We encounter God in an intimate relationship through daily prayer, the sacraments and the Scriptures.
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Marianna Medearis
Hello! I’m Marianna and I am a first-year missionary!
“At this stage of history, the liberating message of the Gospel of Life has been put into your hands. And the mission of proclaiming it to the ends of the earth is now passing to your generation. Like the great Apostle Paul, you too must feel the full urgency of the task: “Woe to me if I do not evangelize” (1 Corinthians 9:16).” – St. Pope John Paul II
Where I serve
The Lord has called me to serve as a missionary at Kansas State University! Go Wildcats!
My Story
Growing up as a cradle Catholic, I was taught the Faith well, attended catechesis, and received the sacraments often; however, I never actively chose my faith. In high school, I saw the impact that the Catholic faith had on my family members’ lives, but I didn’t yet grasp how personally and deeply the Lord desired to dwell in my heart. I kept Him at a distance, close enough to acknowledge, but far enough that I could still live according to the world’s norms. I attended retreats and understood on a surface level that God wanted a relationship with me, but I consistently let distractions and my own selfish desires take precedence.
At the start of college I decided to finally give having a relationship with God an actual chance. Throughout freshman year I frequented the Colorado State Newman Center, I went to countless holy hours, I went on a mission trip, and from the outside it looked like I had an very intimate relationship with the Lord. However, internally, I had a one way relationship with God: me asking for my desires and Him listening. I left no space in my heart for His plan. As junior year rolled around, I was so tired of fighting the tug-of-war in my heart. In healing my relationship with the Church and allowing the Lord to love me through the gift of my FOCUS missionary, I realized that God was waiting for me to let go of my plan and just embrace Him. Through persistent prayer, frequent reception of the sacraments, and a journey marked by both failure and “begin again”s, the Lord has slowly transformed my interior landscape, from a place of spiritual desolation to one of authentic joy, communion, and abiding love.
Now, I have left my job offer and the luxuries of comfort to embrace the uncomfortable, because of the importance of this mission: the salvation of souls. Leading others in relationship to Christ, like other FOCUS missionaries were able to do for me, is the message of the New Testament. Our world is broken, desolate and aching for more, but God made men and women good, and I am so excited for when the whole world know their goodness in Jesus Christ!
Your Impact
In leaving the stability of the life that I had planned for myself and saying “yes”, I am openly and completely relying on Christ’s model of perfect reliance on the support of the community around Him and He invited His disciples to do the same.
It is joy to be entrusted with this mission, and an even greater joy to invite others to join me in it. By supporting the spiritual and financial needs of this work, you are not just contributing, you are entering into the mission itself. You’ll share in its joys and challenges, witness its moments of grace and transformation, and partake in the lasting fruit.
If you feel the Lord calling you to partake in this mission, feel free to reach out to me to set up an appointment and to learn more!
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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.
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