Every spring break, Mount Michael students, parents, and staff travel to an area in rural Mexico where they work on their faith and serve others. This combination of spiritual reflection and work, along with exposure to true poverty, provides an experience unlike any other that our students will have.
Mount Michael partners with Mission Youth (www.missionyouth.com), a program run by the Legionaries of Christ and the Regnum Christi movement, to provide these missions. Although the participants may not be missionaries in the sense of converting new people to Christianity, Mission Youth emphasizes that the missionaries are still spreading the message of Christ through their work, attitude, and faith. This is seen in the missionary prayer that is said twice a day during each trip:
Jesus Christ, I give you my hands, to work with love. I give you my feet, to follow your path decidedly. I give you my eyes, Lord, to see the needs of the world. I give you my tongue to speak your words of charity. I give you my mind to know and spread your message. I give you my spirit to continue your prayer. Above all, I give you my heart so that all I do will reflect the great love you have for your Father and for us. I give you all that I am so that you can take over, and that it will be you who live, work, and speak through me. Amen.
Mission Youth staff identify work sites, purchase building supplies, provide expertise and guidance with construction, and most importantly provide spiritual guidance throughout the trip. Safety is also a primary concern for them; Mission Youth monitors the security situation in Mexico and adjusts plans for the trip should it become necessary.
The trip is open to Mount Michael juniors and seniors, as well as their fathers. Three or four teachers or staff members from Mount Michael attend as well.
Each day includes morning prayer and reflection, work, communal meals (often prepared by the local residents), Mass, recreation time, and evening prayer and reflection. Sleeping arrangements are very simple, with all participants usually sleeping on the floor of an auditorium or similar communal building.
Please explore this website for more information on this powerful experience!