graduated from Northern Illinois University where I served as a missionary for my last semester!

My teammates from my last semester at NIU! From left to right: Zach, myself, Jordan, Fr. Gonnella, Lauren, and Douglas. 🐾

The Lord has pursued my heart immensely, and I’m incredibly honored and blessed to be living out mission full-time! You can typically find me at a local coffee shop, out on campus, or at the Newman Center. Come find me and I’d love to chat with you! 😊

Meet team Chicago! From left to right: Darien, myself, Grace, Hyoung, Olivia. 🔥

Growing up, I attended Catholic school from pre-K to 8^th grade, and while it was a great foundation for my faith, it was very mundane. I only participated in the sacraments when it was required of me, and it translated over to me not understanding how to pray or even know what it means to be in a relationship with Jesus.

Entering college at Northern Illinois University, I had the set plans of studying to be a nurse and becoming a Pediatric ICU nurse with an even bigger plan of studying further to become a midwife following graduation.  It was an absolute dream of mine to help expecting parents welcome their newborn into the world and make an impact in both the parents’ and newborn’s lives.

However, I felt very lost entering college because I knew that I wouldn’t fit into the typical “college lifestyle”. I didn’t really know how I was going to make friends or even get through college, but when I stepped into the Newman Center, it all changed for me. The moment I stepped into the Newman Center, I felt both at home and lost. I knew it was home because I felt safe and secure there, but I also felt lost because I didn’t know who I was in the eyes of the Lord. I truly thought that attending Bible studies and being a good person would bring you to Heaven, but I slowly learned that it is so much more than that.

“I knew it was home because I felt safe and secure there, but I also felt lost because I didn’t know who I was in the eyes of the Lord.”

During my junior year of college, I encountered FOCUS missionaries for the first time! It was through the women that they started to build me up, showed me what it means to have authentic friendships with other women, and what it means to have a relationship with Jesus. Through their witness, I started to build a more Christ-centered life through daily prayer and receiving the Sacraments more frequently, and eventually, my heart started to change radically as the Lord began to chip away at its hardness. During my senior year, I became very convicted of how much Jesus wants to pursue such a loving relationship with me, and how much Jesus truly and deeply desires to have a loving relationship with everyone. This led me to say YES to being a FOCUS missionary!

When I said YES to joining FOCUS, I made the radical decision to fully rely on the spiritual and financial support of mission partners and the Father’s trust to help me through this mission.

If you are interested in being on mission with me, please let me know the best way to reach you and I can schedule an appointment to talk more! I would love to share more about it and what my role is! I would be incredibly honored to share in this mission with you!

Email: [email protected]

Phone: (847) 420-6662