Seven years ago, Bobby Vogel was predestined to work in the new technologies sector. Today, this bearded American with short hair is preparing to become a priest. What has changed ? He crossed paths with FOCUS (Fellowship of Catholic University Students, the association of students from Catholic universities, in French).
This Catholic evangelization movement celebrates its 25th anniversary this year. It is present in nearly 200 American and foreign university campuses, including the one Bobby Vogel attended in the 2010s. “As a high school student, I stopped going to mass because I had the impression that I was being pressured to become a priest. But in college, I went to a Christian group, where I got to know missionaries from FOCUS, explains the one who is currently a seminarian in Indiana (central United States). I was lost because I thought evangelism was a Protestant thing! But they invited me to events and I signed up. » To the point of becoming a missionary himself between 2016 and 2018.
New evangelization
His career path is reminiscent of that of FOCUS co-founder Curtis Martin. A non-practicing Catholic, even hostile to his religion, he had become an evangelical Protestant during his studies, before backtracking. He had the idea to create the organization in the wake of the call for a “new evangelization” launched by John Paul II in 1991 and repeated by the Polish Pope during World Youth Day (WYD) in Denver (Colorado) thirty years ago, in August 1993. FOCUS was officially born in 1998, in a university a Catholic in Kansas, with the ambition of convincing young Americans to join the Church.
At the time, the organization had only two missionaries, including Curtis Martin, and about twenty students taking part in Bible study circles. But the group grew and, shortly after the launch, Curtis Martin obtained the support of the Pope during an interview in Rome.
Today, FOCUS has nearly 900 missionaries spread across the United States and 26,000 students in its Bible study groups. In 2022, its turnover amounted to 117 million dollars, coming in part from universities and 23 dioceses which offered the services of the movement.
Budget important
A considerable budget which allows him in particular to organize a large annual gathering, SEEK, a highlight for Catholic youth. “Their strength comes from the fact that they are physically present in the universities. They don’t just send out flyers, explains Jodi Hunt, an assistant professor at the University of Dallas and an evangelism specialist. They thus manage to create a close-knit community that goes beyond theological training: they accompany young adults at this pivotal moment in their lives and help young Catholics evolve in a lay world. »
For the expert, FOCUS resembles Campus Crusade for Christ (renamed “Cru”), an influential evangelical group that targets students: “They defend the faith and don’t apologize for it. » At the heart of the methodology of the Catholic movement: the “spiritual multiplication”. Missionaries identify and invest in a small group of motivated young people to ensure their succession and expand the network.
Response to a need
A work « difficile », observes Bobby Vogel, because those who agree to join FOCUS, at the end of their studies, must also raise the money to pay themselves. A system that critics say limits the racial and socio-economic diversity of missionaries. Indeed, poor populations, often non-white, traditionally have more difficulty obtaining funding from relatives to support them.
In the past, some universities have also criticized the lack of training of missionaries and their responses deemed too ideological to the complex questions encountered by some young people. Citing time constraints, FOCUS did not respond favorably to our interview request.
In a country where 32% of 13-17 year olds say they have no religion (against 24% for their parents, according to the Pew Institute Research Center), the need for such a program exists. “Many young people are not happy, observes Archbishop Samuel Aquila of Denver, where FOCUS has its headquarters. They experience high suicide rates, suffer from depression and frustration because they are promised happiness that they don’t get. Human solutions will not bring them the same satisfaction as spiritual solutions. »
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Nearly two-thirds of young Americans identify as Christians
According to a study by the American institute Pew Research Center, published in September 2020, 63% of 13-17 year olds, this generation arriving at university today, define themselves as Christians, including 36% Protestants and 24% of Catholics.
Among those who claim to be Christians, their parents who also claim Christianity are 72%, or nine points more. Non-Christians represent 4% of 13-17 year olds and non-religious 32% (including 6% atheists). Young people of Hispanic origin are the most likely to identify themselves as Christians (70%) and Catholics (47%).
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2023-08-20 04:43:09
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