Building Bridges

Now in The Monitor...

The August 20 issue of The Monitor features coverage of the June Building Bridges trip to the Dominican Republic as well as notes on the group's future plans following a recent meeting at the Diocesan Pastoral Center. Also included is a photo gallery from the Dominican Republic, with shots taken by Mary Beth Maclearie and Sandra Lopez.

Click here for the story and photo gallery!

Lasting connections

Reflection by Sister María Cecilia Peña Moreno (translated by Matthew Greeley)

We departed for the Dominican Republic full of happiness and hope this June 23 unaware of all that lay before us and of how we’d be received by our Dominican community.

Personally, participating in the diocesan mission experience in San Pablo Parish in San Francisco de Macorís, I am simply grateful to God for allowing me to get to know a new culture and to witness firsthand the material and spiritual need of the people, who despite their hardships, are joy filled, welcoming and warm.

During our week there, we worked on renovating 3 chapels that are used by people who live a distance from the town for liturgical celebrations.  I also got a lot from sharing our message of love with families in the area, who were, in return, so open to us and who were so faith filled.

The celebrations were very lively and everyone participated enthusiastically.  Their pastor, Fr. Hipólito, was attentive and the community really appreciated him.

Our missionary group was diverse.  Not all spoke Spanish.  But everyone spoke with their hearts, allowing everyone to adapt to our new surroundings quickly, to connect as Church, and to really gel as a solid group, giving us the confidence to share our experiences each day in our communal prayer and reflections and in the work in which we engaged daily.  This sense of community came with a real feeling of gratitude to God for His presence in our midst.

It was also just fun to enjoy the Dominican landscapes, the beach, historic places and the culture that added to our experience of being Christian missionaries.

As part of our commitment to this mission, as a group, we continue to pray for the communities we got to know in the Dominican Republic, that they may grow and be faithful as Christians.  We also hope to look for practical ways to support the community of  San Pablo in the next year and during our next mission experience there next summer…everyone has expressed how they want to return next year.

The experience also brought to my heart moments of mission in my own country of Colombia, reminding me of the connections made with people and of excellent friendships.

Lastly, I have again felt the joy that I get from serving others, and the joy of stepping up as a missionary.  I felt how God uses me as an extension of His Kingdom, as it says in scripture:  “There is more joy in giving than in receiving.” (Acts 20: 35)

God's word brought to life

Reflection by Anna Clemency

Our trip to the Dominican Republic was full of blessings and moments in which God touched our lives.  For me, the most touching part of our trip happened on one day in particular.  In the morning of this day we went to a chapel that is in need of a lot of repair.  We were not actually physically helping to repair this chapel, we were just brainstorming ways of how to possibly fundraise the money needed.  The people who take care of that chapel were so happy to have us there.  They had smiles on their faces and they sat with us during our prayer and brainstorming session.

While we were talking in groups, one of the women who looks after the chapel brought us cups of soda.  It might not sound like a huge gesture, but if you could see how little these people have it would touch your heart greatly. In the afternoon of this same day we were going to the chapel in the neighborhood in which we had been evangelizing.  We had Stations of the Cross for this church that we were going to hang, and also we planned on doing crafts with the children.

Before I went to bed that night I read a chapter from Mark.  There are two verses that were in that chapter that completely jumped out at me as describing the day. The first verse is, "Whoever receives one child such as this in my name, receives me; and whoever receives me, receives not me but the One who sent me" (Mark 9:37). This verse made me think of how we had interacted with the children earlier that day in Christ's name.  The second verse is, "Anyone who gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ, amen, I say to you, will surely not lose his reward" (Mark 9:41). This verse made me think of the woman that morning who had given us soda to drink.

I'm very happy to have had all of the experiences that I had on this trip. This day definitely stands out the most in my mind because it really brought God's word to life for me.  I feel it is a reminder to us that the Bible is not just a book of words that we cannot relate to, rather it is the living word of God.

Anna Clemency is a student at Monmouth University

 

 

Building Bridges

From June 23 to 29, a group of young adults joined members of the Diocese of Trenton's Office of the Hispanic Apostolate and the Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministries in a trip to the Diocese of San Francisco de Macoris in the Dominican Republic. The trip was a mission both of service and fellowship for the group, who have returned home with many stories to share of their experiences.

This special blog, brought to you by The Monitor, will allow those who took part in this unique mission an opportunity to reflect on how the trip has impacted their lives. Stay tuned to The Monitor for more coverage of the Building Bridges trip, including additional reflections, photos and video of the trip.