Our FOCUS Missionaries Stopped By

Our FOCUS missionaries (David Cargill, Shannon Zurcher &  Rob Cargill) were at the parish this weekend to speak at the Masses and chat with our parishioners.

We have more information on our missionaries here.

Some FOCUS Visits

Just before the end of the school year, two of our FOCUS missionaries were able to visit the classrooms who prayed for them throughout Lent. Here David Cargill poses with Miss Fast and the students of KC.

They each had a chance to show him the card they made for him. They alo asked him some questions like, "How do you save the world?"

His answer: "A lot of love and a lot of prayer."

Before he left, they prayed together.

He also visited class 7A. With them, he spoke of how he decided to become a FOCUS missionary and what that has been like for him. 

Rob Cargill was also able to visit the classes which had been praying for him. First he got to check out the students of 6A.

He got to see that both classes had 8 x 10 pictures of him on the wall to remind them to pray for him.

He also got to visit KB to meet the students and was delighted by the cards they made for him.

Along with Shannon Zurcher, Rob and David will be speaking at all of the Masses this weekend. They'll update us on their work and give thanks for our support. It will also be a chance to start supporting a missionary if you aren't already.

After the 5 p.m. Mass, they will head to the ball-fields for the Fiesta with Fr. Dave.

Our FOCUS Missionaries Share Their Knowledge

Three of our parishioners are FOCUS (Fellowship of Catholic University Students) missionaries. Rob Cargill (left) is in his second year at at the University of Illinois, Shannon Zurcher (center) is in her fourth year with FOCUS and leading the team at UConn and Andy Dejka (right) is in his second year at Northwestern University.

Our FOCUS missionaries were kind enough to share their thoughts on Evangelization in our bulletin letter this weekend.

All of the FOCUS missionaries are supported entirely by donations. To learn more about them or for a link to send a gift, see our parish website. 

FOCUS Missionaries

We're delighted that three of our parishioners are serving as FOCUS (Fellowship of Catholic University Students) missionaries. Rob Cargill (left will soon begin his first year serving at Northwestern (and already has the date of the Nebraska-Northwestern game circled). Shannon Zurcher (center) will start her fourth year with FOCUS and her second on the UConn campus. Andy Dejjka (right) will begin his first year at the University of Illinois.

We were fortunate that last weekend Andy and Rob were able to speak after all seven of our Masses. Their ministry to university students serves people at a critical time of their lives and is perfectly in tune with our parish mission to "Go and Make Disciples." All three of them are supported by the generosity of donors that help them specifically.

You can hear their talk from the link here.

A College FOCUS

Shannon with some students and Sr. Virginia Joy of the Sisters

 of Life celebrating the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

During this day when many of us are busy watch College Bowl games, we'll look at the faith life of some of the students. St. Columbkille parishioner Shannon Zurcher is in her third year working as a missionarry for the Fellowship Of Catholic University Students (FOCUS). Supported by donations from people such as many of our parishioners she invites college students into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ and His Church. This year she is reaching out to students at UConn.

Of her work, Shannon writes:

As FOCUS missionaries, discipleship is our main goal with all the students we meet and work with here at UConn. In discipleship we share our lives with a few students by meeting with them throughout the week, teaching them how to live a full Catholic Christian life, and equipping them to be able to share their faith with their peers in college and wherever they go for the rest of their lives. This is the same plan Jesus had while He was on Earth. He invested His life in 12 men (His Apostles), taught them how to live, and to share His life with others through the power of the Holy Spirit.

At UConn we have 19 students in discipleship. Most of these students are starting up their own bible studies so that they can find new people to disciple themselves. Please pray that the Holy Spirit will work through us to raise up more Catholic leaders and laborers through discipleship. Pray for students who will be committed to proclaiming the Truth of Jesus’ love here at UConn and in the world. This school year I am discipling 5 girls. Tina, Kaitlin, and Rachel are Seniors, Liz and Jessica are Sophomores. They are all either discipling other women or working to find women to invest in and disciple.

To support Shannon, click here.

The Body and Blood of Christ

One of our parishioners, Shannon Zurcher, is a FOCUS missionary who has been serving at the University of Illinois at Chicago. The following was written by Deb Happ who will be a Junior next year.

“Isn’t that cool?! We are all really connected in the Eucharist!” I paused, absorbing the statement that I had just heard. Then Shannon spoke again, “No matter where we go we will be connected, because we are one in the Body of Christ, the Eucharist.” I began to nod slowly until wham, it hit me and everything clicked; it changed the way I saw everything. “Wow so if we are all in Jesus because He brings us into Himself, and if Jesus is within every single one of us, in our heart… then yeah, we are connected! But then in the Eucharist, this spiritual connection becomes physical, and literally we are one in the Eucharist because we are all receiving the same Body of Christ at communion!”

