A community on the outskirts of San Miguel, El Salvador, needs your help! In past trips we have built Churches for people who were celebrating Holy Mass in a garage shelter with hundreds of Catholic worshipers overflowing into the streets! Our week-long project will be the construction of community center for these people. Better yet, we will be working hand-in-hand with college-aged locals from a nearby orphanage. Many of these students lost their parents in El Salvador’s Civil War that ended in 1992.
In addition to working on this center for the community on the outskirts of San Miguel, this trip will venture into the countryside of El Salvador, to realize catechesis in a rural Salvadoran village, visiting with the people in their homes. Living with the people, sleeping in hammocks, and playing endless games of soccer, our mission will be one of incarnational evangelization along with a very fun program of catechesis for adults and children. The group will get to experience the beauty of the Salvadoran people which is rivaled only by the beauty of the country itself. Another amazing aspect of this trip is the deep perspective gained from El Salvador’s past history of war and Church persecution. Seeing the home of Archbishop Oscar Romero – and his bloodied vestments that he was wearing while assassinated during Mass- will drive home the reality of war and persecution. In light of this, our mission is one that brings continued healing to the Salvadoran people and hope for the future. This is an experience not to be missed!
“Persecution is something necessary for the Church. Do you know why? Because the truth is always persecuted. Jesus Christ said ‘If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you,’ and for this reason, when one day they asked Popo Leo XIII, that marvelous intellect from the beginning of our century, ‘What are the traits that distinguish the true Catholic Church?’, the pope said the four most recognized traits: one, holy, Catholic, and apostolic, ‘but we must add one’ said the Pope– ‘persecuted..’ The Church who fulfills her duties cannot live without being persecuted.” - Oscar Romero, Homily May 29th, 1977
SUMMER ADDITION:
FOCUS Missions is working to team up with St. Thomas University in St. Paul, Minnesota to provide a 1 week formation program in the Social Doctrine of the Catholic Church to be combined with our summer mission trips to Haiti and El Salvador. Classes will be taught by Fr. Michael Keating, and other guest professors. The two weeks of formation will include time for pre-mission team building, cultural training, prayer, and leisure. More information coming soon!
Spring Break #1
- Dates: March March 9th – 16th*
- Trip Director: Ruth Kaulscher
- Mission Co-Leaders: Katy McCarthy, David Hickson
- Amount to Fundraise: $1,700*
Spring Break #2
- Dates: March 23rd – 30th*
- Trip Director: Jeff Runyan
- Mission Co-Leaders: Justin Petrisek
- Amount to Fundraise: $1,500*
Summer
COMBINED MISSION AND ST. THOMAS FORMATION PROGRAM (BENEDICT XVI INSTITUTE)
- Dates: June 14th – July 3rd*
- Trip Director: Chris Rothschild
- Mission Co-Leaders: TBD
- Amount to Fundraise: $2,900*
* Dates and amount to fundraise subject to change
“In El Salvador, I encountered Jesus for the first time in a deeply personal way. Pushed far outside of my comfort zone, with nowhere else to go, I cried to Him for help. And the love I felt in His answer changed my heart forever. I was (and still am!) filled with a desire to know Him, a desire I did not have before. Whatever the cost, I want to know this Son of Man who loves me so much!”
- Former El Salvador Mission Trip Volunteer
