FOCUS helps WPI students in their seeking

By Christina Galeone
CFP Correspondent

Inviting WPI students to attend SEEK21 was just the latest way that the FOCUS team has been encouraging them in the faith since it began its WPI missionary journey in the fall of 2020.
Earlier this month, the Fellowship of Catholic University Students held SEEK21, the annual conference of the apostolate that strives to share the hope and joy of the Gospel with college students throughout the world. More than 27,000 people of all ages from 20 countries attended the virtual, interactive and immersive event. The conference featured streamed Masses, workshops, prayer vigils and presentations by world-renowned speakers including Immaculee Ilibagiza, Father Mike Schmitz, Bishop Robert E. Barron, Dr. Edward Sri, Scott Hahn, Oscar Rivera Jr., Lila Rose and many others. Along with thousands of people on college campuses, Worcester Polytechnic Institute’s FOCUS team participated in the exciting, prayerful four-day event.
Alexia Maliakal, the WPI team’s leader, said, “Our team put together a hybrid SEEK experience for our students; we had each student individually stream the talks, [experience] virtual fellowship and in person, socially distanced access to the sacraments. During the conference, the kerygma – Gospel message – was shared with our students ….”
While being campus missionaries during the pandemic hasn’t been easy, the team remains as determined as it was in the fall to enrich the students’ lives through the Gospel.
Miss Maliakal, who became a FOCUS missionary in 2017, said that she entrusts all of the team members’ endeavors to the Lord, knowing that it’s his mission, and “he will make it fruitful.”  
“Ultimately, my experiences as a missionary – both before the pandemic and during – are the same: Christ’s name and message is proclaimed,” Miss Maliakal shared. “However, during the pandemic, we’ve found it slightly more challenging to have access to students to share this message with. This has led to many creative approaches, including socially distanced scooter rides, late night ice cream drop offs, and virtual Bob Ross paint nights.”
Despite the casual, fun ways the FOCUS team members invite students to have a deeper relationship with Christ, the team faces additional pandemic-related challenges as well.
Luke Helbling, a team member who had an initial goal of helping students overcome the peer pressure that prevents them from practicing their faith, said that the pandemic and its restrictions have made some secular influences less visible to the team.
“It is easier and more ‘acceptable’ than ever to engage in harmful activities commonly found on campuses – everything from sexual activity to binging media content,” Mr. Helbling explained. He added, “There are many things I could quote or say but, most importantly, I try to explain how certain things separate us from God, who is a loving and merciful Father. A great reference is Galatians 5:17 and the [adjacent] verses ...”
Amidst the uncertainty of the pandemic, Michael Selton, another team member, has seen the unshakable power of the Eucharist. He’s been able to convince some students to go to Adoration.  
“Some students who are reluctant to attend church have been convinced to come and have witnessed the beauty of Christ being present in the Eucharist,” Mr. Selton, who also loves sharing the Gospel, said. “During Bible studies, I have shared the Gospel with students who have taken it to heart and realized the fatherly love that God has for them.”
Team member Mariana Pimiento-Rincon is excited about continuing conversations inspired by SEEK21 presentations in Bible studies and intentional meeting with students.
“Seeing students taking the material from SEEK21 and deeply discussing it with one another was one of my favorite parts of the conference,” Ms. Pimiento-Rincon said. “We have long been praying for our students to encounter Christ deeply within their own hearts, and to see them share their encounters with one another was awe-striking.”
And it’s clear that Miss Maliakal feels the same. She noted that when the Gospel is presented, there’s a deeper Christian conversion in people’s hearts and minds. She said, “Our team plans on cultivating these graces, so that our students become not only disciples of Christ, but missionary disciples who are committed to live out their baptismal calling of preaching the Gospel themselves.”