Homesickness

When I was younger, I was always the homesick kid. I was the one that would struggle through summer camp with teary eyes. I was the one that would go home from sleepovers early because I missed my family. The idea of leaving my family, especially my mom, was always painful to me. Even more painful was the idea that my family could simply carry on without me, living their day-to-day life without my presence.

As I got older, the severity of it slowly slipped away. Sure, once in a while I would still be struck with a pang of homesickness when my sister snapchated me a picture of my family from our favorite restaurant or my family facetime me during a lazy afternoon, but at least when I was at Notre Dame I was lucky enough to only be a 3-hour train ride away from my hometown. I even came full circle this summer while working as a camp counselor, making it my job to comfort and dry the eyes of homesick campers.

Three weeks ago, everything changed. I said good-bye to my family through teary eyes and I waved to them the entire time I was in the TSA line (it might have been a little overkill). It was heartbreaking to think that I wouldn’t see them for at least 5 months. This will be the longest I’ve gone without seeing my family. Despite my lifelong dream of exploring Europe, a little part of me thought of me at age 11. And that little part of me wondered, could I actually do this?

Luckily between classes and making friends and eating too many pastries and going to museums till my eyes grow droopy- I haven’t had much time to catch my breath, much less be homesick. But, it is in the tiny quiet moments that I find myself missing home the most- in the stillness of Mass on Sunday, or just before I open my eyes in the morning and I still think I’m in my bed at home. These little moments are when it hits me: I miss home.

I reflected back to a wonderful homily I heard just before [KM1] I left for France. It was November at a post choir rehearsal trip to Root Beer Float mass on the Feast Day of St Francis Xavier. Father Pat gave a wonderful homily about the friendship that St Ignatus Loyola and St Francis Xavier shared. Both men took their Jesuit vows in the church of St. Pierre du Montmartre Church (which is in one of my favorite parts of Paris). However from there they wanted to go in two different directions, Loyola wanted to stay put in Paris, serving others and working on his own writing. St. Francis Xavier wanted to follow his call as a missionary and travel the world teaching about Jesus. Loyola was upset at first- Xavier was a dear friend and he wanted him to stay in Paris with him. But it was Xavier’s call to travel and he knew that he couldn’t stay in one place, God was asking something different from him. It was only through God’s grace that Loyola realized that the most loving thing that he could do is to let Xavier go. So he said good-bye to his friend, because he loved him so much, he could let him go.

For those of us studying abroad, we are doing just as Xavier did, we are leaving the nest of what is safe and familiar, and following our call into the unknown. We might not go preaching the mission of the Jesuits or even with the direct purpose of charity and service, but we go to exchange thoughts and ideas. The experiences we have abroad will shape and transform us, exposing us to new places, people, and concepts that we haven’t yet had the chance to explore. This is part of God’s call for us, a call to be exactly where we are supposed to be and to let the experience mold us into people can chance the world in the unique ways we are supposed to. But we also do this knowing that there are people who love us so much- that they let us go. Loyola had to let Xavier leave in order to fulfill God’s plan for him and so to do our families and friends.

When the moments of homesickness hit me, it is this thought that I turn to. I am only here because people, my family and friends love me so much that they have given me the chance to leave and explore. They realize that this is where I need to be and that this experience will transform me. And I take comfort in knowing that when I return, it will be back to this place of love; that I am so privileged and blessed to have a place to be homesick for.

Beacons of Hope

There were a lot of things I expected out of my study abroad experience. Living in a new city, improving my French, making international friends, eating pastries, visiting museums- the usual. However, three days into my time in Paris and I was faced with something I never thought I’d experience.

It was Wednesday, January 7^th, 2015. I was spending the day in the Latin Quarter with two other Notre Dame students. We spent the morning in the French Social Security office filling out paper work. After, we decided to reward ourselves with a warm Panini and a trip to the Pantheon. The Pantheon is a peculiarly interesting old church converted into a burial place for the famous writers and thinkers of France. We passed time visiting the tombs of Victor Hugo, Voltaire, and Marie Curie. As we were on our way out, I noticed a missed call from my dad. When we got outside the monument I called him back.

