DC Service Corps
My Perfect February Saturday in DC
Editor’s Note: DC Service Corps volunteer Claire Schwalb shares the events of a fun Saturday in Washington, DC. 57°. Light breeze. Tulip bulbs are starting to peek through the soil. The sun is shining. Enough cloudy coverage to give a break from the sun occasionally. UV 8. I sleep in, last night was a long…
The Simple Gift of Food
Editor’s Note: DC Service Corps volunteer David Adah-Ogoh reflects on the sacramental nature of community dinners at Casa San Salvador and preparing meals with Food and Friends. For as the rain and the snows fall from the heavens and do not return there, but water the earth, giving seed to the sower and bread to…
Still, Still, Still
Editor’s Note: DC Service Corps volunteer Claire Bosch shares how she has embraced a season of stillness and reflects on the importance of stillness amidst her year of service. Living life in a community of ten, there’s always something going on: a conversation to join, a dish to be cleaned, a show to be watched,…
Little Ones and High Crimes
Editor’s Note: In light of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, DC Service Corps volunteer Sam Alves relates Dr. King to Jesus and finds hope in Jesus’ Resurrection. In our Peace Classes last month, we spent a week learning about one of Little Friends for Peace’s favorite peacemakers, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. At one…
Bending Toward Justice
Editor’s Note: DC Service Corps volunteer Brigid Dunn reflects on how she notices justice being nurtured in Washington, DC and beyond. “The arc of the moral universe may bend toward justice, but it doesn’t bend on its own.” – Barack Obama Over the past few months, I have been pondering Barack Obama’s take on Martin…
The Puzzle Pieces of Life
Editor’s Note: DC Service Corps volunteer Claire Schwalb reflects on how she and her DCSC community are called to share Christ’s love through serving at their ministry sites. Every day on my walk to work, I give myself silent time to reflect before I fully begin my day. One subject that has been at the…
The Case for Martha
Editor’s Note: DC Service Corps volunteer Claire Fisher shares how she relates to Martha in light of her role at the 2025 Franciscan Justice Leadership Conference. In October, I helped to plan and host the Franciscan Justice Leadership Conference, hosted by Franciscan Action Network, a three-day event for 150 participants. The conference featured trainings on…
Hospitality, Nature, and Migration
Editor’s Note: DC Service Corps volunteer David Adah-Ogoh shares his reflections on hospitality, nature, and migration supported by verses from the book of Deuteronomy. I want to begin this reflection in Rock Creek Park. Rock Creek Park is a rolling oasis of bramble and pine and holly and brook right in the heart of Washington.…
Delight in the Mail
Editor’s Note: DC Service Corps volunteer Claire Bosch reflects on how she finds joy in an everyday office task. In the beginning of my year of service with DC Service Corps, I informally gave myself—a frequent pessimist—the assignment of seeking the joy of Christ in each small part of my day. I expected to face…
Peace the Size of a Mustard Seed
Editor’s Note: In a society that often challenges peace, DC Service Corps volunteer Sam Alves reflects on having faith the size of a mustard seed and promoting peace in little ways. Peacemaking in this world armed to the teeth seems like an impossible task oftentimes. Consider the billions of dollars in arms sales, the militarization…
The Power of Reflection
Editor’s Note: DC Service Corps volunteer Brigid Dunn shares the ways that she reflects on each day individually, with her community, and at her ministry site. In the few weeks that I have been in the Casa and at Little Friends for Peace, I have witnessed the power of the art of reflection, as a…
The Names We Share
Editor’s Note: As one of three volunteers named Claire in the program this year, DC Service Corps volunteer Claire Fisher contemplates what it’s like to share a name. In my experience, Franciscans are big on introductions. There is something about being named and known that we find so precious. However, if you have visited the…
My Word of the Year is “Joy”
Editor’s Note: DC Service Corps volunteer Claire Schwalb shares her word of the year, “joy,” and relates it to her year of service. Joy is my word for the year. It was a hard decision actually, I have never been able to successfully stick to a word of the year! I didn’t pick joy because…
