El Salvador

In El Salvador, I encountered Jesus for the first time in a deeply personal way. Pushed far outside of my comfort zone, with nowhere else to go, I cried to Him for help. And the love I felt in His answer changed my heart forever. I was (and still am!) filled with a desire to know Him, a desire I did not have before. Whatever the cost, I want to know this Son of Man who loves me so much!
-Former El Salvador Mission Trip Volunteer

Dates: Spring Break: March 10th-18th
Summer: July 16th-30th*

Trip Director: Spring Break: Dominic Paulucci
Summer: TBD

Mission Co-Leaders: Spring Break: Shannon Zurcher, tricia Lester, Michael Senderling
Summer: Katie Harris, Kelley Hogan, Ryan Welch

Amount to Fundraise: Spring Break: $1300*
Summer: $2000*

A community on the outskirts of San Miguel, El Salvador needs your help!  They have been having Mass in a garage shelter with hundreds of Catholic worshipers overflowing into the streets!  There is a plot of land set aside to build a provisional church which will be our project for a week.  Better yet, we will be working hand-in-hand with college-aged locals from a nearby orphanage.  Many of these students lost their parents in El Salvador’s Civil War that ended in 1992.

In addition to completing the church for the community on the outskirts of San Miguel, this trip will venture into the countryside of El Salvador, to realize catechesis in a rural Salvadoran village.  Living with the people, sleeping in hammocks, and playing endless games of soccer, our mission will be one of incarnational evangelization along with a very fun program of catechesis for adults and children.  The group will get to experience the beauty of the Salvadoran people which is rivaled only by the beauty of the country itself.  Another amazing aspect of this trip is the deep perspective gained from El Salvador’s past history of war and Church persecution.  Seeing the home of Archbishop Oscar Romero – and his bloodied vestments that he was wearing while assassinated during Mass- will drive home the reality of war and persecution.  In light of this, our mission is one that brings continued healing to the Salvadoran people and hope for the future.  This is an experience not to be missed!

“Persecution is something necessary for the Church. Do you know why?  Because the truth is always persecuted.  Jesus Christ said ‘If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you,’ and for this reason, when one day they asked Popo Leo XIII, that marvelous intellect from the beginning of our century, ‘What are the traits that distinguish the true Catholic Church?’, the pope said the four most recognized traits: one, holy, Catholic, and apostolic, ‘but we must add one’ said the Pope– ‘persecuted..’ The Church who fulfills her duties cannot live without being persecuted.” - Oscar Romero, Homily May 29th, 1977

Price includes: Roundtrip airfare from Denver (or other US departure city determined by the Mission Director), travel insurance, pre-trip orientation retreat, post-trip debriefing retreat, all food, lodging, building materials and in-country transportation.(Does not include immunizations and travel meds, your travel to/from departure city, passport/visa expenses, other personal incidentals).

*Dates and amount to fundraise subject to change

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