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Welcome, Mary!

Mary-Unverferth

Franciscan Mission Service extends a warm welcome to a new summer volunteer: Mary Unverferth!

During her bi-weekly volunteer experience this summer, Mary will work on a variety of administrative and maintenance tasks at the FMS office, as well as at Casa San Salvador, the community house for associates and guests.

Hailing from Cypress, Texas, Mary is a graduate of Texas A&M University, her mother’s alma mater. The Catholic student center’s good reputation also attracted Mary: “A huge part of my heart will always be reserved for St. Mary’s Catholic Center and Aggieland.”

During her sophomore year, she changed majors from Business Management to Psychology in order to study the human thought-processes and the human psyche.

“I knew all along I wanted to work with people, but I found that our unique journeys of personal development and faulty coping mechanisms was an area I wanted to focus on,” says Mary.

She currently is pursuing a Master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at George Washington University in anticipation of becoming a licensed professional counselor.

No stranger to mission service, Mary served through a week long mission trip to Costa Rica and another week long mission trip to Honduras. She discovered Franciscan Mission Service through this blog and was captivated by the mission.

Mary’s favorite saint: Mother Theresa!

“I am excited to serve at a Catholic nonprofit to see how one is run and to work alongside other Catholics who are dedicated to living out their faith in more ways than one. I am drawn to the Franciscan way of forming relationships. As a future counselor, this value aligns with my desire to cultivate strong therapeutic relationships as a means for growth,” says Mary.

Mary also enjoys running, writing, and drinking lots of coffee.

Favorite saint:
“Blessed Mother Teresa has been my favorite since I was a little girl. After returning from my mission trip to Honduras, her quote below articulated my new found desire to serve:

May God break my heart so completely that the whole world falls in.’ -Mother Teresa”

Fun Fact:
“In elementary school I always jealous of everyone who broke their arm. I often assumed the pain would be worth the colorful cast full of their friends’ signatures. Sadly, I have yet to break my arm.”

We prepare and support lay Catholics for two-year international, one-year domestic and 1-2 week short-term mission service opportunities in solidarity with impoverished and marginalized communities across the globe.

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