“It’s expensive to call me, so be pithy,” I quipped when he picked up.

“I just want to make sure you aren’t dead,” He said bluntly. I exchanged confused glances with friends.

“Why would I be dead? Did something happen in Paris?” I asked.

He went onto explain that a terrorist attack had happened there that morning. He didn’t know much about it, only that the terrorists were still on the loose. I was instantly terrified. All of a sudden the city I had dreamed about became sinister and threatening. Each person walking by was a potential threat. Nowhere felt safe. I began shaking, tears threatening my eyes. I can never remember ever feeling as afraid as I did in that moment.

We ducked into a Starbucks to figure out what was happening. We were finally able to use the internet and look up the news. We figured out that it had been a planned attack against a satirical newspaper, Charlie Hebdo, which had been under threats for portraying Mohammad in their notoriously anti-religious cartoons. Learning that the attacks were planned and not just random made us feel a little bit safer and eventually we found the courage to leave the Starbucks and walk back to our dorm.

The next few days continued to be frightening as the city fell into lock down. Going to class, visiting monuments, and even getting into our dorms required ID and mandatory bag checks. The metro stations were filled with armed guards. Military vehicles drove down the streets. Sirens blared non-stop.

On Friday, we found out that hostages were being taken. The Eiffel Tower was evacuated. Some metro lines were shut down. Our professor encouraged us to go home and stay inside our dorms. Too afraid to take the metro, we walked back from class. Not long after we got back, we found out that the hostages had been released and that the suspects were dead.

After it was all over, I was so confused about how to feel about the whole event. I was overwhelmed with the sadness of the loss of human life. I was upset that my first week in Paris was marred with such pain and terror. I was equally mad at myself for letting the events affect me so much. I felt like I should have deep philosophical thoughts about Freedom of the Press and religion, but I only had inarticulable, disjointed thoughts. I didn’t know what to think or feel, but I felt as if I should.

I began to try to look for signs of hope, which began to flicker up in the stories that emerged afterwards. There was Ahmed Merabet, a Muslim French police officer, who died while protecting the cartoonist of Charlie Hebdo. He lived out Voltaire’s quote, “I do not agree with what you have to say, but I'll defend to the death your right to say it.” He also died bravely, laying down his own life to protect others, even those who mocked his own religion.

There is also Lassana Bathily, a man from Mali working at a Jewish grocery store where the building was taken hostage by terrorists. He bravely and quicklyushered the costumers of the store into the shop’s freezer when he heard the gunshots. He thought beyond his own safety and used his courage to save the lives of others.

There were other signs of hope that I experienced personally. As the events across Paris transpired, my inbox began filling with messages from friends and family checking to make sure I was okay. I was so touched by the people who reached out, not just with whom I am close, but professors and friends I haven’t talked to in years. It reminded me just how much people care about me and my well-being.

Situations like this are difficult- they are unexpected, they are upsetting, and they leave you at more of a loss for words than for answers. Yet in the wake of the event emerges stories of hope and through this hope we begin to feel God’s love. Each night, I fall asleep watching the light at the top of the Eiffel Tower pass over the city. It reminds me of the beacon of hope that is God’s love. It washes over the city, shining on each person. God’s love is endless, it shines on controversial cartoonists, and heroic citizens, and small scared study abroad students, and even terrorists. God’s love has no stopping or ending point, no limits. So as I continue to search for answers in the wake of horror, I realize the answer is simple. It is the same thing that God has been doing forever and that we must do now- love.

Finding Jesus Online

It’s crazy to think that in less than a month, I will be living in Paris, France. I have dreamed of studying abroad in Paris since I started taking French in 8^th grade. It is such a blessing to realize that this dream is finally coming true.

