Mission Accomplished

On a recent July morning, a group of high school students boarded a plane in Portland, Oregon, where the temperature hovered in the mid-50s. 

Several hours later, upon touch down in New Orleans, those same students were greeted with Mother Nature turning up the south Louisiana thermostat to triple figures and a heat index that nibbled at 115. 

And this was only the beginning of a weeklong stay, where the sun and blue skies offered a canopy of heat and humidity. 

“And you people purposely chose to live here?” one student asked with a wry smile. 

But there were no complaints, either then or for the next week. For the first time in two years, the annual Mission Krewe, which pairs 14-19-year-old teenagers from the Portland, Oregon area with their peers from St. Margaret  Queen of Scotland Church in Albany, were able to gather.  

The mission, launched in 2013 and traditionally held annually, had been canceled the past two years because of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“It’s always interesting to watch the groups meet,” said St. Margaret pastor Father Jamin David. “Because of us being able to have Mission Krewe annually, there was always a core community of participants from the years before who would mingle with new participants, giving an idea of continuity.   

“Having not met in two years during the pandemic, it was almost as if we were starting the event all over anew with literally all-new participants.” 

Naturally, there is a bit of apprehension as teenagers separated by a continent begin to mingle, but within a few days they were  one community, eating together, chuckling at each other’s jokes, praying together and perhaps most important coalescing as a community of prayer.  

Including chaperones, the number totaled 65 participants, with 40 coming from three sister parishes in Oregon. St. Margaret had 25 participants.  

Rosaryville Retreat Center in Ponchatoula served as the host site. 

“It was a terrific experience to watch this, our largest group, once again gather for mutual ministry,” Father David said. “It is through their hands and hearts that they can legitimately make a difference in the church and in the world.” 

Persistent problems as a result of the ongoing pandemic created unique obstacles in the scheduling of service projects.  Rebuilding of homes after natural disasters is a traditional keystone of the week but that was replaced by a diversity of volunteer activities. In smaller groups, the teens worked at a local pregnancy resource center, did environmental cleanup on the I-55 corridor, stocked a local food bank, worked with OPTIONS (a non-profit in Hammond that works with persons with disabilities), homebuilding through Habitat for Humanity in Baton Rouge and some work at Habitat’s ReStores. 

“Managing a group of 65 takes lots of planning so activities had to be thought out well in advance with much planning, “ Father David said.  

In the past, he and Father Michael Vuky, a priest in the Diocese of Portland,  did much of the heavy lifting but this year St. Margaret youth minister Ansleigh Munn shouldered the planning the burden, including scheduling enjoyable “cultural activities” that would expose the young people to the uniqueness of the area. 

Judging from the itinerary, she hit the mark, scheduling such activities as a swamp tour in Frenier, a day in New Orleans that included visits to the French Quarter, St. Louis Cathedral, and the World War II Museum; the Louisiana Culinary Institute in Baton Rouge; LSU’s Rural Life Museum; a romp through famed Tiger Stadium; and a tour of the Governor’s mansion compliments of Governor John Bel Edwards and the state’s first lady, Donna Edwards.  

“The trip is about helping others in the church, but it is also about helping our young people experience ‘church’ far beyond the conventional boundaries of their parish,” Father David said.  “Many participants – both from Louisiana and Oregon – have never left their home state.  Imagine the culture shock for an Oregonian to come to the deep south in the middle of the summer.   

“But in working together, the teens discover there are as many similarities as there are differences with them that ultimately do unite them in a common faith and mission.”   

And what visit to south Louisiana would be complete without a sampling of the region’s extraordinary culinary delights, dishes not likely found on a Pacific Northwest menu? The fare ranged from fried alligator to gumbo and included staples such as shrimp, etouffee, jambalaya, boudin, pastalaya and cracklings. 

“We ran out of every meal since the Oregonians kept coming back for more,” Father David enthusiastically noted. 

Following hours braving the heat and dining on amazing food, each day ended in intentional theological reflection, recalling the experiences and spiritual lessons from earlier. Reflections were led by clergy, adult chaperones and other volunteers. 

Mass was also celebrated daily, not only by Father David and Father Vuky but also St. Margaret parochial vicar Father Paul Gros, and Father Chris Palladino from Boston, a friend of Father David’s who is interested in having his own group join in a future Mission Krewe endeavor. 

“It’s my hope that our young people realize that they are not the future church – they ARE the church,” Father David said with emphasis.  “I think many young people believe they’re not good enough or they don’t have the skills necessary to serve.  

“Mission Krewe helps tear down those lies to reveal the truth that these men and women are the hands of Christ in a broken world.”  

A vision of Father David and Father Vuky, Mission Krewe has alternated between the Portland area and south Louisiana in alternative years since 2013, the exception being 2019 when they convened in Hawaii. They have provided valued assistance to the 2016 flood victims and in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey in Houston  two years later.