Peace and Justice
Reflections on a First year on Mission
Editor’s note: Missioner Aubrey Kimble reflects on how lessons learned from her physical exercise relate also to mission and spirituality. While organizing the living room in the volunteer house one day, I came across a Jillian Michaels yoga workout DVD. Since I’ve been determined to exercise more, I decided to try it. Now, I am…
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The Paschal Mystery
Editor’s note: DCSC member Amanda Saunders reflects on the nature of the Paschal Mystery and how this process penetrates into our own daily lives. Passion and death…“the loss of life” Resurrection…“the reception of new life” Ascension…“the refusal to cling, as ascending beyond the old life” …
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Were You There: “What Was Accomplished?”
Editor’s note: The Poor Clare Nuns of Immaculate Heart Monastery in Los Altos Hills, CA, reflect on how—throughout his Passion—Christ gives us countless beautiful examples of how we are to treat those around us and follow His example of taking up our cross daily. In an age when accomplishment is everything, we might ask Our…
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Were You There: “Mary Stood”
Editor’s note: DCSC member Amanda Saunders reflects on the example of Mary standing at the foot of the Cross during Christ’s crucifixion. “Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother.” (John 19:25) Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother. It does not say that near the cross of Jesus, his mother wailed, screamed, fought,…
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Were You There: The Unlikely Hero
Editor’s note: DCSC member Kathleen Strycula reflects on the unassuming but pivotal role of the disciple John throughout Christ’s Passion on the Cross. “Where’s Bilbo?” In J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit, Bilbo Baggins is the one who is constantly overlooked, forgotten about, and left behind by the group of dwarves with whom he is travelling. And…
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Were You There: Being Simon
Editor’s note: DCSC member Chase Medelberg reflects on the Fifth Station of the Cross, and how we—like Simon of Cyrene—should be open to those times that we find ourselves called upon to help others carry their crosses. When we pray and participate in the Stations of the Cross during Lent, we get to experience the journey…
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Were You There: Finding Peace
Editor’s Note: Guest blogger and nurse Emily Colonna reflects on a patient she accompanied at Christiana Hospital, where she was challenged to find God’s presence and strength even in the face of tragedy. I am a nurse at a local hospital in the intensive care unit. I graduated last spring from Neumann University, a…
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Were You There: Entrusting Our Crosses to Christ
Editor’s Note: Missioner Janice Smullen reflects on the figure of Simon the Cyrenian who helped Jesus carry his cross, and relates it to a personal encounter on mission. “As they led him away they took hold of a certain Simon, a Cyrenian, who was coming in from the country; and after laying the cross on…
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Were You There: “Rompiendo Barreras”
Editor’s Note: A Junior at St. Mary’s University and a finalist for the San Damiano Award, Valeria García reflects on how she came to a deeper understanding of what it means to “be present” and witness to the lives and sufferings of those around her. Barreras: they were always present. I grew up knowing that…
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Were You There: Stumbling and Rising
Editor’s note: In a follow-up to his post Libre Soy, recently-returned missioner Jeff Sved reflects on how he sees Christ’s struggles and stumbles on the Way of the Cross reflected in the lives of the friends and inmates with whom he served throughout his ministry. Were you there when Jesus stumbled for the first time?…
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Were You There: “Is It Scary?”
