Coraggio, Figlia

Sisterhood

2011-10-27T23:31:00.010-06:00

This past June, during our five-week New Staff Training at the University of Illinois, I served as the Lead Dean for Women. At training, we want missionaries to be able to form strong friendships with one another, so we have small groups called Colleges and each college has a Dean. We stole the idea from Oxford, and it's a pretty neat system. Each college has a patron saint, a charism, and a unique way of serving the other missionaries during training.

The College of St. Cecilia in the summer of 2009

As the Lead Dean this summer, my College was made of the Lady Deans who were leading all the Colleges. It was a special honor to give the welcoming address to the Sisterhood, which is all the young women serving as missionaries. There were about 130 women at training this year, but there are close to 150 serving nationwide. You can listen to the talk below. The picture is of the lovely Lady Deans.

We even had colleges in Spain for our International Conference and World Youth Day. Here is the College of St. Teresa of Avila.

Sarah, Anne, Danielle, and I in Madrid at World Youth Day

Ukuthula

2011-10-26T19:40:00.004-06:00

There were about 17 students and a priest, Fr. Martin, who joined us at the International Conference from Austria. Rahala taught the whole group an African folk song, Ukuthula. Click on the pictures below to listen.

http://missions.focusonline.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Ukuthula.mp3

John Paul II - A Testimony of Love

2011-10-26T17:02:00.007-06:00

This past Saturday, October 22, was the first-ever feast day of Blessed John Paul II. Below is a testimony I wrote on the impact he has had on my life, which was posted on the FOCUSequip blog.

JP II - A Testimony of Love

A couple months ago, I was on a very un-air-conditioned train in southern Poland. A few friends and I had taken a week after World Youth Day to travel and make a little pilgrimage. I think I was so distracted by how glad I was to be in Poland that I hardly noticed the sweat dripping down my face and neck or my legs sticking to the seats. Even the graffiti-laden buildings seemed beautiful. It didn’t matter that I couldn’t pronounce dzień dobry (hello), let alone speak the language; all that mattered was that we were in Poland, the homeland of my hero: John Paul II.

My first encounter with John Paul II was when I was 15 on his Papal visit to St. Louis. In his address to young people there, he said, “Young friends…remember: Christ is calling you; the Church needs you; the Pope believes in you and expects great things of you!” Never before had I been convicted of my personal call to holiness. I knew that he spoke with authority because his very life was a testament to holiness. He radiated truth and love. He told me that my life mattered to him, to the Church, and to Christ. At that moment, this feeble Polish Pope won my heart and my lifelong fidelity to Christ and His Church.

From then on, I also became something of a JPII groupie. I bought The Jeweller’s Shop movie, which is based on a play he wrote as a young bishop in Kraków, I would listen to a CD of him praying the rosary in Latin on my way to high school, I went to World Youth Day in Toronto, and then spent three months with him in Rome while I was studying abroad in college. I remember the last time that I saw him and I remember crying in the street when I first heard that he had died. It was as if my own grandpa had died. He had been such a huge part of my life and had given me courage to make decisions that have shaped me into the woman I am today.

So, being on that muggy train in Poland was less of a discomfort and more of a gift. I’d waited all these years to go to the place that formed this holy man. This very place has been totally transformed because of one man’s response to God’s call. Still today, the devotion of the Poles is unmatched in Europe. I’ve seen many churches in many countries, and none are filled like they are in Poland. Masses are packed, adoration chapels are filled, young and old, men and women, are on their knees. They’ve ousted the Nazis, the Communists, and those who would take away their culture and their heritage. Priestly and religious vocations are common and encouraged.

John Paul II still gives me courage today. He is doing more from heaven than he ever did on earth. I am a missionary today largely because of him, and I will always look to his heroic witness as I continue to strive to live a holy life and respond to God’s call.

Blessed John Paul II, pray for us, for Poland, for Europe, and for the world. Dear young people, do not be afraid to open wide the doors to Christ!

FOCUSequip

2011-10-26T16:52:00.000-06:00

A new website, FOCUSequip, has launched!

FOCUSequip is the curriculum division of FOCUS (The Fellowship of Catholic University Students). The resources on this website are designed to equip you for lifelong Catholic mission. Click on the picture to check it out.

Moral Authority - Striving for Chastity, Sobriety, & Excellence

2011-10-26T16:22:00.001-06:00

Click here to listen to a talk I gave in Samos, Spain at the first-ever FOCUS International Conference.

St. Benedict - A Saint for Our Time

2011-10-26T15:56:00.003-06:00

Click here to listen to a talk I gave in Samos, Spain at the first-ever FOCUS International Conference.

FOCUS International Conference - Samos, Spain

2011-10-14T09:01:00.000-06:00

An Invitation for FOCUS to meet with Pope Benedict!

