College students work to put life into FOCUS

Daniel McKnight walked home from strength development class at Auburn University and went right to his couch. He had some thinking to do. 

As McKnight sat on the sofa and pondered his future on that 2017 day, he stared at his palms. Everything he’d done in life was directed toward becoming a bodybuilder. 

“I had long desired to just lift a bunch of weights and be huge and find happiness and socialization, in other words, glory,” McKnight said.

Finally, with the classes he’d taken, McKnight felt he held the necessary knowledge to begin that quest, and yet it didn’t make him happy. McKnight knew the thing that would make him happy was the knowledge he was picking up outside the classroom, the knowledge he gained as he became further involved with FOCUS. 

FOCUS – Fellowship of Catholic University Students – is an international organization placing Catholic missionaries on more than 200 college campuses across the United States, as well as in Europe and Mexico. FOCUS missionaries perform outreach to college students, lead Bible studies and equip students with skills to lead others to the Faith.

On campuses, FOCUS missionaries are in evangelization mode, approaching Catholics and non-Catholics alike in hope of engaging anyone who may be interested. Bible studies are a key element of the program, whether in one-on-one settings at a coffee shop or group settings.

The missionaries almost unanimously claim the role as a “calling,” delaying their traditional post-graduation plans to join the workforce.

For McKnight, it was that moment in his apartment that marked a decision to change the direction of his life. He still finished his exercise science degree, but instead of transforming bodies, he now helps transform souls. McKnight is in his first year as a FOCUS team director at the University of Central Oklahoma, where he leads a team of six missionaries. His goal is to keep his team’s focus on Christ.

“There's a saying that I really love which is, ‘You cannot give what you do not have,’” McKnight said. “So as (our team) is looking to evangelize the college campus, if our team dynamic isn't even thriving in Christ, it's going to be very improbable, impossible for us to transmit that.”

Father Alex Kroll, associate pastor at Saint John the Baptist Catholic Church in Edmond, works as chaplain with Broncho Catholic, the FOCUS group serving the University of Central Oklahoma.

“Father Alex is a great priest,” McKnight said.

And, according to some on the FOCUS staff, he’s willing to square off with all takers in a game of ping pong.

…

Weston Eischen didn’t even know where Louisiana Tech University was when he discovered he was moving there. 

It was a busy time for Eischen. Two weeks after he married his wife, Hannah, also a FOCUS missionary, they headed off for new staff training. For around four weeks in the summer, future FOCUS missionaries gather to learn the tools of formation: Human. Intellectual. Spiritual. Apostolic.

Eischen, from Kingfisher, had never lived outside the Sooner State when he arrived for FOCUS training in Nebraska. 

“It’s a lot because you’re there for an entire month because your schedule is packed every single day, but the formation is incredible,” Eischen said.

Usually about the halfway mark of training, there’s Placement Day, when missionaries learn their college campus destination and the other missionaries who will be joining them. The day is kept secret, so everyone can concentrate on the training. 

Eischen said much discernment and prayer goes into grouping teams and determining which college they will be their landing spot. It’s important to get a well-rounded group to a college God has meant for them. Knowing that didn’t lessen the shock when Eischen learned he and three others were being sent to Louisiana Tech to start the campus’ first FOCUS mission.  

“When I found out I was like, ‘Oh, that's cool. Where's that?’” Eischen said. “Originally, I wasn't super excited about Louisiana Tech, as often a lot of missionaries aren't really excited when they figure out where they're going first. But the more I prayed about it, the more I realized that you know, OK, this is what God is calling me to.”

Salaries for FOCUS missionaries are 100% provided through fundraising. Once they know their campus, missionaries spend time raising money to help make it possible to share the Gospel with that community. The easiest way to donate to a missionary is to find their online profile through the FOCUS website: focus.org.

Eischen said he and his team have encountered challenges on a new campus. From small things like locating the best coffee shops for Bible studies, to big-picture questions like operating in a Bible Belt rife with cultural Catholics stuck with a faith in neutral.

Even with the challenges, Louisiana is growing on Eischen. The startup ministry in Ruston has been successful. Activities like campfires have been popular in bringing Louisiana Tech students together. Some even attended a fall retreat. 

“Since I've been here, it's been amazing,” Eischen said. “I have such a such a great love for the students that I work with. And yeah, it's really not about the geographical area you get sent, but it's about the souls that you're sent to.”

…

Sometimes when Julian Hesse, a FOCUS missionary, walks around the Oklahoma State University campus, he sees himself. 

Hesse remembers when he was a college student at Texas A&M University. He was a successful mechanical engineering major who had accepted a job to work at Valero after graduation. He was at Mass every Saturday. Looking at him from the outside, everything seemed great.

Except everything wasn’t great.

Hesse’s story is similar to that of many college students. In college, his faith became stagnant and he walked a double life, living for Jesus during the week and for himself at weekend parties.
Knowing there are students just like he once was fuels his mission. 

And FOCUS has exploded on OSU’s campus, where Hesse said there are 82 students in discipleship, meaning those capable of potentially leading Bible studies of their own. More than 360 students have attended a Bible study this year at Saint John Catholic Student Center, which sits a long field goal from Boone Pickens Stadium. 

“It’s been beautiful to see how many students have been saying yes to discipleship and Bible studies,” Hesse said. “We’re at all-time highs at OSU.”

A Bible study comprised of OSU students from north Texas has been growing. Hesse, from north Texas himself, shares a common bond with each of them. The group started at five and has doubled. 

“Those guys are my pride and joy,” Hesse said. “I love being able to spend time with them because I see the life they're living now. And it wasn't the same life that I was living in college, my freshman and sophomore year and even some of my junior year, and I'm able to meet them where they're at and just try to bring Christ to them.”

Ben Hutchens is a freelance writer for the Sooner Catholic.


Funding FOCUS
FOCUS – Fellowship of Catholic University Students – is an organization that sends missionaries to campuses across the U.S. and in Europe and Mexico, tasked with evangelizing the Catholic faith. As many parents know, students can stray from faith during their college years. FOCUS offers a faith-based campus community and an opportunity to stay connected.

The FOCUS missionaries rely fully on fundraising to pay for living arrangements and cover expenses. To donate to FOCUS, or an individual missionary, visit the organization’s website at focus.org/give/ways-to-give.