Editor’s note: What do escape rooms and the 14th Station of the Cross have in common? NSLP alumna Maria Beben reflects on how Lent—with all its uncertainty, waiting, and unknowns—calls us to greater trust and community. As one of my part-time jobs, I work at Surelocked In Escape Games in Frederick, Maryland. For those of you…
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Were You There: Bearing Witness
Editor’s Note: Mary Grace Donohoe—a San Damiano Award candidate and a senior at Stonehill College in Easton, MA—reflects on how our Catholic faith and Jesus’ own suffering call us to stand up for all those around us who are suffering or persecuted. “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” -Dr.…
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Were You There: Practicing Repentance
Editor’s note: Father Joseph Nangle OFM reflects on how the season of Lent is a time to practice awareness, repentance, and change, not only for personal failings but for broader societal injustices as well. Since my years on overseas mission, the Lenten season of penance has always signified much more than a personal expression of…
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Were You There: Bearing the Unbearable News
Editor’s Note: A friend of FMS, Mickey Edwards reflects on the First Station of the Cross and how being present with another person through their suffering can be a sharing of grace. The First Station: Jesus is Condemned to Death I imagine the devastated disciples and ask myself, “Who told Mary?” Who could summon the…
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Were You There: Showing Christ’s Love Amongst Pain
Editor’s note: Missioner Erin McHugh reflects back on her time on mission in Jamaica, recounting how she felt called to witness to the challenges and the joys of her students there. When I was given the topic for our Lenten blog, “Were you There,” the first thing that came to mind was working with the 4th grade class…
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Were You There: Consolation in Isolation
Editor’s note: Charlie Gardner—a FMS formation presenter and a member of the Sant’Egidio Community—reflects on how cries for help often reveal a deeper need for recognition and consolation. “Bartimaeus began to shout out and say, ‘Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!’ Many sternly ordered him to be quiet, but he cried out even more…
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San Damiano Servant Leadership Award Winner Announced
Editor’s note: Franciscan Mission Service is very pleased to name Stonehill College senior Mary Grace Donohoe the winner of this year’s San Damiano Servant Leadership Award. “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God.” “Christ calls us in the Beatitudes to be peacemakers—not just to exist in peaceful societies—[and that] is transformative,” says…
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Were You There: A Time to Expose, Implore, and Adore
Editor’s note: Brother Thomas Piolata, OFM Cap., offers a reflection on how Lent is a time to open our wounds to Christ in order to receive his grace and adore him. “[T]he desert is the place of silence, of solitude…The desert is the place…which sets man before the ultimate demands…In putting aside all preoccupations man…
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Were You There: Comfort From a Stranger
Editor’s note: Missioner Anna Klonowski reflects on a past service trip she attended in college, where a small gesture of comfort from one of the women there reminded her that service begins in the little deeds of kindness we do for each other. In college, I had the opportunity to participate in an Alternative Break…
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Were You There: Am I Just a Bystander?
Editor’s Note: Missioner Misty Menis-Kyler reflects on her first weeks in Guatemala and how she has found herself called more and more to take action rather than remain a simple bystander in the face of the suffering and needs of those around her. During Lent we often hear the question, “Were you there?” or “What…
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Were You There: The Fall and the Rise
Editor’s note: NSLP alum Sarah Sokora reflects on how the stumbles in our life can become the stepping stones to greater perseverance, trust in God, and holiness. On the long road to Calvary, Christ fell three times and rose three times. With each fall, He rose dirtier, more scratched, and with the Cross repositioned on…
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Were You There: Am I Here with Christ?
Editor’s Note: Gigi Gruenke reflects on times on mission and in her life when she felt God’s promptings and overcame her fear in order to take action and accompany those who are suffering. I see Jesus’ embrace of the cross as the ultimate act of solidarity with us: He is present in the middle of…
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Were You There: Stand and Watch
Editor’s note: Missioner Catherine Sullivan shares a time when she was called to accompany and witness the painful suffering of a friend throughout their trial and testimony. About half of the way through our pre-mission formation, our formation director set an album in the middle of the kitchen table that contained little bios and quotes…
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Were You There: He Provides
Editor’s note: A friend of FMS and a Franciscan-hearted individual, Elizabeth Green reflects on how her trip to Haiti with Engineering Ministries International taught her a deep lesson in God’s providential care. Children. Chickens. Roosters. Roads. As I woke up for the first time in Pignon, Haiti, I was surprised by how pleasant these…
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The Stripping of Tradition, One Pollera at a Time
Editor’s note: Missioner Allison Dethlefs reflects on the parallels between the stripping of Christ’s clothing with the societal stripping of the cultural dress that she has witnessed in Bolivia. As I reflect on the Stations of the Cross in preparation for our coming Lenten season, my thoughts have come to dwell on the Tenth Station—Jesus…
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Were You There: Ministry of Presence in the Little Things
Editor’s Note: DC Service Corps member Ali Sentmanat reflects on an encounter with a man at the Father McKenna Center which changed her perspective and approach to “being there” for other people. The Father McKenna Center has a large gathering area for meetings that is often called “the chapel.” As I was walked through it…
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Were You There: Lightening the Load
Editor’s Note: Missioner Amanda Ceraldi reflects on the painful reality of child abuse experienced by her students at Valley of the Angels and other children in Guatemala. After two years on mission, I have come to the harsh realization that one of the most difficult things I face is the abuse of children. When I…
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Were You There: Are We Also Innocent Bystanders?
