Peace Corps? JVC? Maryknoll?

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As I gear up for my last semester of college, I’m feeling an increasingly distinct call to service. Though I’m unsure of my vocation at this point, I know that there are many opportunities for lay service through a number of different organizations. I’d really like to serve abroad, and so far, I’ve looked at three groups:

the Peace Corps (peacecorps.gov/index.cfm)

the Maryknoll Lay Missioners (laymissioners.maryknoll.org/index.php?module=MKArticles&mk_page=about.html)

and the Jesuit Volunteer Corps (jesuitvolunteers.org/)

Have any of you had experience with these groups? Are there other organizations, either religiously-oriented or secular, that you’d recommend?

Thanks so much.

God bless,

Chris
 
Hello Chris,
Although it is associated with the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity (SOLT) Santa Maria del Colon orphanage is not part of a big organization as such but it does accept volunteers for short or long duration and is worth considering. I know the Priest Fr. Clifford Norman from my youth when he was pastor of our parish in rural Colorado. Then as now he is an exceptional Priest.
Two sites to look at: www.slhfarm.com/SantaMaria/index.shtml The site was last updated in 2003 but I have been receiving newsletters regularly the last one about a month ago (and they cash checks with no problem:) . Here is another site with more volunteer information.
www.micasafoundation.org

The orphanage currently houses about 300 children and a nursing home for 20 elderly people. They provide grade through high school. Santa Maria is located 120 miles northwest of Mexico City in the state of Queretaro in the village of Colon

Dado
AMDG
 
JESUIT VOLUNTEER CORPS!!!

be “ruined for life”

private message me and you can ask me anything about this organization!

blessings,
Heather
 
Dado,

Thanks so much for the information. I’m particularly interested in working with children and the elderly. I’ll be sure to look into the orphanage.

Heather,

PM sent.

God bless,

Chris
 
Thepeug said:
Dado,

Thanks so much for the information. I’m particularly interested in working with children and the elderly. I’ll be sure to look into the orphanage.

Heather,

PM sent.

God bless,

Chris
Click to expand...
Hi Chris,
First off thank you for giving of yourself so generously. My brother’s best friend with his wife went to Africa with the Peace Corp right after college for two years. They loved it…They have since been teachers on Native American reservations. I admire them for a whole life of service. Something you may want to consider is The Christian Foundiation for Children and Aging, I have been a sponsor for decades…but they need people like you who will go and really make a difference.
Blessings,
Mike
 
I did JVC in 98-99 in the South. It was a TOUGH year! Great program, though very leftist on a lot of issues. Of course, I was much more leftist at the time I did it! I lived in community with the other volunteers; and it was definitely a challenge trying to get along with 4 other people with whom I’d never choose to be my roomates otherwise.
I think that program helped me hit the “dead end” of heterodoxy in the Catholic Church, though. The people that I lived with dissented on a lot of personal moral issues, and even had their significant others spend the night with them in their rooms when they came and visited, and I didn’t like this. Actually, this practice is very common in JVC, from what I observed. At the time, I was able to detatch from this a lot easier, but if I was in a living situation like that now in an organization that professed to be Catholic, I would have a HUGE problem with it.
I’ve talked to other orthodox Catholics who did JVC, and most of them either were in the same situation as me, or simply were just able to ignore situations like that so it wouldn’t ruin their year.
If I ever did a year or two program like that again, I’d find either a non-religious program like the Peace Corps, or a Catholic program whose members were faithful to the Magesterium on all counts.

But like I said, overall I’m glad I did it and that I’m “ruined for life”!
 
I’ve read a few Maryknoll mags at an adoration chapel and they seemed kind of liberal (you can be liberal without being in heresy, though your intentions may be sneaky or borne from ignorance). I am no expert and I can’t remember details. I just didn’t feel right about them.

Why can’t these Catholic charitablesocial lay service organizations be Catholic?! Why do you have to join the EWTN monks, Groeschel’s friars (for men) or, preferably, an indult TLM order (though I’m not aware of any existing non-monastic and indult charitable social justice orders, much less lay offshoots, other than the ICKSP’s oblates), to do Catholic social service in an environment of orthodoxy?

