'Winter Missionaries' Put Their Faith To Work
For the fourth consecutive year, Christ the King parishioners (i.e. high school/college/adults) were moved by the Holy Spirit to put their faith to work between Christmas and New Year’s Day. The 2018 local winter mission was 48 hours of awesome that included a variety of inside and outside projects in Ferdinand, St. Henry and Jasper.
There were 15 unique projects, including residential homes, Golden Year’s Sr. Citizens, Jasper Correctional Facility, Scenic Hills, St. Henry Church, St. Ferdinand Church, St. Henry C K of A, Immaculate Conception Monastery, YMCA, Dubois County Meals, Ozanam Hall and State Highway 162. The daytime work projects were complemented by a nighttime retreat, which included Lay Witness talks, reflection, adoration, reconciliation, circle time, skits, games and fellowship.
As always, students from all high school grade levels, two from each class, made up the winter mission planning committee. This year, they chose a theme song by Jeremy Camp, a Christian music singer and songwriter from Lafayette, Ind. The song was titled “Christ in Me,” and the refrain goes like this:
“So come and empty me, so that it's you I breathe, I want my life to be only Christ in me. So I will fix my eyes, 'cause you're my source of life, I need the world to see that it's Christ in me.”
All spiritual growth and development activities during the mission/retreat were done with a “Christ in Me” focus.
In all, 36 students, dozens of adults and a half-dozen financial donors played roles in supporting this year’s Winter Mission, with more than 650 volunteer hours to show for it.
Members of the Christ the King Winter Mission Committee provided the following statement to The Message: “It would be a challenge to thank all the individuals who played roles, so we will play it safe and thank everyone instead. It took a group effort; but in the end, our Christmas/Birthday presents were our collective presence serving others. Jesus could not have received a better gift.”
