FOCUS on Evangelization

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FOCUS ON

EVANGELIZATION

USC YOUNG ALUMNI ANSWER CALL TO BECOME MISSIONARIES FOR THE FELLOWSHIP OF CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

The USC Caruso Catholic Center is now in its eighth year with FOCUS, and the partnership continues to bear good fruit for many students and young alumni. Five USC alum have committed to serving as FOCUS missionaries!

Claire Robertson ’19, GRD ’21

1. What was your dream as a young person?

As a kid, I wanted to be an actress or a lawyer! I love making other people smile and these careers seemed like great ways to do so.

2. What has FOCUS meant to you?

FOCUS was a huge part of my conversion as a junior in college! Missionaries loved me so well, and their Bible studies deepened my faith immensely. FOCUS demonstrates to me the length to which Christ goes to pursue us, through the generosity of the young adults who choose to serve for years as missionaries. It is a profound honor to serve with the same organization which altered the course of my own life.

3. How would you describe your experience as a missionary?

My experience as a missionary is hard to describe! Every day is different, but I have the privilege of leading Bible study and spending time with students one-on-one throughout the week. There are a lot of opportunities for meaningful encounters with God through the person in front of me, and I am extremely grateful for how God blesses me through others.

4. What do you enjoy most about your current/most recent assignment?

The people of South Dakota are so kind! I love how family-oriented and generous this community is. A Midwest goodbye is no joke: add on an hour or two to the length of time you’d like to spend with a friend, since they’ll enjoy your company for as long as you let them!

Javier Lugo ’17 1. What was your dream as a young person?

I was born and raised in Nicaragua and my family used to own a hardware store called “Ferreteria Lugo.” My dream as a kid was to one day become the manager of the hardware store to follow in my dad's footsteps. In my childhood, I worked many summers packing up nails and screws and learning a few things about the store to get some experience in the store. Before finishing High School, I was committed to getting a degree that would help me get prepared

for that job so I went and got a degree in Industrial and Systems Engineering at USC. Who would have thought that I was going to be called to live a life of radical mission instead of a life in the engineering world.

2. What has FOCUS meant to you?

I am starting my fourth year as a missionary with FOCUS and let me tell you, each year gets better! I am so thankful for the way the Lord has made Himself present through every experience I’ve had with this organization. FOCUS has truly transformed my spiritual, professional, social, and professional life. It is hard to put into words how much my life has changed for the better through this leap of faith I took 3 and a half years ago. From the amount of people I have met, the formation I have received, the places I have traveled to and the time I have spent in prayer to all of the different challenges and setbacks I have experienced in the different communities I have served at. Everything has been so formative!

3. How would you describe your experience as a missionary?

My experience as a missionary has been the most sanctifying thing I have ever experienced. I still cannot believe my job is to bring the good news of our Lord Jesus Christ to college students. It is a challenging job because you will encounter a lot of rejection and indifference from the people you encounter and invest in. It is easy to get discouraged, but the moment that you are reminded that you may be the only person in their college career who will ever talk to them about Jesus and will offer them real and true friendship, makes it all worth it. A constant and faithful life of prayer is indispensable to be fruitful on campus. FOCUS stresses the fact that our Divine Intimacy with the Father is the most important pillar in our work as missionaries. Without a life of prayer, everything else will crumble. I am so grateful that part of my job is to pray and intercede for every single person I encounter. I would not be able to bring Jesus to others if I didn't put my life of prayer as my number one priority. 13

4. What do you enjoy most about your current/most recent assignment?

I just got assigned to be the new Team Director at the University of Miami. This is my first assignment that reminds me of my Alma Mater! Both schools have very thriving campus ministries, passionate student leaders and very loving spiritual fathers. The community is very welcoming, and they have a large Catholic student body that is striving for holiness and wanting to grow more in their faith through prayer and fellowship. It has been such a busy semester so far but I am loving every part of it. The Lord has been very generous, and He is allowing me to encounter many souls on this campus. Please pray for all the students at the University of Miami, especially those who are fallen away Catholics, so they come back to the faith. Additionally, I love that I am only 2 hours away from my parents’ house and that I am now able to invite them into this mission with me. They have been able to meet my teammates, students and the staff members at St. Augustine Catholic Church (our parish here at UM). Now, they have a better understanding of the mission of FOCUS and they know how to pray for me and all of the students that I am intentionally investing in.

FOCUS was founded in 1998 and invites 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 friendships in which they lead others to do the same. For the 2021 – 2022 academic year, nearly 800 FOCUS missionaries are serving at 205 locations, which includes 22 parish venues across the U.S. and seven international campuses.