By Peter Prewandowski of the Global Mission Committee.

Audrey Cronin and I recently joined nine parishioners from St. Stephen’s, Westborough, on a week-long mission trip to, of all places, Mission, South Dakota, a small town on the Rosebud Indian Reservation.

Three months earlier the original trip leader informed the parish she would not be able to continue in that capacity, so Audrey and I tentatively volunteered. Jumping on board to a project that is already underway can make you feel trepidations at best.

Parishioners from St. Stephen's, Westborough, help spruce up
a church hall as part of their mission work.

I did feel God calling me to lead some mission trip, and this was the only opportunity I was going to get – perhaps for a whole year. Having a co-leader like Audrey made it easier, but I was not yet convinced we should become part of this trip as many of the plans had already been made. I felt as if the “leadership” role might not really be needed.

We spoke with several members of the St. Stephen’s team over the phone, and met with them one Sunday after church. I was first struck with the camaraderie of the group, and then with their dedication to seeing the trip continue even though there needed to be a change in leadership.

Here was a group of men and women who knew where the Lord was leading them and knew they couldn’t do it all on their own. They were opening their hearts to Audrey and me, not just to be leaders but to be co-servants. We could help them prepare for this trip, and we could offer spiritual direction along the way. We were no longer two separate groups – leaders and participants. We were now one group of 11 missioners, and we were off to Mission, South Dakota.

There are always projects in various stages of completion on the reservation, and they host a number of mission and volunteer groups throughout the year. During our stay there was a group from Habitat for Humanity working in one area of the reservation, while a different team was finishing up a week-long Vacation Bible School in another. Father John Spruhan, the priest in charge of these projects, brought us to his church. It serves over 120 parishioners, and the church hall across the street is always in use for one group or another throughout the day.

We learned that our job was to paint the church hall, inside and out. I don’t know what Fr. John was expecting from our group of middle aged New Englanders. Perhaps he thought we might be overtaxed by a more demanding task, but the people from St. Stephen’s were not going to settle for simply slapping on a fresh coat of paint.

Moreover, the building needed more than paint. It is an important resource to the community, and it was falling into disrepair. The shutters on the outside of the building were rotting away, and consequently the building had been broken into several times. The kitchen also needed attention, as repairs to the exhaust system were essential.

Several members of our team explained to Fr. John that they had the skills to make these necessary improvements. Fr. John’s face lit up at the prospect of these improvements. He had not expected this much enthusiasm from our group, but he was delighted to be on the receiving end. The painting itself was not neglected either.