My excitement to go abroad doesn’t come without hesitations. Will I be homesick? Will I get lost in a new city? Will I be able to cook for myself? Will I pass my classes taught exclusively in French? This week, we had a mandatory pre-departure meeting for all Notre Dame students going abroad. They raised another really important question- How will you keep up your faith life while abroad

Notre Dame makes faith life easy. With a chapel in every dorm and countless masses every day, it takes little thought and planning to carry out your faith life. Abroad this obviously isn’t the case- while being surrounded by some of the most architecturally rich churches in the world- many European countries lack a robust faith life. Being involved in the church and going to mass isn’t a popular trend among European youth. Last year when I attended daily mass on mornings during my Fall Break trip to France, I was the youngest person there by a good 10 years. Another difficulty is the language barrier. While I speak French, it is not nearly as good as my English. There is no way to get as much out of a mass fully in French, as I do from mass in English.

As a way to supplement my experience in France, I’ve started looking for resources to keep my faith life alive and active while in France… by searching for ways to find Jesus online.

Podcasts- Part of my life in Paris will be a daily commute on the metro for at least 20 to 30 minutes from where I’m living to the University of Paris. So why not use that time to reflect on this Sunday’s Scripture passages? While there are tons of great podcasts out there, my mom recommended to me the awesome Podcast of The Lanky Guys. Think of witty repartee you’d find on an episode of vlogbrothers or “Car Talk” and then add the upcoming Sunday’s scripture. It’s hosted by a campus minister/dad and a priest, who are both hilarious. Plus, each of their podcasts are around 50 minutes, so perfect for a full round trip on my public transit commute!

Prayer- Making time for prayer is definitely going to be difficult with so much going on in such a bustling city. The amazing website Sacred Space, helps gives you the guidance and space for prayer in your life. Guided by the Jesuit practice of the examens, this site guides you through a rich and reflective prayer experiences based on the daily scripture reading. This is perfect to do as you drink your morning coffee (and croissant) or as a way to reflect just before you go to bed.

Rosary- Part of studying abroad can be isolating. Being far away from family and friends can make you feel disjointed and lost, not to mention culture shock to make you realize how very little you fit in. Come Pray the Rosary [KM1] can help remind you how universal the church is. This is a website I’ve loved since high school. You can join in on a world-wide rosary and pray alongside people around the world. It reads the prayer out loud for you so all you have to is pray along and realize that no matter how big the world is, God is bigger.

Music- I’m a little bit addicted to Spotify. I love to use it to find new playlists and create my own. They have a great collection of music playlists for whatever you are looking for. When I miss my choir family and Notre Dame, I love to listen to some Notre Dame Folk Choir playlists. When I need some music for thoughtful meditation or prayerful yoga, I use the “Christian Folk/Indie” playlist. When I need some good instrumental tracks for quiet studying or praying, I like to use “Instrumental Inspirations.”

Apps- I hope to travel around in Europe while abroad, so I’m sure I’ll be on the go a lot, but luckily there are lots of apps that make it easy to keep on your prayer life. The ND Daily Faith App is a great way to stay connected with the thoughts and prayers of ND students and staff while being away from campus. It has daily gospel reflections written by members of the Notre Dame community as well as prayers and daily gospel readings.

There are honestly countless resources to find online that will help you grow in your faith life. However, the most important thing is to explore all kinds of options and find what fits you. Everyone’s faith life is unique, so we’ll each be drawn to resources that fit our unique prayer lives. With all of these online applications it’s important to make them a part of your daily life so that you can develop better prayer habits. It’s also important to remember to unplug (seeing as I am a blogger I might be the worst ever at this) and find God in the new faces, places, and experiences all around you.

Lonely, but Never Alone

When I was in high school I had tight knit group of friends. We did everything together. We sang in choir and tried out for the school musical. We had movie nights on weekends and carpooled to school every morning. We threw each other surprise birthday parties and at each heartbreak, we filled each other’s refrigerators with ice cream. We squealed at each other’s college acceptances and spent our Spring Break together in New York City. Never for a moment did I ever feel alone. My group of friends was a constant presence in my life. They were my unfailing support system.

