Olancho Aid Foundation alumna Mai Tran reflects on the challenges and blessings of an international service year spent during a global pandemic. Looking over my time as a volunteer in Julticalpa, Honduras (2019-2020), it was truly such an experience. I was originally supposed to come to Honduras in 2018, but I decided to defer for […]
Category: Staying Connected Newsletter
Faith Serving Abroad
Lessons From a Mandatory Retreat
Franciscan Mission Service DC Service Corps member, Julia Pinto reflects on the changes brought about by this pandemic and the insights she’s found along the way. It has taken me six weeks to adjust to the changes brought on by quarantine living. We shifted to working remotely; our community shrunk from twelve to three as […]
Creating Community in Chicago
By Ed Nunez, Amate House The following reflection is a notable entry to our annual Volunteer Story & Photo Contest. Each year, we ask our member programs to submit stories and photos of their daily life to celebrate the experiences of faith-based service. When I told people that I was doing a year of service […]
Working Together Towards a Common Purpose
From the 20-Week Discernment Series, by Benedictine Volunteers The Benedictine Volunteers’ 20-Week Vocational Discernment Series is inspired by the Synod of Bishops’ “Young People, the Faith and Vocational Discernment” Preparatory Document. In this reflection, we review Week 10: “A Community of Service: Working Together Towards a Common Purpose.” How can our individual gifts and talents […]
Don’t Be Frozen; Don’t Be A Zombie
Reflection by Fr. Frank S. Donio, S.A.C., D.Min. – Director, Catholic Apostolate Center From the outside, it may seem that transitions in life are easy for some people. What I have found is that for most people they are not easy at all. Transitions are filled with uncertainty, even if the next thing is eagerly […]