Editor’s Note: Paula Scraba, OSF and Associate Professor at St. Bonaventure University, reflects on when she attended a live reenactment of the Stations of the Cross which made Christ’s Passion a very real and present reality. The first thought that came to mind in reading the theme of “Were You There?” was my experience on…
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Were You There: He Consoles Us
Editor’s note: Contemplating the Eighth Station of the Cross, Missioner Aubrey Kimble reflects on the power of following Jesus’ example in being present to those who are suffering. “Were You There?” This is a question that I frequently find myself reflecting on. One of the things I strive for on mission is to be present…
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Were You There: What Did You Do?
Editor’s Note: NSLP alumna Bridget Higginbotham shares about attending the Mass at the White House for Muslim Refugees, and reflects on how the next step after being present is taking action. Sometimes I imagine that 50 years from now, future generations will ask me about something they learned about in history class. The conversation might…
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Were You There?
Lent is a time for reflections and questions. What will we offer up during Lent? How can we change our daily habits to grow in our relationship with God and each other? How can we serve and walk in the footsteps of Christ right now in our own lives? “Were You There?” is a beautiful…
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Once Latina, Always Latina: A Returned Missioner Talks Race
Editor’s Note: FMS alumna Hady Mendez—recently returned from two years of service in Cochabamba, Bolivia—reflects on the role that race plays in her reintegration back from mission and in daily life in the United States. Hi again. It’s been a little over a year since my return from Cochabamba. So much has changed since then!…
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Home is Where the Hugs Are
Editor’s Note: Before returning to the United States for a holiday visit, Missioner Amanda Ceraldi recalls a conversation she had with a Valley student and how it made her return to Guatemala all the sweeter. Nearly three months ago, I prepared to leave Guatemala and return to the United States for the first time in…
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Strong Arms Holding On: Christmas Prayers from the Father McKenna Center
On Tuesday, December 20, I spent time with DC Service Corps volunteer Ali Sentmanat and her friends and colleagues at The Father McKenna Center in downtown DC. I was hoping to find a little Christmas among the men there, many with no homes and troubled with physical or mental health issues or addiction. And in…
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Be Not Afraid: Works of Mercy
Editor’s note: FMS’ previous development associate Sarah Sokora relates her experiences of service and shared giving while volunteering at the Texas border. “Lord, You know that I want to serve the homeless. Please give me the opportunity to do so.” I prayed this prayer at the GIVEN Forum, hosted by the CMSWR in June of this…
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Be Not Afraid to Choose You
Editor’s Note: Programs associate Amanda Saunders shares how pushing past the fear of how we are perceived by others leads to true freedom and lived out faith in God’s plan. It seems that when you enter into adulthood everything becomes about how you are perceived by others. There is a fear of not living up…
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Be Not Afraid: Bridging Over Fear
Editor’s note: Missioner Maggie Van Roekel reflects on the whisperings of fear and the overcoming power of trust, hope, and love which led her to hearing God’s call to mission. “Do not be afraid.” I hear this phrase during so many Sunday mornings and I read it in the words of Jesus when I open…
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Be Not Afraid: An Opportunity for Discernment
Editor’s Note: Interim executive director Meghan Meros reflects on the Baltimore city rioting, and how the initial reaction of fear can lead to an opportunity for greater discernment and love. In the spring of 2015, on a long drive from North Carolina to my apartment in Baltimore, my phone lit up with multiple texts and voicemails…
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Be Not Afraid: Walking Among the Stars
Editor’s Note: Communications manager Kim Puchir shares how turning to the rosary in the face of fear has led her through many difficult times. Fear seems like the end of the road. When loss, sickness, and uncertainty bring this familiar feeling, I imagine myself standing at a ragged edge of asphalt. A bridge has capsized,…
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Be Not Afraid: Practice, Practice
Editor’s Note: FMS board member Lee Lechtenberg shares how a conversation with a stranger showed him a deeper insight into humanity and the affection of fellow recognition. Walking down an autumn morning street, I eyed the old man approaching me scuffing his boots. He is stooped and tugs a small cart with two plastic buckets and…
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Be Not Afraid: “Fear not, I am with you!”
