In mid-March, a group of seventeen St. Mary’s Colgan high school students and eight adult chaperones traveled to Nashville, TN for a spring break mission trip. The group painted a few classrooms and pulled out a few bushes and weeds at an inner city Catholic school and parish, but the majority of the time was spent living out the Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy and by simply being present to those in need. They were present to two residents in the Heart of Mary Catholic Hospice House by praying with them, conversing with them, and playing the piano and singing to them. They were present to prisoners by writing them letters assuring them of our prayers. They were present to the homeless by volunteering at a homeless program called “Room in the Inn” where they ate dinner, painted pictures, and played card games with around 20 homeless men. They were present to a local Catholic family by playing sports with their kids and listening to their family story. And, they were present to each other by playing soccer and ultimate frisbee together, praying together, eating meals together, making rosaries together, and simply being together!
“The most impactful part of the mission trip,” Michael Vacek, an SMC sophomore, shared, “was seeing the homeless at the ‘Room in the Inn.’ Even though they don't have very much, they are thankful for everything that they have. They are also some of the most optimistic and happy people I have ever met.” Lauren Flood, an SMC senior, added, “Serving at the Room in the Inn was very impactful for me because it showed me the deep hunger that we all have for real human interactions. Not only were we able to satisfy the physical hunger of those whom we served, we were also able to spend the evening talking with them, getting to know them, and loving them as we are called to love every one of our brothers and sisters in Christ.”
Some of the hidden blessings of the trip were watching God work in small, unexpected ways and enjoying the freedom and joy that comes from being away from technology. Janice Dellasega, the St. Mary’s Colgan mission trip coordinator, commented, “It is hard to put into words, but our surrender to God’s plan from the moment we left was real to me. He did something amazing for us, not just daily, but seemingly almost hourly! Students, chaperones and those we served, often shared connections with a person in our group that made it very easy to see Jesus working beside us. Leaving phones helped with the peace we all felt. I will always remember the innocent laughter and joy we shared with each other everywhere we went!” SMC Chaplain Fr. Labenz stated, “I would call our mission trip a ‘service retreat’ because all the prayer that we did led us to serve. God filled up our hearts through the Mass, adoration, the rosary, and Liturgy of the Hours, and then we shared the love we had received with the poor, the sick, the dying, the lonely, and with each other. It was so powerful to see the joy and on-fire energy that our students had throughout the whole trip.”
When asked what the most powerful part of the trip was, SMC senior Celeste Lara-Lopez said, “For me, the most impactful part was getting to see all of my peers be their true selves and having the opportunity to serve in The Heart of Mary hospice house. Every single time I stepped foot in the Heart of Mary House, I could feel the love of the volunteers and nurses, but most of all, I could feel Christ’s presence. I am very thankful that I got the chance to go on this mission trip because it was an extraordinary experience and a great way to spend my spring break.”