Last week seven youth and three adult chaperones traveled to Cincinnati, OH to spend a week working with the Franciscans for Poor. During this week of service, our group worked in Cincinnati and the Northern Kentucky area with developmentally disabled youth and young adults, cleaned and sanitized multiple areas (including the playroom!) at the Ronald McDonald House, along with making snacks for the whole house, worked in the largest service center in the Cincinnati area, did basic home repairs and painting with HONK (Housing Opportunities in Northern Kentucky), worked with New Life Furniture delivering furniture to families and individuals who are transitioning out of homelessness, along with packing boxes of household goods, bedding, and building new dressers for future families. We also had the opportunity to make a pilgrimage to the Holy Doors at St. Peter in Chains Cathedral in Cincinnati and St. Mary Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption in Covington, KY. We had dinner with the Sisters at St. Clare Convent and they gave us a tour of their beautiful chapel with many relics. We also had the opportunity to go salsa dancing and to a Cincinnati Red’s baseball game.
We met many people who challenged us to stand firm in our faith and to put our faith into action. Melissa talked to us on Monday night about her experience with homelessness; dinner on Tuesday night with the sisters encouraged us to be more open to listening to God and using our gifts and talents to serve Him and others; and Fr. Fred Link challenged us every morning at daily Mass to remember that we might be the only encounter of Christ that those that we are serving might experience. The group would like to thank the parish for supporting and praying for the success of the high school summer mission trip. You can visit the youth ministry page on the parish website to read our travel blog about the week!
(Pictures on page 12 in this week’s bulletin.)
A few comments from the participants about the week:
– I’m so glad that I came on this trip. I have heard a lot from people who have attended in past years. I knew that it would be fun, but I never expected it to be this awesome.
– I loved our evening prayer times and hearing about everyone’s different thoughts and experiences.
– This trip has really made a great impact on my life and has strengthened my relationship with God. They are exactly what I needed – to get away from stress and being busy to spend a week in prayer and service.
– This week has helped me to step out of my comfort zone and it has made me more open-minded to the world around me. It has opened my eyes to all the need in the world and it makes me want to help even more.