FOCUS — the Fellowship of Catholic University Students — is a national collegiate outreach program serving over 100 campuses across the country.  Our hope is to engage all college students with the truth and beauty of the Catholic faith, to inspire and equip them for a lifetime of Christ-entered living and leading.

We know that college can be a difficult place to live out the faith, and our team of four full-time missionaries are here to be resources to help students learn more about the Catholic Church and fall in love with the God who created us. 

The FOCUS team at Harvard offers weekly, small group Bible Studies open to students from all backgrounds, as well as one-on-one mentorship for students who are looking to grow deeper in their faith or seek answers to the questions they may have.

Ben Kelly leading the Harvard FOCUS missionary team this year and is an alum  of Harvard himself (AB'17).  Here are his thoughts on returning to Harvard with his wife Eliza (also AB'17) and young family along with his hopes for his ministry:

"For all the memorable experiences and amazing opportunities that filled our four years at Harvard, looking back it is clear that the Lord's main purpose for bringing us here was to meet Him. And second, we think, was to meet each other! Though we both had been raised Catholic in great families, faith remained something a bit abstract and seemingly unrelated from much of daily life. That all changed when we met the FOCUS missionaries. To witness young people completely on fire for the Gospel, unafraid to be boldly living out discipleship with Christ, all in an environment that wants to push God to the periphery, was completely life-changing! Fast forward a few years, a couple babies, and now we will be seeking to foster encounters with Jesus at Harvard, just like those missionaries did for us. God's Providence is crazy. Though the school year ahead will be filled with some unique challenges, we will take our inspiration from the saints, who saw "obstacles" and "difficulties" simply as opportunities to glorify God all the more! Please pray for us as we embark on this mission to let Christ transform Harvard."

Father Patrick Fiorillo with Harvard's FOCUS missionaries academic year 2019-2020 (l-r) Stephen Hill, Angeli Fernandes, Lucy Kelly, Tess Volanski and Ben Kelly, '17 (team director and Harvard alum) with his wife Eliza, '17 and newly baptized son, John Paul.  

Both Ben and Stephen are new to the Harvard FOCUS team
while Angeli and Tess have returned for another year.

Father Patrick Fiorillo caught up with Harvard grads at FOCUS training at the University of Mary, summer 2019.  Pictured (l-r) Ben Kelly '17, Eliza Kelly '17 with Lucy (class of 2041??), AnnMarie Healy '16, Bryant Huggins, '19, Eli Kresta '16, Nick Colon '19 and Audrey Maghiro '19.



A cornerstone of FOCUS is to build disciples for Christ sending them out to proclaim the Good News.  The Harvard Catholic Center is very proud of our graduates who are currently serving on a college campus throughout the country.

Harvard Alumn FOCUS Campus Assignments 2020-2021:
Ben Kelly ’17 – Harvard
Elizabeth D’Haiti ’20 – Columbia
Bryant Huggins ’19 – George Mason
Nick Colon ’19 – Brown
Audrey Maghiro '19 – Mount St. Mary’s

What does this group of young people have in common?  If you guessed a love of Christ, Harvard University, and FOCUS...you are correct!

(l to r) Bruno Ferrari, Maggie Hartman '17, Ben Kelly '17, Eliza DeCubellis '17, and Eli Kresta '16