My name is Hailey Wolkerstorfer and I am a FOCUS missionary from Sts. Peter and Paul in Braham, Minnesota. FOCUS stands for the Fellowship of Catholic University Students. It is the largest Catholic collegiate ministry organization in the U.S. today.
This year, FOCUS is sending out 1,062 missionaries to 211 college campuses. Our mission as an organization is to invite college students into a relationship with Jesus Christ and his Church, inspiring and equipping them for a lifelong Catholic mission of evangelization, discipleship, and friendship.
God called me to FOCUS in a different way. My faith has always been important to me, but when I set out on my own, I realized how truly important it is to live a life for Christ. My college journey led me to Green Bay, Wisconsin, where I attended a semester of technical college to become a pastry chef.
During my time in Green Bay, I was able to be involved in Catholic campus ministry at the University of Wisconsin–Green Bay. We did not have FOCUS missionaries there, but I witnessed many young adults living as missionaries for Christ on their campus. I saw students extend invitations to their peers, bringing them to the Church and into a strong, faith-filled community.
After graduating and moving back home to Minnesota to finish my degree at Anoka-Ramsey Community College, I was eager to find a way to continue sharing Christ with those around me and to help young adults find the Church. I began attending daily Mass, learning more about my faith and discerning where God was calling me. It was while visiting my brother at Iowa State University that I first encountered a FOCUS missionary.
She met me with great love and compassion for the Church and for all those around her. I was drawn to the mission of FOCUS and the impact it has on the lives of college students. God continued to place the right people in my life at the right time, and throughout my discernment, I encountered many people who had either been FOCUS missionaries or had been positively impacted by FOCUS. I knew this was
where God was calling me to serve!
I am so blessed to begin my first year as a missionary at Winona State University here in Minnesota. I will be serving in Winona with my wonderful teammates: Francesca, Daniel and Nathan! Together, we will invite students on campus to encounter and love Christ. We are able to do this by providing opportunities for fellowship, such as Bible studies, student Mass, retreats, mission trips and so much more. I am so blessed to be able to give God my “YES” as I embark on this new adventure for him, his Church and all those I encounter.
To learn more about Hailey’s ministry, visit her FOCUS page at https://focus.org/missionaries/hailey-wolkerstorfer/.