Four years of college, a degree later, and I somehow find myself back in the bustling halls of high school. It’s a Friday night and I am driving an eight passenger white van down the 101 with fifteen-year-olds screaming in the back. This is the kind of moment I dreaded when I thought of a...
Even though I grew up Catholic, I must confess that I was a bit nervous with the thought of working with religious orders while completing my year as a volunteer in an Augustinian program. To add to my nervousness, I was going to spend almost a full year in Peruvian society in a small city...
At the beginning of our year in Peru, my community and I listened to Father Greg Boyle, a priest who serves the gang community in Los Angeles, talk about what service means. He speaks of the call to delight in the other and states that “it’s a delighting that enters into full kinship with each...
My assignment as an Augustinian Volunteer is at St. Patrick’s Grade School, as the Physical Education and Technology teacher. A couple of days ago, I was having a conversation with some of the faculty at St. Patrick’s and we were discussing some of the best sports movies. One of my favorites is Field of Dreams....
Pentecost is my favorite liturgical feast day. Often viewed as the unofficial birthday celebration of the Church, I also like to view it as the disciples’ graduation. Empowered by the gifts of the Holy Spirit and the peace of Christ, the disciples are called to action from their place of fear. Exactly one year ago...
I’ve heard a lot of repeated phrases serving in Campus Ministry at Merrimack College, “It’s wicked cold outside!” and “Can we stop by Dunkin’ first?” On days I serve at the community resource center in Lawrence, I catch myself saying phrases over and over again, “Please listen to your tutor!” and “After you finish your...
On the night of Monday, December 4, 2017, I went out to get a coffee with my program director, Joanna, who was in Ventura for a site visit. When we arrived back to the house she noticed ash falling from the sky. I didn’t think anything of it. Joanna did some research and told my...
Service, spirituality, and community: three words that appear repeatedly upon applying to become an Augustinian Volunteer. Throughout my application process, orientation, and the months leading up to our actual departure I learned about these values and began to understand what they meant to me as a person and as a volunteer. Of these three values,...
When I first applied to the AVs, I had somewhat of an idea of how community life would be. I anticipated it was going to be similar to having roommates. Sometimes, what you think is not exactly how it turns out to be. Even with that in mind, I was still open to this “living...
Within the first couple of weeks of being in the city of Philadelphia, my community members and I stumbled across an old stripped down mural that was once displayed prominently on the side of a building. However, now it resembles something like a black blob. I pointed out the black unidentified figure, stating that it...