The Journey After the Journey
Editor’s Note: DC Service Corps alumna Cecilia Gillis shares this reflection following her pilgrimage to Rome for the Jubilee of Youth. My year with FMS may have concluded, but my adventures with the Franciscans have only just begun. Just after finishing my year of service, I went on a pilgrimage with my brothers to Italy…
Quiet Spots
Editor’s Note: DC Service Corps volunteer Tai Ha shares what he loves about some of his favorite peaceful places in Washington, DC. There have been many times during my year in DCSC during which I feel overworked, stressed, and quite burnt out. Perhaps there’s a lot going on at work, perhaps community life feels like…
Mary’s Smile
Editor’s Note: Inspired by art and literature, DC Service Corps volunteer Cecilia Gillis reflects on the Blessed Virgin Mary’s joy. How many times have you seen Mary smiling in a piece of art? This has long been something that troubles me in paintings and sculptures of her. She often seems peaceful, yes, or pensive, but…
A Journey of Ongoing Conversion
Editor’s Note: DC Service Corps volunteer Eileen DeGuire reflects on the process of continuous conversion through pausing to seek truth and goodness. I often find myself reflecting on what it means to seek truth and guidance in a world overflowing with information and competing voices. The Franciscan tradition, rooted in the lives of St. Francis…
Lenten Practices
Editor’s Note: DC Service Corps volunteer Tai Ha describes how he grew in the practice of almsgiving during Lent by serving meals at Shrine of the Sacred Heart. Last Thanksgiving, I volunteered for a dinner service at Shrine of the Sacred Heart Church over in Columbia Heights with a few of my community members. For…
Encountering and Offering
Editor’s Note: DC Service Corps volunteer Anahi Vega shares her experience encountering people experiencing homelessness in Baltimore. I recently had the opportunity to walk the streets of Baltimore and meet 13 individuals. Imagine how many people walk past them, trying to ignore the fact that they are there – hey I’m guilty of it. It’s…
What I Learned from Career Day
Editor’s Note: After participating in an elementary school’s career day, DC Service Corps Volunteer Philip Krabill reflects on how his year of service will lend itself to his career. Recently, as part of my work with Little Friends for Peace, I was asked to present as part of a career day at a local elementary…
What is Mine to Do
Editor’s Note: DC Service Corps volunteer Eileen DeGuire reflects on what is “hers to do” in her ministry site to serve marginalized communities and to work for justice. “I have done what is mine to do. May Christ teach you what is yours.” This classic Franciscan quote has been a near-constant mantra for me in…
In Reluctant Praise of Boredom
Editor’s Note: DC Service Corps volunteer Cecilia Gillis reflects on the concept of boredom and how she has learned to accept and embrace it. Lately, I’ll admit that I’ve been feeling bored. Work at my ministry site repeats itself day after day, so does life at the Casa. It is still not quite Spring. My…
My Faith and Family are One!
Editor’s Note: During a visit with a family member, DC Service Corps volunteer Grant Diego discovers that he can be himself and share his faith with his family in natural, relational ways. Recently, I had the privilege of having my cousin visit me, and what a beautiful experience it turned out to be. It wasn’t…
The Light in the Cross
Editor’s Note: DC Service Corps volunteer Anahi Vega shares a drawing of a Tau cross and describes the inspiration and meaning behind it. I was inspired by the Casa’s chapel. There are so many beautiful unique crosses that have a story behind them. I decided to draw a Tau Cross, and in it, a path…
Transcripts from a Night
Editor’s Note: DC Service Corps volunteer Tai Ha gives a detailed glimpse into a night at his ministry site. 10PM: My alarm rings. I slowly get out of bed and get dressed. Another day of work at the respite care clinic. Except it’s not a day of work. It’s a night of work. The clinic…
Fleeting, Meaningful Moments
Editor’s Note: Reflecting on his program year thus far, DC Service Corps volunteer Philip Krabill shares a few meaningful moments that he experienced in unexpected circumstances. I have grown to love the DCSC program for many reasons. My ministry site, Little Friends for Peace gives me valuable work experience and meaningful insights into the human…
Did you know that?