Editor’s Note: Sr. Cathy Cahill, OSF, shares how receiving her letter of assignment in the summer of 1966 forced her to offer up her fear and move forward in obedience. In the summer of 1966 I was attending summer school at St Bonaventure University and staying at our Motherhouse nearby. One day after lunch I…
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Be Not Afraid: Talk about Your Childhood Fears
Editor’s Note: Missioner-in-training Misty Menis-Kyler reflects on the Scripture passage she returns to whenever she feels fear or feels anxious. Fear is one of the hardest things to overcome. It is the devil’s greatest tool to turn us against God and each other. Our wars and conflicts stem from fear. We are scared that the…
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Be Not Afraid: Meeting Myself in Solitude
Editor’s Note: Missioner Annemarie Barrett reflects on how accepting silence and solitude led her to a better understanding of herself as well as the other people around her. There is a quote from the popular feminist author, bell hooks, that says, “Knowing how to be solitary is central to the art of loving. When we…
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Be Not Afraid and Trust God in the Midst of Suffering
Editor’s Note: Missioner Aubrey Kimble shares how her faith was shaken after a traumatic event in the campus community in Carmen Pampa, Bolivia. “Brothers and sisters, do not be afraid to welcome Christ and accept his power. Help the Pope and all those who wish to serve Christ and with Christ’s power to serve the…
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Compassionate Equality
Editor’s Note: Missioner Tom Little reflects on the difficult struggle that often arises between compassion and fairness. Overall, teaching English in my first semester at UAC-Carmen Pampa in Bolivia was a positive experience. That is, except for one incident involving a student, which really tore me up. The university has pretty strict rules in place…
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100 Paper Cranes
Editor’s Note: Missioner Maeve Gallagher reflects on how she holds on to hope even in the face of terrible things happening all over the world. Here’s what they tell you before you go on mission: you will miss a lot of life events of your friends and family. Birthdays, weddings, baptisms, births. It will be…
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Telling Their Own Story
Editor’s Note: Missioner Annemarie Barrett reflects on the experience of accompanying women in the Santa Rosa community as they tell their stories through a sequence of videos produced entirely by the women themselves. For the past year our garden project has been involved in the process of making videos participativos or participatory videos with the…
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Breaking the Chains
Editor’s Note: Inspired by recent holidays celebrating independence in Jamaica, missioner Janice Smullen reflects on the ideas of intolerance versus emancipation and how they manifest universally across all different cultures. Jamaica celebrates two holidays in the first week of August: Emancipation Day remembered since 1834 and celebrated on August 1, and Independence Day on August…
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Look For Her Eyes
Editor’s Note: Missioner Catherine Sullivan in Bolivia shares how she stays hopeful during her daily practice of reading the news. One of my favorite pastimes is scrolling through different news sources and articles, comparing stories and trying my best to keep up with the goings-on of the world. It is often how I start and…
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Portraits of Christ: Tom and the Paradox of Poverty
Editor’s Note: DC Service Corps member Lizzy Balboa concludes her series on the “Portraits of Christ.” In this final post, she tells the story of a man who had to lose it all to find his way back to Christ. I’ve received the warm smile of Christ in His modern embodiment of Tom. Tom was a prominent…
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