2011-10-12T15:35:00.002-06:00

FOCUS Updates

2011-07-12T11:52:00.001-06:00

Part of the FOCUS Team

2011-05-18T15:43:00.006-06:00

Meet the Cotters.

Lisa is married to Kevin, who works in the Curriculum & Formation Department with me at the FOCUS Office. She frequently updates her blog with stories and creative Catholic family ideas. Today, she posted about the Rockies game that several of us went to from the office. Enjoy!

Part of the FOCUS Team

(Click on the link above to read her article)

Pope Recognizes GMU Catholic Campus Ministry on Soccer Win

2011-05-10T09:06:00.003-06:00

[I was a missionary at George Mason for 3 years. Below is an article taken from Connect2Mason]

Members of a ministry group who represented Vatican City during International Week’s Soccer Tournament have another memento from their championship win besides a certificate: recognition from the Holy Father himself.

Catholic Campus Ministry, which represented the landlocked sovereign-state of the Vatican in I-Week events for the first time, received a letter earlier this month from Apostolic Nuncio Archbishop Pietro Sambi, the Pope’s personal representative to the United States, after learning of the team’s championship.

Referring to the accomplishment as a “wonderful occasion,” the letter conveys the “warm greetings, heartfelt congratulations and spiritual closeness of His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI.”

The team beat Mason United, a group of players representing various countries, with a score of 1-0. The single goal was on a free kick by freshman Tyler Fabian, with about five minutes on the clock.

“Indeed, it is [Pope Benedict XVI’s] earnest hope that all of you will see in this event a challenge for the future: to expend your best energies each day in giving an authentic witness to the values of the Gospel and your Catholic faith, thus contributing significantly to the life of the Church as well as the community at large,” read the letter signed by Archbishop Sambi.

Before expressing Sambi’s own sentiments, the letter says that the Pope “cordially invokes the blessings of Almighty God upon you and your families.”

The community learned of the papal recognition from the Diocese of Arlington’s Bishop Paul Loverde on Thursday. The Bishop was in attendance at the group’s weekly Thursday Night Supper event, where during a mass, he administered the confirmation of six students as full members of the Roman Catholic Church.

After the event’s meal, Loverde read the letter to those in attendance.

“I tell you there are not many Catholic campus ministries who get such a letter, because really what [Archbishop Sambi] conveyed to you is the Holy Father’s blessings and good wishes,” said Loverde, after reading the letter to the crowd.

To Fr. Nassetta’s knowledge, the CCM has never received papal recognition.

“It was great for us to participate in International Week this year representing the Vatican, and awesome that the Holy Father has expressed his own personal congratulations to our community,” said Fr. Nassetta. “Often people don't realize that he enjoys sports and is glad to see young people using the gifts God has given them.”

A PDF of the letter is embedded below.

FOCUS International Conference & World Youth Day

2011-05-09T16:50:00.011-06:00

More exciting news! Plans are well underway for the first-ever International FOCUS Conference and World Youth Day pilgrimage to take place this August in Spain! There are 86 American college students, 52 international students (from Austria, England, Malaysia, and several other countries), 20 FOCUS missionaries, priests, and religious registered for this trip!

The International Conference will take place the week prior to World Youth Day at a sixth-century Benedictine monastery in Samos, Spain. Following the Conference, our entire group will travel together and participate in the events of World Youth Day in Madrid. Pope Benedict XVI will be present for several days, and over a million young people are anticipated to attend.

I'm part of the planning committee for these exciting events, and we are currently planning the Conference program: who will be our speakers, what will the topics and themes of the talks be, and various other details. I am also planning on being one of the speakers. We have invited several bishops and cardinals to be our honored guests. Please pray for us. And please pray for the young people who will attend our Conference and World Youth Day.

This Conference and World Youth Day will perhaps have the biggest global impact in the history of FOCUS. If you would like to make a special financial gift to help me serve in this mission, you can click here:

Help Trish get to World Youth Day!

Under my picture, you can click on the "Make a Donation" button. I need to raise $2800 to go on this trip, so any gift will help! I am deeply grateful for your support and prayers and promise to pray for you and the intentions you give me!

Here are some pictures of the monastery in Samos:

The New FOCUS Office

2011-05-09T12:11:00.019-06:00

Exciting news: FOCUS has a new home!

A week ago today, we moved into our new office in Genesee, Colorado - 20 miles west of downtown Denver.

Back in the fall of 2010, we knew that our annual lease for our Northglenn office would end in April of 2011, and so we began to consider our options. After much discernment and financial evaluation, we knew that it will be a wise investment in the future of FOCUS to purchase this office in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, especially considering it was for sale at a significantly reduced price.

It has been quite an exciting spring, and quite a whirlwind! We signed the closing papers in early April, and our first day in the new office was May 2. Here are some pictures. Everyone loves working here. We're surrounded by beautiful views of the mountains, and can see the Denver skyline in the distance.

