Abby Korschgen

For Abby, personal faith goes hand-in-hand with action. The University of Missouri sophomore grew up Catholic at Divine Mercy Parish in Burlington and knew that she wanted to find ways to continue growing in her faith in college.

“Growing up, my parents and grandparents, were my role models in faith. My parents would take my sister and I to Wednesday night children’s church and to volunteer in the community. My grandparents would attend church with us and we would pray before each meal. They also had religious art around the home. That stuff rubbed off on my sister and I. I was raised to care about people and give back,” Abby shared. During her time in high school at Burlington Notre Dame, she attended the National Catholic Youth Conference (NCYC). “Getting to experience that and meeting so many other young people going through the same things as me was so moving.”

Her freshman year at University of Missouri, Abby sought out the Newman Center. “I didn’t have much of a prayer life before college, but my first year I joined a Discipleship group led by two of my now biggest influences, Christine and Anna. They are the ones that encouraged and allowed me to pursue my faith in college. I wouldn’t be where I am now without their leadership. They radiate joy and to be loved by them is a blessing. They, and the Newman Center, have helped me come out of my shell. It’s made me proud of my faith.” As Abby has grown in confidence in her faith, she has started her own Discipleship group in which she mentors three young women in faith. She also runs a bible study made up of her friends on the club volleyball team – some of whom are Catholic, others from different faith traditions, and still others who do not practice at all. Speaking of her bible study, Abby shared, “it’s transformed my faith. This group has shown me how to be open to different perspectives. I learn so much from them even though I facilitate the group. I hope that I am able to give them as positive of an experience as I had my freshman year. Female friendships are really important to me – especially those where we can walk together in faith and grow in relationship with each other and God.”

When asked about how Abby approaches talking about faith with her non-practicing peers, she added, “I want to make sure I step out of my comfort zone and reach out to people, but it is important to me to be cognizant of those who are not in the same place as me spiritually. I try to find easy conversation starters. For example, if I notice someone is wearing a cross necklace, it can be a simple way to open a door to talking about Jesus.”

In both her Discipleship and bible study groups, they explore how to incorporate faith into their everyday life. For Abby, spending time in silent prayer is an essential building block to taking action. “Since I have been nurturing my prayer life, I have noticed that my actions and how I care about people has changed. I can pour out more for others when my cup is filled. Some of the most formative moments can be in silence in the presence of the Lord. I 100% think that prayer and going on mission are correlated. Every Christian has a calling to go on mission. That mission may just be how you treat others. It is simple, but it is what we are called to do,” said Abby. She recalled a story in one of her Discipleship books about Mother Teresa requiring her sisters to do a holy hour each day to fuel their mission work. Fr. Andrew, the Newman Center Chaplain, tells his students that sleep, silence, and prayer are essential. Abby added, “we need to care for ourselves in order to care for others.”

Abby’s going out on mission has recently looked like attending the Catholic Social Ministry Gathering in Washington D.C. She is on the Missou Catholic Executive Board, and as a group, they decided they wanted to find a conference that would help develop their leadership skills and had a focus on Catholic Social Teaching. This year’s theme for the conference was “Missionaries of Hope, Advocates for Justice,” and had keynote speakers like Papal Nuncio, Cardinal Christophe Pierre and Secretary for Pontifical Commission for Latin America at the Holy See, Dr. Emilce Cuda, among other Catholic leaders. 

“We attended breakout sessions on political policies and business, viewing them through a Catholic perspective. The final keynote speaker, Most Rev. Timothy Broglio, President of the USCCB, told us that we have to look at political issues through the lens of Jesus Christ. The final day we were there, we had three ‘asks’ that we advocated for to our state legislators on capitol hill. 1) Domestic: ensure all tax and budget decisions support children and families and help them flourish, especially families experiencing poverty, 2) International: support families and children around the world with robust international humanitarian development, and peacebuilding assistance, 3) Migration: preserve and support humanitarian projections for vulnerable families, including refugee resettlement.”

Abby plans to continue her work for justice at the local level now that she is back in Missouri, and of course, her mission work will be rooted in a strong prayer life and a community that nourishes her journey toward Christ.