Vincent Nowak

Hi, my name is Vinny!

God is calling YOU!

How will you respond?

My Story

I went to college at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh (Go Titans)! I got involved at our Newman Center as soon as I started college, which allowed me to be introduced to FOCUS early on. I was commissioned (perhaps a little early lol) by a missionary at our campus during my freshman year; I began leading a Bible study and walking with others in discipleship – how to live a Christ-centered life & share the Gospel with others.

Walking with others in discipleship and Bible studies was certainly a joy; I developed some very deep friendships, and it was joy to partake in the faith journeys of others & see Christ working in their lives!! As I prepared to graduate, I was very thankful for the FOCUS missionaries that had walked with me and trained me to lead others. However, I NEVER thought that Jesus would call me to do the same for others…

Fall 2025 was my final semester as a senior, and I have to say, I was kind of coasting. Being a bit of a control freak, I had my future all planned out:

I had an internship at a large corporation; I enjoyed my work and had a good team. The company had numerous salary position openings in my department. I would finish out my last semester, start full-time at a company I liked (with a good starting salary), and I would continue living in Oshkosh with all the friends that I had made in my time while at UWO. I was about to settle down with my ideal young-adult life all figured out – the perfect plan!

However, as is often the case, God had very different plans for my life. About a month into my last semester, I realized through some conversations with friends that God was inviting me to apply to be a missionary with FOCUS. At first, I was very caught-off-guard; becoming a missionary was radically different from the vision that I had for my life! I would have to do numerous things that made me uncomfortable or seemed unreasonable (moving away from home, frequent public speaking, and walking away from a salary to instead fundraise my needs).

In spite of my fears & doubt, I applied to FOCUS and said yes to being a missionary for Christ! I took a major leap of faith; Jesus was inviting me to walk away from what I was in control of and comfortable with – and I’m so glad that I said yes! I’m realizing that God’s plans for our lives are always bigger and more fulfilling than anything that we can come up with ourselves, we just need to have the courage to trust in Him.

Your Impact

It’s truly an honor to be able to live out Christ’s mission with you! Your spiritual and financial support is helping reach many souls for Christ!! Truly, if we live our entire lives and help save only one soul for Jesus, our lives have been well-lived. If you don’t believe me, see what the saints say about it:

“A person pleases God more by converting a single soul than by giving all his goods, to the poor”
– St. John Chrysostom

“In the eyes of God a soul is more valuable than the whole world”
– St. Bernard

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If you have any questions or need help setting up your gift, please contact us at [email protected].

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FOCUS brings the joy of the Gospel to colleges and parishes across the United States (and beyond)!

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Know, Love and Serve God

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