I returned yesterday from the national conference of the Fellowship of Catholic University Students (FOCUS), held outside of Dallas. If you want hope for the future, here it is. Nearly 3,000 college students heard motivating talks by Fr. Benedict Groeschel, Mother Assumpta Long, NFP guru Janet Smith, prominent converts, biblical scholars like Tim Gray (shown here in a breakout session which is only a part of the full attendance), motivational speakers discussing virtue, manhood and womanhood, Christian success stories, lectio divina. Christian music groups and clean comedy troupes performed. This was no musty, church basement event–a genuinely joyful enthusiasm filled the conference center, with students singing their school cheers and waving flags and playing guitars in the hallways after the sessions. Every sort of person was represented there: Sisters of Life, seminarians, young families, jocks, musicians, people with pink hair and people in khaki pants or long skirts. The conference also featured perpetual adoration as well as daily Mass celebrated by people like Bishop Chaput, of Denver, Bishop Finn of Kansas City, and dozens of priests. Saturday night ended with a 3-hour session of Eucharistic adoration attended by over 2000 students on their knees for hours or even prostrate flat on their faces, worshiping their Eucharistic Lord and preparing for confessions heard by dozens of priests for hours on end. FOCUS was founded by Curtis Martin, and it uses teams of motivated recent college graduates as missionaries on college campuses to evangelize students and it really works. Here is the future: a creative minority which is growing fast and changing lives by leading them to the depths and the joy of Catholicism.
January 7, 2008 at 11:26 pm
It was awesome. Is the picture from the “Praying with Scripture” session?
The talks were really good. It was very exciting.
My only complaints are that the rooms for the breakouts weren’t large enough (I really wanted to see Dr. Smith), and the music. Why do we have to have rock bands at every Mass and why did Adoration Saturday night have to have someone playing the entire time. Silence can be a good thing with that.
Focus does work, and we are taking some things my group learned back to our campus.
It is worthy of support.
January 8, 2008 at 8:57 pm
I recall the first moment that becoming Catholic entered our minds. It was after we listened to a tape about NFP by Dr. Janet Smith. While the worship part doesn’t seem to be my thing, as we have become TLM enthusiasts, the talks sure sounded good.
January 8, 2008 at 10:05 pm
When you were in Dallas, you should have checked out the University of Dallas, which is one of the only conservative Catholic liberal arts universities left. They are amazing.
January 17, 2008 at 1:07 am
Don’t forget about Benedictine College in Atchison, KS! It is a great Catholic liberal arts school and it’s where FOCUS began. Their school identity has been shaped by FOCUS and the high quality of students FOCUS helps produce!