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40 Days for Life, FOCUS partner on new initiative

Special To The Catholic Herald

David Bereit, founder and former CEO of 40 Days for Life, is
partnering with the Fellowship of Catholic University Students (FOCUS) to build
the Culture of Love and Life initiative, bolstering pro-life and purity efforts
on college campuses while strengthening marriage and family formation and
support.

 

The Culture of Love and Life initiative equips and empowers staff
and students to live and act with a deep understanding of human dignity,
providing compassionate help for students who are ensnared in risky lifestyles,
experiencing unexpected pregnancies or suffering from post-abortion trauma.

 

Bereit led 40 Days for Life through its first decade, building it
into the largest grassroots pro-life mobilization in the world. Through its
network of 750,000 volunteers in 769 cities across all 50 American states and
50 nations, 40 Days for Life, Bereit said it helped save 14,643 children’s
lives, bring 177 workers out of the abortion industry and close 96 abortion
centers.

 

“David’s extensive experience will be an incredible benefit to
FOCUS as we work to help our missionaries and students approach their evangelization
efforts with a robust pro-life worldview,” said John Zimmer, FOCUS vice
president of apostolic development. “Our missionaries and students are truly on
the front-line of the purity and pro-life battle, as college age students
account for nearly half of the pregnant mothers who choose abortion, and
Planned Parenthood places 80 percent of their facilities within five miles of
college campuses.”

 

David and his wife, Margaret, have been married for 26 years and
have led marriage preparation programs, relationship classes and marriage
enrichment programs over the last two decades. The Bereits will collaborate
with FOCUS to provide more effective marriage and family formation and support.

 

“I am incredibly excited to be collaborating with FOCUS, a
profoundly effective apostolate that has been life-changing for tens of
thousands of college students,” said Bereit. “By helping its missionaries and
students successfully address some of the greatest challenges faced on
campuses, the impact of FOCUS is also life-saving.”

 

The Bereits live in Fredericksburg and are the parents of two
children, Claire, a student and FOCUS small group leader at the University of
Virginia in Charlottesville, and Patrick, a high school student.

 

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