HOULTON, Maine — St. Mary’s Youth Ministry is sending five youth and two adult chaperones on a mission trip to the Dominican Republic in March of 2019.
The five youths — Katherine Berube, Autumn Ganzel, Seth Tapley, Amile Desrosiers and Bryon Barton — are juniors at Hodgdon Middle-High School. The group will be led by Sister Lisa Valentini, a Missionary Sister of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus.
The group will spend nine days serving children and families living in poverty in the coastal town of El Factor, Dominican Republic. During their nine day stay, they will complete various tasks aimed at helping the community thrive. They also will offer Christ-centered arts and crafts activities for hundreds of children.
“Every day will begin with mass and will end with prayer and reflection,” said Clare Desrosiers, parish Catechetical leader. “Youth and adults alike will realize that there is much to be learned by opening one’s heart and mind to Jesus’ Sacred Heart present among the poor.”
St. Mary’s has launched an online fundraiser on the mission trip on its Facebook page The youth need to raise $5,000 to cover half of the trip expenses. The students are also available to do leaf raking and fall clean up in exchange for a donation to the trip. For more information, contact Desrosiers at 532-2871 or email clare.desrosiers@portlanddiocese.org.
