February 7, 2012 | MariaNews.com

December 8, 2011 | MariaNews.com

(FocusOnline.org) - Fellowship of Catholic University Students founder Curtis Martin appointed by Pope Benedict XVI to advise Vatican council.

Martin one of two Americans tapped to assist the Pontifical Council for Promoting New Evangelization

—Curtis Martin, founder and president of the Fellowship of Catholic University Students (FOCUS), has been named by Pope Benedict XVI as a consultor for the Pontifical Council for Promoting the New Evangelization.

Martin is one of six lay Catholics and one of two Americans named to the 15-member list of consultors tasked with advising the recently formed Vatican council.

A frequent conference speaker and author of the book, “Made for More,” Martin is a fellow at the Augustine Institute is also co-host of the ground-breaking EWTN program, “Crossing the Goal.” Martin lives in Colorado with his wife, Michaelann and their eight children.

““I am very honored and grateful to Pope Benedict for my appointment and I hope to serve the Pontifical Council for the New Evangelization well,”” Martin said after learning of the appointment Dec. 7. “ “This is a great testimony to the faithfulness of my coworkers and dear friends at FOCUS, the Augustine Institute and ‘Crossing the Goal.  We have a great deal of work to do to restore this culture to Christ. Let us all beg God for His mercy and the grace of conversion.””

In response to the Church’s call for a “new evangelization,” FOCUS seeks to communicate the gospel to young adults in a dynamic and culturally relevant way. FOCUS missionaries are typically recent college graduates who devote two or more years of their post-collegiate lives to reach out to their peers on campus. Through genuine friendship and personal investment, FOCUS missionaries invite students into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and the fullness of life found in the Catholic Church.

Since it was founded in 1998, FOCUS has grown from two part-time missionaries serving a single campus to the more than 260 full-time missionaries at work on 58 college campuses in 28 states this academic year.

To see a full list of campuses where FOCUS has a presence, or to learn more, visit www.focus.org Follow FOCUS on Twitter at http://twitter.com/focusnational or on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/focuscatholic.

Here is a video introduction to FOCUS with Curtis Martin:

About FOCUS:
FOCUS is a national outreach that 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. www.focus.org.

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DENVER, Colo., August 29, 2011—The Fellowship of Catholic University Students (FOCUS), a fast-growing college campus outreach now with a presence at colleges in 28 states (and the District of Columbia) has announced that it has added ten more universities to its roster for the 2011-12 school year, bringing the total number of campuses served by FOCUS to 58.

Each year, teams of FOCUS missionaries are sent to college campuses at the invitation of the local bishop and with the support of the local Catholic campus ministry. Since it was founded in 1998, FOCUS has grown from two part-time missionaries serving a single campus to the more than 260 full-time missionaries who will work on the 58 campuses this year.

“All Catholics have been commissioned by Christ to ‘Go, therefore and make disciples,’ and it’s an honor for us to serve the Church in this way,” said Curtis Martin, president of FOCUS. “We give thanks to God for yet another fruitful year as we continue to work with not just the students on campus but the clergy and those who partner with us financially and through prayer. Slowly but surely, the Church’s commitment to the New Evangelization grows stronger every year.”

“By sending more than 260 full-time, trained missionaries to college campuses, we hope they will serve as living witnesses who embody the truth, love and joy that comes from a relationship with Jesus Christ and then get creative and take risks to share His love with those around them, especially those who are searching or do not believe they are lovable or worth being pursued.”

The new campuses to be served by FOCUS beginning this Fall, are:

-University of Louisiana, Lafayette, LA
-Columbia University, New York, NY
-Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ
-Winona State University, Winona, MN
-University of Mary, Bismarck, ND
-Boston University, Boston, MA
-University of Texas, Austin, TX
-James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA
-Ave Maria University, Ave Maria, FL
-Southeast Missouri State University, Cape Girardeau, MO

In response to the Church’s call for a “new evangelization,” FOCUS seeks to communicate the gospel to young adults in a dynamic and culturally relevant way. The missionaries are typically recent college graduates who devote two or more years of their post-collegiate lives to reach out to their peers on campus. Through genuine friendship and personal investment, FOCUS missionaries invite students into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and the fullness of life found in the Catholic Church.

To see a full list of FOCUS campuses or to learn more, visit www.focus.org. Follow FOCUS on Twitter at http://twitter.com/focusnational or on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/focuscatholic.

About FOCUS:
FOCUS is a national outreach that 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. www.focus.org.