Editor’s Note: DC Service Corps volunteer Grant Diego shares what living in an intentional community has been like so far and details what he has been learning through this experience. Have you ever felt like you’re constantly absorbing new information, even when you’re just hanging out at home? Well, welcome to the wild and wonderful…
The Little Ways of Building Peace
Editor’s Note: In his first FMS blog post, DCSC volunteer Philip Krabill describes how his ministry site promotes peace and the “little” ways that it makes big differences. “Those who make us believe that anything’s possible… are often the ones who have survived the bleakest of circumstances. The men and women who have every reason…
Lessons from the Dining Table
Editor’s Note: In his first FMS blog post, DC Service Corps volunteer Tai Ha gives a detailed glimpse into what community dinners are like at Casa San Salvador. It’s 6:30 pm. The living room bell rings throughout the Casa. Dinner is ready. Everyone slowly makes their way to the dining room from various corners of…
Time
Editor’s Note: In her first FMS blog post, DC Service Corps volunteer Anahi Vega reflects on the passage of time and on how she makes the most of her time. As I spend time here at the Casa, I reflect on time. Time has been something I’ve struggled to accept, as it can be associated…
Guiding Principles
Editor’s Note: In her first FMS blog post, Eileen DeGuire discusses a few sayings that describe her experience as a DC Service Corps volunteer thus far. My FMS DCSC experience can be summed up by two phrases: “talk the talk and walk the walk” and “let go and let God.” Both my ministry work and…
“La Mano Poderosa”
Editor’s Note: In her first FMS blog post, DCSC volunteer Cecilia Gillis reflects on a religious sculpture called “La Mano Poderosa” and describes how it relates to faith, community, and service. The Casa this year is full of museum lovers, and one Saturday in September, several of us ventured downtown to the Smithsonian American Art…
My Move-in Night
Editor’s Note: In his first FMS blog post, DCSC volunteer Grant Diego recounts his first night at Casa San Salvador, which involved a humorous turn of events! I am someone who loves surprises! The thrill of not knowing what to expect always gets me excited. I think I enjoy that because it makes life seem…
Transitions
Editor’s Note: During his next life transition, DC Service Corps volunteer Bohdan O’Shaughnessey compares life with FMS and DC Service Corps to life in New York City as a medical school student in light of faith, community, and service. Over the past few weeks, I finished my program with FMS, returned home to Denver, and…
Do Not Let Your Hearts Be Troubled
Editor’s Note: DC Service Corps volunteer Noah Duclos shares how he embraces the present and trusts in God during life transitions. We hear so often that we should live in the present moment, but the realities of life often require us to turn toward the future, and in doing so, we begin to worry. This…
Embrace the Breeze, Protect Your Peace
Editor’s Note: As DC Service Corps volunteer Jennifer Eburuoh reaches the end of her year of service, she reflects on how she has learned to surrender to God’s will throughout the year. Right now, as I sit on the front porch of Casa San Salvador, my home for the past 10 months, I witness the…
Beauty and Joy
Editor’s Note: DC Service Corps volunteer Noah Duclos shares some takeaways from participating in a Holy Thursday tradition with his family and DCSC community this year. I had the great privilege of celebrating Easter in DC with my parents, who decided to visit and stay in Casa San Salvador with me and my community. It…
Dreaming and Discerning
Editor’s Note: DCSC volunteer Jennifer Eburuoh contemplates the various ways that God is calling her to serve and reflects on her year of service thus far. When I was a young child, I dreamed of being a missionary. I spent many days imagining a life among people and places unknown to me. I dreamed of…
Committed to the Bike (Except When it Rains)
Editor’s Note: DC Service Corps volunteer Bohdan O’Shaughnessy shares his decision to change his daily commute and how he “reframed” his bike rides to be more mindful and spiritually fulfilling. Around 6:20 in the morning and then again at 4 in the afternoon, you can find me marching around Brookland in my light blue scrubs,…