Here's a picture of my new cube, which you can see doesn't have high walls and I get to look out of the windows in front of me all day.

If you would like to make a special gift to go towards our new building, you can click on this link:

Help FOCUS Secure a Permanent Home

We will soon be starting construction on our chapel. If you wish, your gift could go towards that. May God bless you!

I ♥ Art

2011-05-07T23:17:00.018-06:00

One of the perks of being a tax-paying resident of the mile-high city is taking part in the city's "Free Days." Every first Saturday of the month, the Denver Art Museum has free admission. So, today I took them up on their offer. And as a bonus, they're having a special exhibit of Renaissance Italy now through the end of July!

For my birthday, my good friend Jen gave me a sketch book and drawing pencils that I took with me to the Holy Land. Even though I wasn't able to sketch much over there because we were always on the move, I've been looking for other opportunities to draw. Today was that day.

Misión a El Salvador

2011-05-07T22:58:00.008-06:00

A great gift this spring was the opportunity to lead a FOCUS Mission trip to El Salvador in March. I hadn't been on a mission trip since my senior year of college and the Lord had been tugging on my heart to serve Him in this way. The trip was amazing! Our group had 5 FOCUS missionaries and 8 students from the Air Force Academy, Kansas State, The University of Kansas, and The University of Nebraska - Lincoln.

When we first arrived, we visited the home of Archbishop Oscar Romero, who was assassinated while celebrating Mass in 1980 during the civil war. The country has been through long periods of political and economical strife and most areas are still very materially poor.

El Mozote, the village where we served, is up in the mountains near the border of Honduras, several hours from the main cities. According to American standards, the people there would be considered poor. However, when it comes to the capacity to love, the people of El Mozote really showed us what it means to be authentically rich.

We spent only a short amount of time with them, but they stole our hearts. We went there to serve them and to help build a wall, but they served us by welcoming us into their village, their homes, and their hearts.

Te extraño, El Mozote!

The Fifth Gospel in Pictures

2011-05-07T19:31:00.015-06:00

In February, I was blessed with an opportunity to go on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. We left on my birthday and spent 10 days in the footsteps of Our Blessed Lord. Throughout history, the Holy Land has been referred to as "The Fifth Gospel," because by being there, we can enter more deeply into a relationship with Our Lord and experience the salvation He won for us.

Our group included 3 priests, 11 FOCUS missionaries, 4 parents (including my mom), and some good friends. Thank you to all of you who prayed for our trip and gave generously to help me get there! I prayed for each of you and the special intentions you gave me.

Here are some highlights from our trip. Enjoy!

The Holy Land

Map of the Holy Land

The Garden of Gethsemene (Matt 26:39)

The Beautiful Gate (Acts 3:2)

The Rock of Agony (Luke 22:40)

The steps to Caiphus' house (Matt 26:57)

Jesus being led to Caiphus' house

The hill country (Luke 1:39)

The Qumran Desert

The Sea of Galilee (Matt 14:25)

The Mount of the Beatitudes (Matt 5)

dates!

Golgotha (John 19:17)

The Mount of Ascension (Acts 1:9)

The burial stone of Jesus (Mark 15:46)

The Dormition of Our Lady

Outside the Holy Sepulchre

Missionaries at the Dead Sea

Mom and me at the Mediterranean Sea

Mount of Transfiguration (Matt 17:1)

FOCUS Conferences & The March for Life

2011-05-07T18:36:00.010-06:00

In January, we hosted four Student Leadership Conferences in four cities across the country: Denver, St. Paul, Nashville, and Baltimore. For each of the Conferences, I coordinated the Staff Summits, which were the sessions where we gathered the missionaries serving on each campus and at our national office for an appreciation breakfast and for the executives to give them national updates.

After the Baltimore Conference, many missionaries attended the March for Life in Washington, D.C. We met up at the end of the March on the steps of the Supreme Court for a group picture. Please pray for an end to abortion.

Coraggio figlia, the name of my blog

2009-10-14T19:44:00.021-06:00

(say: "core - ah - gee - oh" "fee - lee - uh")
Italian. Courage, daughter.

Courage, also known as bravery, will, intrepidity, and fortitude, is the ability to confront fear, pain, risk/danger, uncertainty, or intimidation. "Physical courage" is courage in the face of physical pain, hardship, or threat of death, while "moral courage" is the ability to act rightly in the face of popular opposition, shame, scandal, or discouragement.

Courage is what makes someone capable of facing extreme danger and difficulty without retreating (the courage to confront the enemy head-on). It implies not only bravery and a dauntless spirit but the ability to endure in times of adversity (a mother's courage in the face of her loss).

Fortitude is the most formal of any of these words; it suggests firmness or strength of mind rather than physical bravery (the fortitude to stand up for his beliefs).