Do Catholics do Missions trips?

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LydiaW

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I know this may be a silly question, but I wanted to know if Catholics do missions trips to other countries and such. I am wondering because other denominations seem to always being doing such trips, and I wondered, now that I am trying to join the Catholic church, if there is anything like a missions trips for teens.
 
Welcome Lydia,

The answer is YES!

I’ve been on a mission trip to Mexico through Maryknoll. I HIGHLY recommend them. Check them out.

My cousin (a teen) just returned from a mission trip her church sponsored to New Mexico (not out of the country obviously). They do it every other year and she had such a great experience she’s going to organize one for next year (I don’t know where she’s planning on going).

I know there was also a group that went to the Appalachians
There’s plenty out there. Good luck!
 
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LydiaW:
I know this may be a silly question, but I wanted to know if Catholics do missions trips to other countries and such. I am wondering because other denominations seem to always being doing such trips, and I wondered, now that I am trying to join the Catholic church, if there is anything like a missions trips for teens.
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Yup. A college-student friend of mine went on a Jesuit mission trip to Africa. Missionary societies may also have more independent programs if you contact the group directly.

You might start with the St. Patrick Fathers or the SMA Fathers smafathers.org/
spms.org/stpatricksmissionarysociety/Main/Home.htm
 
Definitely,

Franciscan University of Steubenville does dozens of mission trips all over. The head of missions over there is Fr. Stan Holland. Also, I heard of www.avemariaradio.net that Peter Herbeck in the director of missions at Renewal Ministries, try them. www.renewalministries.net
 
we have been to Mexico and Guatemala with CFCA for week long mission trips, also our former parish sends teams every year on Appalachian mission trips, an initiative my husband started which is still going strong there. Our youth group goes to Mexico on spring break to help finish the interiors of homes constructed by Winter Texans. They are joined by several Catholic groups from high schools and colleges. We also send youth to Heart Work Camps, where they are hosts to teens from other parts of the country who come here for a Valley mission experience.

Fellow Benedictine Oblates are on a year-long mission trip to Haiti, it is their 4th trip there.\

It is worth noting historically that the Catholic Church sent the first missionaries to pagan lands, beginning with the Apostles and Paul, right down to the present day.
 
Lydia,

The maryknoll one that I listed (Call Response link) has 2-week mission trips that are open to anyone and also open to groups of teenagers.

I can’t believe I forgot about cnvs.org/. It’s the Catholic Network of Volunteer Services. You can get a book that lists over 200 volunteer opportunites that range from in the U.S to globally and it lists what each one is looking for, how long it is, what age groups, etc.

My wife and I applied for one when we were still courting. 🙂
 
Yup, did a two week trip to Sucre Bolivia about 8 years ago with my diocese. They have a volunteer medical mission and a companion volunteer construction mission that helps with public health project needs identified by the med group.

We had daily mass, many with locals, and we did public awareness events to promote investment in housing construction methods that better protected against disease. It was an amazing trip. Such short trips can’t do much for the spiritual health of the people unless they are done as an adjunct to the local church. This one was set up this way. I thought it was set up in a way that greatly enhanced the visibilty of the local church and stressed the reality of our being the universal church established by Christ for all.

In Sucre, I was horrified by the way the evangelical missionaries behaved. They worked with a good amount of success ‘converting’ the middle class and rich folks. I think it a very valid criticism that their focus on individual faith divorced from works gave them a great deal of appeal to those who would rather forget about the appalling poverty all around them.
 
thanks for all the info…I hope I can find something that I can do.
 
Here is a new Short Term Catolic Mission Trip company in texas. www.catholicmissiontrips.net they will be expanding to Honduras and India next summer. This summer their trips are for college students and high school students but next year they will expand to family mission trips and individual mission trips. They are also looking for some employees this summer so if you want to go for a summer you might consider thier employment option.

www.catholicmissiontrips.net
 
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