In an age where young people tend to rebel against authority, why did they embrace Pope John Paul II with open arms, calling out “John Paul II, we love you!”? This generation of young people loved our Holy Father. And they felt the great love he had for them. He was their “Papa” and they were his children. Not only did they love their Holy Father, but they also love and are following his teachings.
When Curtis Martin was in the early stages of launching FOCUS, the Fellowship of Catholic University Students, he was able to meet with Pope John Paul II. “I had an opportunity to travel to Rome to meet with our Holy Father and share with him what we are doing in FOCUS. In our conversation I said, ‘Holy Father, I’m going back to work with college students from across the country. Do you have any advice that you could give me?’ And I’ll never forget the two words he shared with me that day as he looked at me with a smile on his face when he heard what we were doing and said, ‘Be soldiers’.”
FOCUS is working to play a vital role in the “new evangelization” called for by Pope John Paul II. Seven years ago, FOCUS was founded on one campus and now extends to 25 campuses in 13 states with over 100 full-time staff members. FOCUS is a national outreach to college campuses, both to secular and Catholic schools. “One of the exciting things about working in the new evangelization is that the Holy Father focused much of his attention on young people. These young people are already becoming Christian leaders in the world and have been inspired to do so by the teachings and life of Pope John Paul II,” said John Zimmer, FOCUS Director of Campus Ministry.
Their love is evident, as they wait for over twelve hours to view his body and as they flooded St. Peter’s Square when news broke that he was dying, staying with him throughout the night. They not only loved the Pope because he reached out them, but they loved him for his teachings and faithfulness to Jesus Christ and the Catholic Church. “We love him because he trusted us with the truth,” said FOCUS Regional Director Sarah Keller. Zimmer agreed, “College students yearn for truth and they respond when they receive it. The Holy Father helped this generation see, as he stated, ‘true freedom is born from holiness’.” (Santiago, Spain. August 8, 1999)
Joshua Gideon, a FOCUS missionary who is preparing for marriage, credits the Holy Father for helping him find true freedom in the Church’s teaching on human sexuality, “The lifestyle I was leading before I was living out my Catholic faith was not satisfying. While listening to the world, I was not challenged to live a life of chastity, but merely a life of mediocrity. The Holy Father’s words and example challenged me to a new way of life. This was not a way as is so often viewed as a list of rules or restraints, but a true understanding of the Church’s teachings on sexuality that leads to a perfect freedom to love and to receive love.” Gideon expressed that the Holy Father gave him courage to live this life, “He knew that we could overcome difficulties, sadness and temptations. He constantly told us to ‘be not afraid’, which gave me the courage to strive to become something great by becoming like Christ in everything I do and following His way.”
The Pope’s message to the youth was to build a culture of life. In his address of World Youth Day in 1995, he challenged them to become witnesses to the dignity of human life, “I urge you young people…to become prophets of life,” he said. FOCUS missionary Christine Wright said the Pope helped her see her dignity as a woman, “Through his writings on the ‘Genius of Women’, I was able have a more profound understanding of the beauty of my feminine nature and my dignity as a daughter of God.” This message of human dignity resonates with Olivia DuBois, FOCUS missionary and convert to the Catholic faith, “He loved us enough to challenge us to the hard truth. I loved the Holy Father for his uncompromising defense of the right to life. He challenged me to not only live out the truth, found in the Catholic Church, about life issues like abortion, contraception and euthanasia, but he gave me the courage to defend them.” DuBois added that the Holy Father’s love for the youth was seen clearly in his love for human life, “He knew the value of youth because he knew the value of life.”
In reflecting on the Pope’s death, FOCUS Founder and President Curtis Martin said, “Pope John Paul II’s impact on humanity and in particular upon the young will be felt for decades to come. His life was compelling evidence to a modern and secular world that Christianity is still relevant and effective. His legacy will be most profoundly realized as each of us consider following in his footsteps and turning our lives completely towards Jesus Christ and living with personal integrity in the Church Jesus founded.”
For more information about FOCUS, visit: www.focusonline.org or call (970) 336-9881.
