Three students from the Diocese of Meath have recently completed their 10-week stay at Estes Park in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, USA.
Ivan Mather (Ratoath), Neil Shevlin (Ratoath) and Sarah-Kate Moynihan (Kentstown) joined a group from FOCUS – The Fellowship of Catholic University Students – this summer for an intensive period of formation and training.
The FOCUS Summer Project has students work during the day, filling several different roles within the YMCA camp at Estes Park. In the evenings and weekends, they receive formation in the Catholic faith through Bible Study, weekly spiritual direction, small groups, daily mass and adoration. The young people also have fun with other students through social activities and fellowship opportunities, especially in the spectacular outdoors.
Students receive additional training and support from FOCUS in evangelisation with the goal being to send them home with a vision, sense of mission, thirst for holiness and the necessary preparedness to ignite transformative changes in their parishes and universities. Each young person is built-up, equipped and sent forth to share the Gospel in a compelling fashion most especially with their peers. FOCUS strives to reach college students, inviting them into relationship so that they can come to develop a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, committing to live their lives out in the midst of His Church.
Speaking of her experience, Sarah Kate Moynihan said “There is a dire need for the Church to make serious effort in evangelisation. It cannot be a side-line activity. We need to preach the Gospel in a compelling way. Thanks to our time here we are far better prepared to lead others to Christ and to see them do likewise. Whilst we’ve had our fun here we’ve also cultivated the necessary virtues and gained knowledge that will empower us, with God’s grace, to reignite the Faith back home”.
FOCUS will hold their bi-annual SEEK Conference in Indianapolis from January 3rd to 7th 2019. Visit www.seek2019.com for more information.
