Fellowship of Catholic University Students - Catholic Outreach To American Students

Catholic Outreach To American Students

FOCUS established its pilot program in January 1998 at Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas, with two staff members and 24 students. Curtis Martin met with Pope John Paul II in 1998, and shared the vision of FOCUS with him. The Pope's words to Curtis were, “Be soldiers.” At the invitation of Archbishop Charles J. Chaput, former Archbishop of Denver, a FOCUS program was established in the fall of 1998 at the University of Northern Colorado, Greeley. Archbishop Chaput has said, "No one does a more dynamic job of reaching college students for Christ than FOCUS."

FOCUS' purpose, what the organization calls "The Main Thing" is: "Inviting college students into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ and His Church. Inspiring and equipping them for a lifetime of Christ-centered evangelization, discipleship, and friendship in which they lead others to do the same.

FOCUS currently has over 400 full-time staff members. FOCUS takes recent college graduates, trains them in the teachings of the Catholic Church, Scripture and practical aspects of ministry, and sends them out typically in teams of four to serve on college campuses. FOCUS staff members make an initial two-year commitment to this full-time work on campus. FOCUS works with the approval of the local bishop and the support of the local pastor, as well as existing campus ministries.