            

Everything changed in college. While my high school friends are still among my closest and most favorite people in the world, freshman year forced me to make new friends and form a new community- which, when I eventually got over my homesickness and hesitations, I started to find a new close group of friends. It seemed like I had a new group of school friends who could possibly hold up to the expectations that my high school friends set. Then sophomore year hit and everything changed. With room picks, my once tight knit gang of girls from 3B McGlinn were scattered throughout the dorm. With the new arrangement, friend groups began to shift. I became so caught up running from dance to choir to quiz bowl to service that I didn’t have time to keep up with friendships the way I did before. As I transitioned once more into my junior year, the situation only seemed to get worse. I was beginning to feel very alone.

            

I don’t want to make this out to be a pity party or to make myself sound socially inept. I have wonderful friends in choir who I love to rehearse with and hang out with on weekends. I have spectacular friends on my floor who tolerate me showing up in their room to chat and with whom I go to every football game. I have a smattering of friends across campus who I’ve met from French class or Appalachia or from home who I love meeting up with for dinner. I don’t think I’ve eaten a meal alone in the dining hall this semester and I rarely spend a weekend night alone in my room. And yet, I don’t have a “group” that sends daily group messages announcing when dinner is or coordinates plans for the weekends. I sometimes have rough days when I’m not entirely sure anyone would notice anything is wrong with me unless I told them. In choir, we end rehearsal with intentions, and someone always prays for the “loneliest person on campus tonight.”Sometimes I walk back to my dorm wondering if that person is me. [KM1] 

Notre Dame loves to talk about community. And I think that the Notre Dame community is something that is true and that definitely exists. From the moment you arrive on campus, it is hard not to feel like you are a part of something bigger than yourself. But I think it is easy to forget that this doesn’t mean that loneliness isn’t a real thing at Notre Dame. We toss around phrases like “College is the best time of your life,” which is dangerous because it makes it even more alienating if you are struggling with loneliness. Everyone feels alone at some point during college- whether it is your first night freshman year, a week into your semester abroad, or in the middle of your sophomore year. It is okay and it is normal to be lonely. You are not alone in your loneliness.

            

I recently had a conversation with my mom in which she challenged me to look at loneliness in a new way. Instead of being alone, it was an opportunity to develop independence. My high school life had been guided and supported by friends and family. But here and now was my chance to figure who I am for myself. And I became aware of the way that this had already happened. I discovered what types of movies were my favorite (Romances that take place in Europe, preferably directed by Richard Curtis). I found new TV shows and books to enjoy. I learned what time I liked to go to bed and that despite trying to have a grown up palette- my favorite food is chicken tenders. I learned that I like to lie in bed on weekend mornings reading articles on my phone and that even still today, I can’t fall asleep without a little pleasure reading. Spending time alone was a chance to get to know myself in a deeper way than if I lived in a world with a ready made posse.

            

The harsh and unfortunately truth is that you can’t count on having a “group” wherever you go for the rest of your life. After graduation, when the real world hits, you might find yourself alone in a city far from home with no one else you know. It will be important for sure to have the ability to make friends, but even more importantly it will be important to understand yourself and to feel comfortable being alone. In just a month and a half, I will find myself on the other side of the planet with only 3 other people I know nearby. It is only with the confidence in my own independence that I can approach this situation not with panic, but with peace.

            

But the other things I have learned in making peace with loneliness is that it isn’t permanent. Sometimes, when you are alone, the very experience of being alone can be isolating and the thought of telling someone that you are lonely can be terrifying. (This is the “best time of our lives,” they’ll think I’m a loser for feeling lonely right?) But you can’t let it paralyze you either. Know that you can pick up your phone and text an old friend or a new one (you can even ask me, I’m normal I promise). Get coffee, go to a movie, hit up a food Mass, just do homework together- get yourself out of your room and realize that you are never as alone as you think you are.

God is always leading us to what is best for us. Sometimes, we are led towards friendships that will make us flourish, but sometimes the friendship we best need to discover is within ourselves. Sometimes in even the darkest and loneliest of moments, it is an opportunity to discover sometime new about ourselves that will serve us well into the future. But remember- it’s okay to be lonely (especially in college) and it won’t last forever.

