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August 9, 2024By Tanya Connor | The Catholic Free Press
A teenager at prayer drew closer to the God she’d questioned.
Another youth saw the importance of sharing his skills.
Members of St. Rose of Lima Parish in Northborough told these stories from their summer service trips, which are the culmination of an annual program started years ago.
This year’s July 14-19 trips involved 17 teenagers and seven chaperones helping build a house in Maine or cleaning and painting in Delaware.
Such opportunities are “transformational for so many of the kids,” said Susan McGoldrick, St. Rose’s faith formation director. In college they’ve again joined service trips, and one did a year of service in Guatemala.
“When we first began this process, it was very important for Father Jim [Houston, then pastor] that the young people learned about service – why they were … doing this week-long service,” she said. “That’s why he wanted it to be the full-year experience. At some of their monthly meetings we would invite a speaker,” including people who served the poor in Worcester.
Susan Nichols said that in 2005 she and Maria Gasser, then St. Rose’s religious education director, started this voluntary youth service program, which is separate from religious education and confirmation programs. Beginning in 2006, teenagers participated in Young Neighbors In Action Catholic service trips with an educational component.
YNIA projects in Worcester enabled the Northborough youth to see local needs and something bigger than themselves, as well as learn “you get more back in return when you give of yourself,” Mrs. Nichols said.
As numbers of participants increased, another option was added: helping Habitat for Humanity build homes for people in need. Mrs. Nichols, who coordinates this trip and chaperones it with her husband, Kendall, said her group reflects together on their experiences, trying to tie them to Catholic Social teaching.
Another option added was helping at Camp Sunshine in Casco, Maine, for children with life-threatening illnesses and their families.
At some points St. Rose had 75-100 teenagers taking service trips, said Mrs. Nichols, who coordinated things when the parish had no youth minister. There were monthly meetings, service projects and fundraisers for the trips.
Mrs. McGoldrick said she provided guidance when there was no youth minister.
“Parents stepped up because they felt so strongly that they didn’t want the program to go away,” she said. “They saw the benefits for their older children” and wanted their younger ones to participate.
Mrs. Nichols credited parents for restarting service opportunities after the coronavirus shutdown and connecting with Catholic Heart Workcamp after YNIA folded. The Habitat trip restarted in 2023. The parish’s group is now called the St. Rose of Lima Youth Service League.
Marisol Bermudez-Ellis, who became St. Rose’s youth minister after last year’s trips, said she’d like to restart the Camp Sunshine experience. This year she joined the Catholic Heart Workcamp group in Wilmington, Delaware.
She said the teenagers managed different parts of the work, had an opportunity to talk individually with adult leaders, and were reminded that they matter. All returned saying they loved the experience.
Father Juan D. Escudero, pastor, joined them in Delaware for two days.
“It’s truly a transformative experience for the youth,” he said. “They had the opportunity to put their faith into action,” to see that the faith reaches beyond their parish, to delve deeper into that faith and to meet youth from around the United States with different spiritualities, all part of one Church.
What was this like for him?
“Rejuvenating,” responded Father Escudero, who helped with the work and concelebrated Mass. “It gives me an opportunity as ... their pastor” to see them in a different setting, to be “with them wearing shorts and a T-shirt ... in the cafeteria ... to chat. ... That image of the priest is not distant.”
“I got to make an impact on people’s lives ... doing community service,” Nina Boeckeler, 16, said of that trip.
She said an older man who’d been injured was “very appreciative” that their group cleaned up his father’s yard. And by painting Catholic Charities offices, they saved the agency money that can be used for people in need.
Nina expressed appreciation for chaperones, peers - and God.
“I was going to church every morning,” she said. During free time “I would choose to go to the chapel and pray the rosary,” after her group was initially invited to do that with a group from another parish.
“I got this sense of community because we were all praying it together,” Nina said. When praying the rosary alone and at eucharistic adoration she had one-on-one time with God.
“I kind of blamed God for COVID,” she said. “Why would he do this to the world?” And why would he let her suffer with depression. “Then I realized, ‘He’s not trying to hurt me; he’s trying to build my faith.’ I felt like something had washed over me,” removing the doubt, “and that God was with me, really with me. I know he’s always been with me, but I didn’t take the time to realize it before.”
Upon returning, she and Garrett Willwerth, 18, shared their experiences at Mass at St. Rose of Lima.
Garrett helped build a Habitat house in Rockland, Maine. He expressed appreciation for the example of service the Habitat construction supervisor who guided them set.
“It was a lot of screwing in screws and hammering of nails,” Garrett said. “It was tough at first,” but then he and his peers became “experts.” Seeing the progress was “really cool,” he said.
“It started as a concrete slab and, by the end of the week, the whole frame was complete,” he marveled. “There was paper wrap over the plywood.”
At the church where they slept and held cooking competitions for their meals, “everyone was so accepting of us,” he said. “It was really good to see everyone out there ... giving their time and their skills.” (Retired people and student interns worked on other houses.)
“I definitely recommend that people try service trips like these,” Garrett said. “They’re very impactful.”
As for his future, “I think that volunteering my time and skills is the most important thing. ... It will make the world a better place.”
