St. Mary of Vernon Catholic Church

I’m kidding about the truck. I’m typing from my laptop at a real desk. But I’m in my truck a lot, and it has been tied to many Youth Ministry events. My truck delivered a shed to Habitat for Humanity this past Wednesday.  The shed was built by a cohort of teens beginning with a Sunday teen service night and then finished by the Vernon Hills High School Honor Society of 2008, led by Erin O’Donnell.  The truck took my tools and the luggage of sixteen teens on a ‘Mission from God’ to St Louis, MO. They, along with thirty-two veterans of Mission trips in Memphis, TN, worked for a week in the hot humid weather, cleaning yards and homes, painting houses, decks, porches, bedrooms and kitchens. They built fences, worked at homeless shelters, babysat at daycare centers. You name it, they probably did it. And at night they sang and prayed and laughed with the “Carpenter Commandos.”

Ask them about their experience and their faces will light up.  They are already asking where and when they are going this coming summer. Jim Welch and I are beginning to plan for it. The fact that attendance by teens on these past five Mission trips has doubled each year, means that this summer there could be 100 teens signing up to make the Gospel come alive somewhere. My truck is exercising so that it can be ready to pull a bigger trailer for all that luggage. 

I know I mention the teens a lot in homilies and conversations and now here in this my inaugural letter, but I am so proud of each of them as I see their faith come alive in real and practical ways. I am so proud of them as they reach out to others and try to make a difference in this world. I am so proud of them as they learn to pray, ask questions and eagerly seek ways to make their faith come alive during their daily lives.

As a community of faith we are blessed to have such fired up teens. They are empowered by their parents’ faith and the faith of the people they see around them. They are empowered by an awesome group of adult volunteers, who make Sunday Youth Ministry nights and Mission trips possible.  I am very proud of those people, too.  

As I write this, my truck will depart for Oregon, Illinois for our Fall Castle retreat. Twenty-seven teens will gather to pray and have fun and learn about themselves, their gifts and God. I’m not even there yet and there is a smile on my face and in my heart.  May God continue to grace and bless us with their presence and fire.  Don’t get too close though, you might catch it too!!!

Your Deacon (servant),

Phil