Sr. Bethany Madonna, Sisters of Life, and Fr. John Lager, FOCUS Chaplain, to speak at Austin prayer breakfast

AUSTIN, Texas, April 16, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- FOCUS, the Fellowship of Catholic University Students, will be hosting REACH | austin, a New Evangelization Prayer Breakfast on Tuesday, April 29, 2014. The event will begin at 6:30 AM with Mass, celebrated by Bishop Joe Vásquez of the Diocese of Austin, and a Rosary at St. Mary Cathedral.

"We really believe the best days of our nation can still be ahead of us, but it will only happen if we begin with prayer," said Curtis Martin, President and Founder of FOCUS. "We have to recognize that the Church is asking us to live differently. We're no longer to be spectators; we all have an active role to play. Together we'll be able to discern what God is calling each of us to do." 

REACH | austin will feature speakers Sr. Bethany Madonna from the Sisters of Life in New York and Fr. John Lager, O.F.M., Cap., the FOCUS National Chaplain. Bishop Joe Vásquez will be celebrating Mass along with concelebrants Fr. Ed Nowak, CSP, chaplain at the University Catholic Center, and Fr. John Lager.  Attendees can expect to gain tools they can put to use in their own lives as a response to the New Evangelization called for by Blessed Pope John Paul II.

REACH is an opportunity for local community members to gather in prayer and fellowship, to encounter Jesus Christ in the Eucharist and to hear the words of inspirational speakers. Participants will learn more about how they can live out the evangelical mission of the Church in their families, parishes, workplaces and communities. In addition to the Austin event, REACH prayer breakfasts have already been held in Philadelphia, Boston, Omaha, Kansas City, New York City, Washington, D.C. and Lincoln.  Visit focus.org/reach for details about REACH | austin and to register for the event.

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.

SOURCE FOCUS, the Fellowship of Catholic University Students