USA, Mark Chiarello and Rodrigo Fernandez. “Today too, as always, the Lord needs you, young people, for his Church… Today too, he is calling each of you to follow him in his Church and to be missionaries. The Lord is calling you today! Not the masses, but you, and you, and you, each one of you. Listen to what he is saying to you in your heart.” This is the message that a group of Schoenstatt University Men received from Pope Francis at last year’s World Youth Day. These words were framed by the lifestream of Ignis, a pre-WYD conference for the Schoenstatt young men from all over the world. As a member of this international movement, the American branch wished to carry out the ideal, “Sou geração missionária”, “somos generación misionera”, we are the missionary generation.
With an ardent fire for the mission, these young men came back to Texas ready to answer the Pope’s call to serve and to be the missionary-disciples in the world that they live in. After five months of planning, praying and preparing, the second annual Austin CARITAS mission form January 7-11 commenced with the motto “Be the Missionary Generation”.
The three pillars of the mission were apostolic service, spiritual formation and joyful community. The entire first day was devoted to a spiritual retreat where university men and women faced the calling to be the missionary generation. In the opening talk, missionaries were encouraged to make this a powerfully spiritual experience; not simply another moment of service, but rather a week of transformation into the missionary generation that the Church needs today. The mission began with each person’s selfless yes and willingness to be used as an instrument.
Serving the needy ones
The missionaries were divided into teams. Each morning after an early Mass, every team received an apostolic sendoff and was sent out accompanied by a pilgrim MTA to the words: “She is the great missionary, she will work miracles”. At the end of the day, missionaries shared with great joy how these words became true.
Each team worked in different service organizations, meeting the specific needs of different parts of the community. Working on the streets of the city, missionaries encountered Christ in the faces of the poor near their college campus. Through a clothing drive, missionaries engaged people, and beyond just distributing clothes, talked and got to know those they served. Meanwhile, other teams worked in food banks and community gardens. Their physical labor involved harvesting and organizing food to be distributed amongst the hungry. Finally, some had the opportunity to visit homes that cater to hospice patients, refugees and mentally disabled people.
Sharing, prayer, adoration
In the evenings, the missionaries would have dinner together as a family, as well as participate in fun games, fostering healthy competition and community building. Each night the mission schedule concluded with an hour of adoration. The missionaries spent time in the true presence of Christ, reflected on the transformative encounters of the mission and internalized all these experiences.
By the end of this five-day adventure, the group left the mission with newfound knowledge and perspective, life changing experiences, grace-filled moments and meaningful relationships. Most importantly, they left with a steadfast determination to live out the spirit of the mission beyond the closing of Austin CARITAS 2014 by leading a life of loving service, by being a missionary every day and by sharing the joy of the gospel through their lives.
