Across the United States, parish life is quietly transforming. Young-adult Catholics, long considered a challenging demographic to engage, are finding new ways to encounter Christ, grow in community and lead in their parishes.

Many young people emerge from vibrant campus or youth ministries only to discover few opportunities for continued formation or meaningful faith-centered involvement once they enter adulthood. Others, particularly Latino and Hispanic young adults, remain connected to parish life but often feel unseen, underrepresented or disconnected from leadership and ministry.

However, efforts are being made to respond to the pastoral needs of these demographics, with a specific focus on helping them integrate more fully into parish life. Two movements at the forefront of this renewal — FOCUS Parish and Iskali — offer models for fostering missionary discipleship beyond the campus and in culturally resonant ways. While their approaches differ, both share a similar vision: cultivating relationships that transform individuals, families and entire parish communities, while inviting young adults to step into responsibility and find belonging in the life of the Church.

By focusing on accompaniment and intentional engagement, these initiatives demonstrate how vibrant, life-giving communities can emerge, bridging generational gaps and inspiring long-term discipleship.

FOCUS Parish: Bringing Missionary Disciples Home

For years, FOCUS has been known for its lively campus ministry, where small groups, mentorship and discipleship networks help students deepen their faith. But the organization’s vision was never meant to stop beyond campus. FOCUS Parish, launched in 2014, extends the same missionary approach into local parishes, giving Catholics of all ages opportunities to encounter Christ through friendship and accompaniment.

Brock Martin, vice president of FOCUS Parish and son of FOCUS founder Curtis Martin, told the Register, “The goal was never to stay on campus. It was always to fulfill the Great Commission — to give every person the opportunity to hear the Gospel, ideally through a friendship with someone who knows them and loves them.”

Early experiments began when campus missionaries considered how to continue their ministry after graduation and changes in life circumstances, such as marriage or starting a family. One missionary realized that while his passion for mission remained, his stage of life had shifted. This insight sparked the first parish placements, laying out the groundwork for an initiative that now spans 25 parishes nationwide, with plans to double that number in the near future.

At St. Mary Catholic Parish in Spokane, Washington, the partnership with FOCUS Parish began with reflection and discernment. Pastor Father Jeffrey Lewis had long considered the parish’s role in evangelization. “If we’re not focused on making disciples,” he said, “then what are we even doing here?” After a careful period of observation and collaboration with parish staff, St. Mary’s formally welcomed two full-time missionaries in 2024, ensuring they became fully embedded in parish life rather than running separate programs.

Each parish team typically consists of two missionaries — slightly older than their campus counterparts, often married and raising families. But the principles remain the same: cultivating intimacy with God through prayer and the sacraments, building authentic friendships, and multiplying spiritual leadership.

Missionaries JJ Nazzaro and Jessica Figoni exemplify this approach at St. Mary’s. They lead small groups, mentor young adults and engage parishioners across generations. “We’re not just running Bible studies; we’re entering people’s lives,” Figoni said. “We want to understand their [parishioners’] hopes, struggles and what makes them tick, and then help them see it through the lens of Christ’s love.”

“It’s slower than campus ministry in some ways, but the depth is incredible,” Nazzaro noted. “We’re walking with people who might influence their whole family, which multiplies the fruit of our work exponentially.”

Parish leaders have observed a broader renewal in parish life. “Priests didn’t become priests to balance budgets or manage buildings,” said Father Lewis. “They became priests to save souls. When missionaries come alongside and help cultivate disciple-making, it energizes the whole parish.”

“People are showing up to daily Mass more consistently, engaging in adoration and stepping into leadership roles,” noted Stephen Hart, a parishioner and the school principal at St. Mary’s. “FOCUS Parish is not just a program; it’s a cultural shift.”

According to Martin and FOCUS Parish, the results are tangible. Across the organization’s sites, nearly 2,000 people have participated in regular small groups, more than 500 souls committed to “center their lives on Christ,” and daily Mass attendance has risen by an average of 22%. “These aren’t just statistics,” Martin emphasized. “They are signs that when missionary discipleship becomes a priority, it naturally strengthens every aspect of parish life.”

Iskali: Creating Mission for Latino and Hispanic Young Adults

Meanwhile, in the Midwest, Iskali is reshaping young-adult ministry at the parish level for Hispanic and Latino Catholics. Founded in 2010 by Vicente del Real in Chicago, Iskali seeks to form young adults through an approach that integrates Catholic faith with cultural identity, emphasizing accompaniment, belonging and leadership within parish life. “The name Iskali comes from the Náhuatl (Aztec) language, symbolizing growth, resurgence, and new beginnings,” the website explains.