Catholic Shaming

For part of my sophomore year, I fell into a rut faith-wise. Perhaps everyone goes through phases like this- but between a stressful French class and study abroad applications, I stopped going to Sunday mass for a couple weeks. I’m not proud this happened, but it did. A few weeks later, I was talking to some older friends who I really looked up to and admitted that I hadn’t been great at going to mass lately. They were aghast. They immediately told me that I was a bad role model and that I needed to go to confession before getting communion again.

The way they handled the situation made me feel terrible. It hurt my friendship with these people I had once really looked up to. It made me feel uncomfortable about my faith life. Was I a bad person? A bad Catholic? The exchange left me uncomfortable and disappointed, in both my friends and myself. But it also left me with a question: How can we build up each other, our friends, our families, our classmates, in their faith, without damaging our friendships and relationships with God?

            

For this article, I decided to coin the term “Catholic shaming,” a phrase that can be used to describe Catholics making other Catholics feel bad for not being Catholic enough. Catholic shaming is when your friend tells you, “Well real Catholics would vote for Republican candidate.” Or when another friend might say, “You haven’t been to confession in four years? Are you even Catholic?” It is the statements friends make that are meant to help you realize how you can improve in your faith, but all too often come across in hurtful and damaging ways, which often have the opposite effect.

            

Friendships have the potential to be both the helpful and harmful things for one’s faith life. Handled in ideal ways, a conversation with a friend has the potential to inspire someone to take their faith life more seriously, but handled the wrong way can be devastating. It is important to realize that when a friend discusses a way they struggled in their faith life lately, they are being real and honest with you. They are opening up to you because they trust you. Realize you have potential to make a huge difference in this person’s life, by dealing with it in a positive way. As Catholics, we are always representing Catholicism to others. If we approach our friends with love and care, as God always wants us to, then we can help remind friends how genuinely loving God is.

            

But how do we do this, really and truly? What does it look like to live this out? The key is in redirecting, rather than “Catholic shaming” our friends. This is what it looks like to live this out:

How to handle someone missing mass:

Friend 1: I haven’t been to mass in a while…

Friend 2: Dude, you are totally missing out! There are so many good masses here. Want to go to Nacho Mass with me this Thursday? Father Pete is saying Mass and he is one of the coolest priests here. You’ll really like it. Plus, nachos!

How to handle someone lost in their faith life:

Friend 1: I’m having a lot of struggles with the church right now. I don’t really know if I belong here or what to believe.

Friend 2: You know, you can always talk to me about it, and I will try my best. But there are also people on campus whose job is to help you work through these things. There is a great list of spiritual directors on the Campus Ministry website, they are people you can meet with and talk to about what’s going on in your life and they’ll help you find a spiritual way to work through it. I can help you look through it if you want.

How to help someone’s prayer life

Friend 1: I just don’t have time for prayer lately. My week is so busy and I’m really stressed, I’m not really sure how to make time for God.

Friend 2: Let’s do a grotto run every Wednesday night. It can be your study break and really what is prettier than the grotto in the snow at night!

Meeting your friends where they are and helping them to grow is far more fruitful than discouraging them. We all get so much negativity in our lives from school and other relationships- so to combat this, our faith-based relationships that come from Christ should be ones that only exude love and grace.

What do you if you are on the other side? If like me last spring, you realize that you need to make a change in your faith life? One of the best ways to start is to change things up and throw yourself into something that will help you grow. Go to confession! Start a novena to Mary! Join Four:7, ISI, or Anchor! Meet with a Campus Minister or Spiritual Director to find more direct guidance! What ended up helping me get out of my “rut” was starting to do Christian yoga. It was such a new concept to me- but it helped me pray, become centered, and stretch all at once and it was wonderful. I also started working at a Catholic camp, which helped remind me how to really love as God does (link). The combination of these two changes helped get me back into my faith life. They might not be the perfect fix for you, but I promise there is something out there that will help you find God’s presence in your life again.

