We encounter God in an intimate relationship through daily prayer, the sacraments and the Scriptures.
“Verso L’alto” -Bl. Pier Giorgio Frassati
We both serve at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire as a missionary couple!
Matthew is entering his sixth year of mission after serving two years at West Point Military Academy, and then two years at Edinboro University. Gracie is a third-year missionary who spent her first year serving at Saint Francis University. We are so excited to be going back to serve the students at UWEC for a second year!
Matthew: I am a cradle Catholic, but I think the Lord is continuing to pursue and convert me every single day. As a missionary, I have found that God first wants me to be transformed, and I need his help daily in this task, but I have also found that God wants to change other’s lives through me. I desire to love God above all else, and to love my neighbor through sharing the gospel with them. Is there any greater task and adventure then to be transformed into Christ, and to participate in other people’s journey of this as well? I would be happy to share the details of my story with you sometime, so feel free to reach out!
Gracie: I am also a cradle Catholic! Despite being surrounded by the faith for the entirety of my childhood and young adult life, I struggled to develop a personal relationship with Christ. During my junior year of high school I had a profound reconversion to the faith. I encountered Jesus and realized his perfect love for me had been present through all of my struggles. The Lord has been continually pursuing me, and has called me to go on mission to lead college students in the faith!
The Ericksons: We started dating while Matthew was a missionary at Edinboro University and Gracie was finishing up her senior year. We quickly knew that we would be spending life together and got engaged right before Gracie’s graduation! We then spent our engagement at different campuses in Pennsylvania, before we were married on May 13th, 2023. Please pray for us as we begin this new chapter of life!
When we answered the call to join FOCUS, we made the decision to rely on the spiritual and financial support of mission partners to help me through this mission. We’ve been blessed with the most amazing people who have journeyed with us as we serve on campus. If you are interested in partnering with us, please let us know of the best way to reach you and we will schedule an appointment. We would be honored to share this mission with you.
Feel free to email or call/text us!
Contacts: [email protected] or (608)609-0685
We encounter God in an intimate relationship through daily prayer, the sacraments and the Scriptures.
By building genuine friendships, we meet students on a deeper level.
We teach students how to share the gospel, who in turn teach other students how to pass it on.