June 29, 2023

GUEST COMMENTARY: You can help FOCUS missionaries bring Christ to campus

REGIONAL
By Joseph Lyons, Special to iObserve

 

Hello, my name is Joe Lyons. I am proud to be a first-year FOCUS missionary at the University of Maine.

A little background about FOCUS (the Fellowship of Catholic University Students): It was founded by Curtis Martin and Dr. Edward Sri in 1998 at Benedictine College in Kansas. FOCUS is a Catholic apostolate that shares the hope and joy of the Gospel with as many people as possible.

FOCUS missionaries, like myself, encounter people in friendship, inviting them into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and accompanying them as they pursue lives of virtue and excellence. Through Bible studies, national events, mission trips, retreats and discipleship, missionaries build up others in the faith and send them out into lifelong Catholic missions wherever they are.

College campuses these days are rife with depression and unhappiness. Students desire friendship with someone during these difficult years. Through FOCUS-run surveys, the team discovered 66% of undergraduates feel lonely, 56% feel hopeless, 43% feel overwhelming anger, and 45% feel so depressed that it is difficult to function.

As a former student at the University of Massachusetts Amherst (UMass), I felt no different. Before I enrolled at UMass, I majored in Building Construction Technologies at STCC in Springfield. I was alone for much of the day, and I can remember feeling unseen and unheard. I was just another face in a large crowd.

When I went to UMass, I immediately went to the Newman Catholic Center, I met David Cupps, a former missionary. He welcomed me with open arms and introduced me to Father Gary Dailey, the current chaplain. The UMass Newman Center was so inviting, and I spent most of my time out of class within those walls.

Having been raised Catholic and striving for a greater connection with Christ, I went to SEEK 2019 in Indianapolis. It was there that I felt Christ’s true presence in the Blessed Sacrament and that moment changed my life. I desired more of that, and I came home with a new fire in my soul.

But, as college progressed, I faltered in my zeal. I never left the church, but there were moments when I questioned if I should. But through constant communication with the missionaries and friends I made at Newman, I continued and persevered in my faith. I graduated in 2020, and was hired at a local window-manufacturing company.

I stayed in contact with the Newman Center through my three years in the private sector, and was blessed to play guitar and sing for their Wednesday night adoration times. I reached a point in my job, however, where I was feeling depressed and lonely. I applied to a local EMT school and received my license in August 2022.

The reason for the career change was that I desired to help people in need. Little did I know that in October of 2022, I would be asked by a FOCUS missionary at UMass if I would be interested in joining FOCUS. I was a little shocked, but I said yes. I attended an interview weekend in November, and was subsequently hired two weeks later.

I flew to Nebraska in May 2023 for a month of intense training and prayer for my upcoming position. As overwhelming as it was, I can honestly say FOCUS has been a blessing to me, and I cannot imagine myself being anywhere else. I admire the love and kindness of all the missionaries I have had the pleasure to meet, and I aspire to join them in bringing Christ to campus.

However, my call to FOCUS is not complete without monthly support from what we call “Mission Partners.” My goal as a missionary is to bring each and every one of my mission partners to campus with me spiritually. Logistically, I cannot physically bring mission partners to campus, but with their thoughts, prayers, and ongoing monthly support, I can bring college students to Christ.

Mission partners are not just an avenue for support, though. My goal is to be a guide to each one of them, as much as I am guiding the students on campus.

I will be in western Massachusetts from June 26 to Aug. 5, after which I will be moving to Maine for my assignment. I would be honored to meet as many of my future mission partners as I can in that period of time.

I will be giving some parish talks in a couple churches around the diocese this summer. By reaching out to me, I can set up an appointment to tell you more about my mission and how you can join my team. My cellphone number is (413) 726-8665 and my email is joseph.lyons@focus.org.

Know of my prayers, and please pray for me!