Care for God's Creation

The Problem

Catholicism seems to be loaded with “hot button” issues: abortion, gay marriage, contraception, and so on. These topics are typically the issues that get the most press, but there are many other parts of our faith that aren’t nearly as publicized. The Catholic Church also advocates for immigration reform, rights for workers, and help for the poor. One issue that almost always fails to get proper recognition is that of caring for our environment. Ecology is something that is found its way into Catholicism through many doors. It has its place in Catholic Social Teaching, papal documents, and in the lives of the saints. Yet for something so present in our teachings and traditions, it seems to be one of the things least associated with Catholicism.

            Care for God’s Creation is a tenant of Catholic Social Teaching. Beginning in 1891 with Pope Leo XIII, CST is a doctrine that covers how Catholics should respond to issues about social justice. They dive into ways we can live our faith by serving others and give a guidelines for different issues. Some of these include the Common Good and dignity of work. CST also revolves around showing love and giving dignity to every member of God’s world, especially the poor.

 It is through this lens that we can see the importance of giving critical care to our planet. CST reminds us that the poor are those who first face the repercussions of environmental destruction. As our climate becomes more extreme, it is the homeless who will lack the proper housing. As our resources become more limited, the poor will also be the first to not be able to afford new housing as prices skyrocket. If as Catholics we say that we believe in helping the poor, we also must stand for protecting our environment.I have a pen pal who lives in Uganda. Her name is Lydia. Lydia deals with struggles that I will never know. She tells me that her favorite book is her chemistry textbook because it is one of the few books she owns. She dreams of going to college, but will likely never be able to afford it. It is Lydia who will be affected by climate change far before I am. Lydia will face extreme weather without housing that is equipped to deal with it. She will also have trouble getting clean water and healthy food. It is easy to ignore it when the “poor” are faceless. But they aren’t faceless. They are real people with lives as rich and vivid as our own. They are Lydia and her friends in Uganda. They are the homeless of South Bend. They are the reason we need to care about our planet.

Taking care of our environment is not just an issue  for tree-huggers or hippies; it is an issue for everyone. Nothing- none of our hot topic issues- exist without our planet. If we as Catholics say we believe in life and dignity, we need to see to it that our future families and their children and their children’s children get to live in a world where they can live healthy lives with clean resources. If we say that we believe in love, we need to realize that caring for our planet is the most loving thing we can do for the poor in our community and in the developing world,. [KM1] If we believe that life on earth is a gift from God, then it is our duty as Catholics to care for that world. It is a human dignity issue, a social justice issue, a love issue, a peace issue, a Catholic issue- and above all- it is our issue.

The Solution

            The great thing is that you can be a part of the solution without having to travel or donate money; you can start making simple, sustainable changes in your life.

You can start right here, right now on your computer! HerCampusND writer Belinda Hyland wrote a great and realistic article about the easy, daily changes you can make to make your day more sustainable. She even takes you through your daily Notre Dame schedule and points out places where you can make a difference. When you are done reading, check out the website on the Catholic Climate Covenant. You can read up on the papal tradition behind the Church’s role in ecology, read stories about more people affected by climate change, and make the “St. Francis” pledge to pray, learn, assess, act, and advocate. Their website is a rich source of information and ideas on ways to live out our call to help the environment.

If you want to do more, the on-campus organization We Are Nine advocates for changes and petitions for administrative support for environmental issues on campus. Their website offers several ways to become involved in “Green” issues on campus and explains why the environment is an important issue for Catholics, for social justice, and for Notre Dame. There are several upcoming events in our local community this week that focus on poverty and the environment. Theology on Tap [KM2] this Wednesday at Legends at 8PM will discuss issues of poverty and solidarity.  There’s also a “sustainable farmers market” November 13^th at St Mary’s, and the Folk Choir’s Concert for the Missions this Friday at 8PM in the Basilica. To take a greater step, consider a minor in Catholic Social Teaching, International Development, Energy Studies, or Sustainability.