Thanks!
Phil
 
I am in the same situation as you, thinking of joining the Jesuit volunteers, the Maryknoll Society, or the Peace Corp, right down to the last detail!!! It’s funny that you and I have slimmed down to the same three! I am also a (near) college graduate, 26 years old, and unsure. If you would like to talk any time, feel free to email me, as I am surely more lost than you in your venture! It’d be nice to know there was someone in my same situation! Anyhow, god bless, and should you not contact me, I wish you the best of luck in your vocation …I know it can be difficult…

Laura
 
I had friends in the JVC - one was a non-practicing Lutheran who moved in with his GF after his year was up, one was a Unitarian who now lives with his boyfriend (yea, you read that right) the other is a lapsed Catholic not practicing the Catholic faith at all, living with his GF… To date, at least two women who served in the JVC have sought “ordination” in non-Catholic sects…

The Maryknoll org supported priests and seminarians from the Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association - the stooge association that enjoyed Communist support while priests and bishops loyal to the Vatican rotted in prisons throughout China. I would not send them a penny, and I would not so much as lift a piece of paper to support them.

Honestly, of the three options, I would say the Peace Corps is the safest option. But you have far more than three options!

The Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church is in need of volunteers to teach English in Ukraine. Feel free to get married AND ordained to the priesthood there… (In Ukraine, that is allowed!🙂 )

A number of Franciscan volunteer orgs are out there too - see here.

Miles Jesu might have opportunities for a volunteer - I am not sure.

Who else has some suggestions?
 
Thanks! However, I could really use the stipend. Greek Catholic would be fascinating. I like their style also. It would be cool if they used Greek.
Code: 
   I am looking for work with the disabled where I can get a decent wage for having worked with those wirth Alzheimers for 9 years and having had a B.A. (at least $11 to have my own place and pay utilities, cell-phone, gas for the car, and other common expenses).   I would travel anywhere I would likely get a job (the boss likes the online application and resume well enough or one of you wants a guy who can be goofy in order to get people laughing).  Despite past argumentative, angry, and possibly mean statements here (as newsgroups can become for me an extension of my subconscious insecurities and frustrations if I don't watch myself and practice self-control), I like my humor silly and I use what I can do to make elderly residents, younger staff and little cousins.

  I could do work for a stipend if I could get experience doing something transferable, like teaching, without a degree for that (which would look good if I tried to get into a program).  I don't do well when  worrying about my future.  Then again, if I have sanctifying grace, I don't care what happens to my physical well-being.  I could be a St. Benedict Laboure (sp?) in that regard.  Being scrupulous, and have a primary fault, I almost never feel I have it for some reason.  Priests I respect don't call back (well, I didn't ask one, but he is a friend of the family and I don't want to mention any family in a bad light--I don't know if anyone's to blame, for sure--or certain embarassing mistakes) and the ones whose Mass makes me concerned about their reasoning are the only ones I've come into contact with.     


  Did they have the same problems the Latin Rite had after Vatican 2 [though I still wonder if Bl. John 23rd's tossing out the seriousness that was the attitude of pre-Vatican 2 times (though he seemed to have forgotten humorous people like St. Philip Neri and Brother Juniper doing well in those serious times) had anything to do with that--not that he meant to undermine the faith of millions of Catholics around the world as that could have been a punishment for our sins (Babel of non-official Catholic languages of various rites)].  

 I have heard that some Patriotic bishops/priests have just been the "patriotic" kind on paper, but actually got truly ordained when possible.  Nevertheless, you never can be entirely sure.
What about Cuba? I thought Castro is nice to the Catholics. Was that just a fascade for the last pope? Our priest includes it with China, the Sudan and East Timor amongst places for which to pray.
 
Not familiar much with those but I did do a year of service with Americorps. There a alot of placement site with faith-based non-profits as well. You get a living expence stipend, and money to pay towards student loans or further education.
 
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