The Spirituality of Hello and Goodbye
Editor’s Note: DC Service Corps volunteer Jennifer Eburuoh contemplates being fully present even in brief interactions through a concept that she calls “the spirituality of hello and goodbye.” Being halfway through my service year, I would like to share an unexpected grace that I have begun to call the spirituality of hello and goodbye. This…
Silent Accompaniment
Editor’s Note: DC Service Corps volunteer Noah Duclos shares a thoughtful reflection on God’s stillness and silence in a Bible passage and how this inspires his way of accompanying others. This week, I’d like to share a reflection on 1 Kings 19:9-13. Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying, “What are you…
Day 8: Solemn: An Advent that Looks Beyond the Blow-Up Santa
Editor’s Note: For day 8 of our Advent series “The Day of Joy Drew Near,” DC Service Corps member Bohdan O’Shaughnessy contemplates the solemn nature of Advent and Christmas. Admittedly, the word “solemn” is not a term I have associated with Advent or Christmas. I typically would assign “joy” or “anticipation” to describe this time…
A Tribute to Our Lay Missioners
Editor’s Note: As this year’s Overseas Lay Missioner Formation comes to a close, DC Service Corps member Bohdan O’Shaughnessy dedicates this blog to FMS’s three recently commissioned missioners. In the not-too-distant future, the Casa is losing our three lay missioners as they embark to their international ministry sites. Last Saturday was their Commissioning Mass, and…
The Need to Achieve
Editor’s Note: DC Service Corps member Noah Duclos reflects on how God led him to Franciscan Mission Service after attending an Ivy League school and how he has taken Franciscan values to heart. For the past three years, I studied theology and ministry at Yale Divinity School, acquiring my Master of Divinity degree. That’s right;…
Sacred Spaces and Receptivity
Editor’s Note: DC Service Corps member Jennifer Eburuoh admires the sacred art in the Casa San Salvador chapel. She allows the art to draw her deeper into prayer and to reflect on her year of service thus far. The first day that I arrived at Casa San Salvador, I was immediately drawn to our chapel.…
DC Transportation Woes: An Unlikely, but Valuable, Lesson of Franciscan Spirituality
Editor’s note: DC Service Corps volunteer Bohdan O’Shaughnessy has an unlikely experience of ministry of presence while taking public transportation. One of the great aspects of living in DC is the accessibility of public transportation. Last Saturday night, after catching up with a close friend from high school who lives in the nearby NoMa neighborhood,…
Finding Hope in Seemingly Hopeless Situations
Editor’s Note: When someone asks DC Service Corps member Sam Goodyear what she does for a living, she is always a bit unsure how to respond. Here, Sam gives us a full answer with a glimpse at her challenging but rewarding work at the UN Refugee Agency. She shares her experience talking with migrants and…
Small Acts
Editor’s note: DC Service Corps volunteer Matthew Hinderberger recalls a small act of service that he witnessed during his ministry at Christ House, and reflects on how our Catholic faith draws us toward others in service. “If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk, and if you spend yourselves…
The Disappearing Act of Finding Aspirations
Editor’s Note: Reflecting on an excerpt from one of his favorite poetry collections, DC Service Corps member Jarrett Murano shares his experience in finding his life’s aspiration. He shares the unexpected ways in which his aspirations have shifted, and how it draws him back to reflection and discernment. “…what you want does not disappear …
Transformation
Editor’s note: Transformed through her intentional peace ministry with Little Friends for Peace, DC Service Corps volunteer Erin Frances Reinhart shares an experience of collective transformation for her students, her colleagues, and herself. Alexandria City Public Schools offers high-quality after-school programming at schools and community-based sites through Linking Instruction Nurturing Knowledge (LINK) Club. Link Clubs…