In practice, Iskali operates through parish-based communities embedded directly in local parish life. The apostolate is currently active in more than 20 parishes across the Midwest, including Chicago, Milwaukee, Minneapolis and Indianapolis. Each parish community typically brings together 20 to 30 young adults who gather weekly for prayer, formation and fellowship, supported by two trained coordinators who work closely with parish leadership.

After more than a decade as a largely volunteer-led initiative, Iskali is now entering a new phase of development, piloting a full-time missionary model with centralized formation and leadership support. According to Iskali leadership, the apostolate is also preparing its first expansion outside the Midwest, with plans for a full-time missionary placement in the Diocese of Yakima, Washington.

Father Aaron Pierre, associate pastor at Our Lady of Guadalupe and St. Patrick’s Parishes in Milwaukee, explained, “Iskali connects young Catholic Latinos’ desires with the life of the Church in a very tangible way.”

“We want young adults to experience community, prayer and formation that’s deeply rooted in the Church,” added Daniel Iván Sánchez Garcia, Iskali’s lead missionary. “It’s about walking with these young adults, not just giving them a program.”

Sánchez Garcia often points to Our Lady of Guadalupe as a guiding model. “When Mary appeared to St. Juan Diego, she didn’t ask him to become someone else,” he said. “She spoke to him in his language, honored his culture and called him by name.” Iskali seeks to reflect that same dynamic — inviting young adults to encounter Christ without asking them to leave their cultural identity at the door.

The initiative model combines intentional weekly gatherings — prayer, fellowship and formation — with monthly adoration, social events, service outings and leadership opportunities. Melanie Carranza, co-coordinator at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Church in Melrose Park, Illinois, described the organization as a means of “hope for young-adult Latinos and Hispanics.”

Peer mentorship plays a key role. In Milwaukee, young adults lead high-school confirmation programs, small groups and parish events, providing continuity and modeling a lived faith. “Seeing young adults actively involved fills the whole community with hope,” Father Pierre said.

Integration with parish life is essential. Missionaries attend staff meetings, coordinate with the parish and communicate with the Chicago support team. Father Leandro Fossá, pastor at Our Lady of Mount Carmel, told the Register that Iskali is not “just about hosting events; it’s about cultivating relationships, building discipleship and offering young adults a pathway to live out their faith.”

“We’ve seen young adults who were once on the periphery become leaders and mentors within the parish community,” he added.

Iskali addresses a specific demographic: Much parish programming is geared toward older generations, leaving young adults underserved. By centering around culture and peer leadership, the movement fosters a sense of belonging that encourages participation and discipleship. “When young adults feel seen and supported, they not only engage — they lead,” said Sánchez Garcia.

Two Paths, One Mission

Despite differences, FOCUS Parish and Iskali share fundamental principles: relationships over programs, accompaniment over mere instruction, and intentional integration into parish life. Both target young adults — whether college alumni transitioning to parish life or Latino and Hispanic young adults seeking culturally resonant spaces — and both demonstrate that discipleship can transform parishes.

Yet the differences illuminate the diversity of parish needs. FOCUS Parish often works with slightly older missionaries, including married couples and young parents, focusing on multigenerational engagement. Iskali emphasizes cultural identity and peer-led mentorship, creating spaces where Latino and Hispanic young adults can see their faith reflected in their own experiences.

Both models show how missionary discipleship revitalizes parish culture. In Spokane, FOCUS Parish has boosted Mass attendance, small-group participation and leadership involvement across different ministries and groups within St. Mary. In Milwaukee and Melrose Park, Iskali has empowered young adults from the margins to become mentors, volunteers and liturgical leaders. In every case, the work relies on accompaniment, patience and trust that long-term relationships bear fruit.

A Hopeful Future for Parish Life and the Church

The growth of these movements suggests a hopeful trajectory for the Church. FOCUS Parish aims to create “landing zones” for college graduates as well as spaces for older parishioners, providing continuity in discipleship across all ages. Iskali continues to expand with full-time missionaries, offering formation that nurtures Latino and Hispanic young adults in faith and leadership. Both answer the same call: forming missionary disciples who live, lead and share their faith actively.

“You see the signs of life emerging. People are engaged, families are growing in faith, and a culture of discipleship is taking root,” said Hart, referring to the growth at St. Mary’s. “It’s very real and inspiring.”

Father Pierre echoed this sentiment, highlighting that young adults who “were once on the margins” are learning to become “leaders and mentors actively living out their faith,” a hopeful sign for “the future of the Church.”

From Spokane to Chicago, FOCUS Parish and Iskali exemplify how missionary discipleship can flourish in parishes — transforming lives, families and communities one relationship at a time.

“I am so filled with hope for the future of parishes and the Church,” noted Martin. “When John Paul II came to Denver in 1993 for World Youth Day, he spoke of the new springtime in the Church. Apostolates like FOCUS Parish, Iskali and so many others are continuing to contribute to this growth and hope.”