We shouldn’t feel guilty about environmental issues, but rather passionate and invigorated to make simple changes, some that may lead to sustainable habits or maybe even into bigger life choices.

My Week in the Mountains

At Our Lady of the Mountains School (OLM) in Paintsville, Kentucky, every morning begins by gathering in the library, forming a circle, and praying for each student’s special intentions. With a hint of Southern drawl, each student recites their intentions for their favorite nuns and priests, for those with Ebola, for anyone who needed their prayers, and, last week,“for the Notre Dame students.”  My days at OLM ended with students chasing after our car as they rushed to wave to us as we left for the day. From the beginning to the end, the students of OLM embraced our very presence.

            My experience at OLM was part of the Center of Social Concerns Appalachia Service immersion program. Over 200 Notre Dame students took part in the seminar  a series of 6 classes leading up to a week of service in the Appalachia region of the United States. There were various sites to pick from, each tackling an issue of rural poverty. As I hope to someday be a teacher, I was naturally drawn to education. Luckily, I was accepted to the site at Our Lady of the Mountains.

I spent the weeks leading up to the trip filled with anticipation. I planned a play for the students to put on and I got to know the group of six girls who would travel there with me. But, the week before the trip was exhausting and emotionally depleting. I was beginning to regret my decision to go on the trip- surely a week of sleep and the comforts of home might be more of what I needed. Yet, I woke up bleary eyed at 6AM and made my way to the vans.

As our trip began, my hesitations disappeared. When we arrived we met Sister Lillian, the school’s principal, and Sister Nancy and Father Hopp who hosted us in a rectory in  a nearby church. We were joined on our first night in Paintsville by some older students from OLM as well as members of the community. As we played corn hole and ate pizza, we realized how everyone we met was so welcoming.

The welcome continued as we began volunteer work  at the school. I spent each morning working with the younger students on their songs for the play. We put on a production of Noah’s Ark complete with masks and songs. We joined the students for lunch each day, eating at their tables and joining them for recess. My afternoon was always spent with the older kids, helping them rehearse their lines for the play and then helping teach social studies. It was incredibly fulfilling to watch their faces light up as we worked in their classrooms and joined them for games in the school yard after class. We also spent time doing organizational work that the school day might be too busy for the staff to get around to, including organizing a closet and tidying a science lab.

After school, we joined Sister Lillian, Sister Nancy, Father Hopp, and members of the community for Mass. Then we joined different members of the community for dinner. We ate Chinese with the grandparents of two of the littlest and sweetest girls at OLM. We went to a world famous barbeque joint with parishioners and teachers. Four different families joined us for dinner at a Mexican restaurant. It was a great way to get to know their stories and tell them ours.

In the evenings, we often participated in different activities. One night we joined volunteers from the Christian Appalachia Project for a bonfire. We also visited the thrift store that Sister Nancy operated for the people of Paintsville. On our second to last night we went to the Highway Country Music Museum for a Bluegrass and Barn Dance night. We had planned to meet up with another Notre Dame group there, but we also realized that many of our new friends we met in Paintsville, were there too. That night in particular was a coming together of two worlds, two groups of friends- old and new.

Our last day ended with a performance of the play. Every student had a part and several parents came to watch. It went perfectly! We then surprised the kids with a rendition of “The Cup Song” in which we sang about how much we were going to miss their beautiful school. They responded by singing us a song, giving us notes, and other mementos to remember them by. It was a moment of pure happiness. The students seemed so grateful to us for our presence in their school and in return we were so grateful for all the joy they had brought us that week.

In all honesty, the trip felt less like a service trip, and more like something beyond that. It was a union of two communities. Every moment we were at Our Lady of the Mountains, we celebrated the existence of the students and they celebrated ours in return. They were serving us as much as we served them. Last Fall Break, after my trip to France, I wrote, “You trust anyway and you pray with all your heart. And you find that God has taken you exactly where you need to be.” That is how I feel once again about this Fall Break. Without a doubt, Our Lady of the Mountains School in Paintsville, Kentucky, was exactly where I was supposed to be.