Venturing into the Vineyard

The Venturing into the Vineyard section of the website is set aside to tell the good news of our call to mission in our own Archdiocese as well as featuring mission stories of missionaries working in the field. 

If your parish or school children are involved in the Holy Childhood Association mission work and/or in other mission activities please email a brief description to me and I will add it to this section of the website. I would like to feature the good work that so many Archdiocesan children are doing in our schools and parish programs while spreading the good news to people in need. EMAIL: mcolin@archchicago.org

AT HOME

The 4^th Grade at St. Matthias School got involved in mission work recently connecting with children in the Assam region in India through the 

Salesian missionaries. The students read about the plight of the displaced children in India. After reading about the children and imagining how difficult it must be for children their own age to live in makeshift camps and schools, the 4^th graders decided to help their brothers and sisters across the world. The students made and sold lemonade to their school mates during lunch and raised $65 to help the children. They then each created a personal greeting card for their new friends in India. Fr. Mark, the director of the Salesian Missions in New York was so impressed by the compassion at St Matthias that he took the cards with him on his recent trip to the Assam region. Upon his return the St. Matthias students received pictures of the children reading their cards with the smiles of gratitude and joy of having new friends. Congratulations Fourth Graders for showing what being “on mission” really means.  Salesian Winter/Spring 2012

Amy Woolam Echeverria, director of Columban Center for Advocacy and Outreach recently shared letters written to her from young adults who had volunteered at the Center. She commented on how the interns and volunteers continue to seek and find ways to “build the kingdom” long after they leave the center, and that the relationships they formed during their work continue to grow. She says that although the young adults may not consider themselves missionaries they definitely are continuing to respond to their Baptismal call to love and serve those who are pushed to the margins of society and are vulnerable to poverty, injustice and discrimination even after they leave the Center. The mission continues! Columban Mission Magazine