Deb & Shannon at the UIC
Newman Center

This conversation happened during one of our discipleships this year. We were talking about a new identity in Christ and how every choice we make and everything we do has an impact on the whole world. I didn’t understand it until Shannon explained that it is because we are all connected through the Eucharist. My mind blew in a so many ways that day as my thoughts about what it means to be Catholic expanded. The power of the Eucharist… the Body of Christ… for the first time in my life I felt so happy and blessed to be Catholic as I began to understand the true idea of our global human family through this profound epiphany of what the Eucharist really is.

 

Our FOCUS missionary

Shannon Zurcher is one of our parishioners who made a two year commitment to serve as a FOCUS missionary. Last summer she spoke briefly about her work. The video above contains the audion from her talk.

News from FOCUS

One of our parishioners, Shannon Zurcher, is a FOCUS missionary serving at the University of Illinois - Chicago (UIC) the following is from her fall newsletter:

The beginning of the school year is always one of the busiest times for a missionary. We worked hard to make sure students knew where the Newman Center was and invited them to continue growing in their faith while in college. This included many nights in the dorms, being at new student events, and planning events to get to know more students.

All these efforts to spread our nets wider bore much fruit. There are many new students involved in the Newman Center and seeing that living a life in relationship with Jesus is not only a normal thing to do, but something that brings real joy, peace, and happiness. It is wonderful to hear students talk about how they can sense their lives changing in just the few weeks they have been back. They are almost surprised to find that there is a community at the Newman Center that will help them to grow in their faith. I am so excited to be here with them to guide that process and watch them discover their faith more profoundly through the power of the Holy Spirit! Thank you for your commitment to support and pray for this ministry which is truly changing the lives of college students!

Because of the success of our Fall Outreach we were able to start up 12 new bible studies giving us a total of 21 weekly bible studies! Most of these bible studies are student led. My 3 disciples are all leading freshmen in their bible studies. The goal of FOCUS is to bring college students into a deeper relationship with Jesus, through discipleship, that will lead to a desire to share that relationship with their peers. Please pray that each of our student leaders will find 2 students from his or her bible study to invite into discipleship, and begin to mentor them.
 
The three women pictured are Shannon's disciples Cathy, Deb, and Bernadette. They meet at least once a week to grow in the Faith. Each is leading their own bible study, and will be mentoring two girls by the end of this school year.

Shannon & FOCUS

At the beginning of January, parishioner Shannon Zucher moved to Chicago to serve the students at the University of Illinois—Chicago. As a FOCUS (Fellowship of Catholic University Students) missionary, she is serving in FOCUS’s second year at UIC.

She sent us the following pictures & comments:

My new team at UIC from left to right. Genevieve, also from Nebraska. Mark is from Minnesota. Matt is from Peoria, Illinois. Joy was at UIC last semester and was married in December. She moved to her now husband’s campus to continue her work as a missionary. I am the last one on the right. Genevieve, Mark, and Matt have all served on UIC’s campus for a year and a half! They have really welcomed me and are teaching me a lot about how to be a better missionary.

A group of students from UIC at FOCUS National Conference. Bernadette is in yellow and is one of my disciples. I just asked her to start this mentor relationship 3 weeks ago!

This is me with my small group from a Koinonia retreat put on by the students at the UIC John Paul II Newman Center. This was a very powerful retreat and I was very excited to get to know all the students really well!

Shannon has these prayer requests:
· For the students at UIC. That they would be open to the gospel message.
· For my team at UIC
· That I would trust more completely in the Lord and allow His will to be done.
· For the sanctity of family life and marriage.
· For the girls in my bible study at UIC, and for my disciples Cathy and Bernadette.
· For an end to abortion.
I pray for you and your intentions daily, please email me specific intentions that you would like me to pray for.

Shannon's News

We are delighted that one of our parishioners, Shannon Zurcher, is a FOCUS (Fellowship Of Catholic University Students) missionary. Her task is to disciple people who will, in turn, disciple others. The picture above is Shannon with her disciple Jenne and Jenne's disciple Sam at their Christmas Sweater Party. Jenne was recently hired as a FOCUS missionary for next year. Sam has started RCIA and will be received into the Church at Easter!

This is from Shannon's newsletter:

This first semester as a missionary has been a beautiful blessing from our Lord. I have been humbled to watch Jesus win over the hearts of the girls I have formed friendships with. I have grown in the trust I have for our Lord, because He always proves Himself faithful to me in every situation, and shows the power of His word through the missionaries, students, and priests I am blessed to serve with.

In this trust I have the great privilege of being sent to a new campus next semester! At the beginning of January I will be moving to Chicago to serve the students at the University of Illinois—Chicago. I will be serving there with 3 other missionaries in FOCUS’s second year at UIC. With that being said I will no longer be a UNO Maverick, but a UIC Flame! I know the Lord will continue to show me his power as I work to bring the gospel to the students in Chicago. Please continue to keep me and those I will be with in your prayers.

Thank you Shannon!