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The Underground Hub Will Serve Inner-City Teens, Community
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April 15, 2024Sacred Heart of Jesus Church in Baton Rouge and Vagabond Missions are expanding their ability to serve inner-city youth and the community through the Underground Hub, located near Sacred Heart.
A groundbreaking ceremony was held in March to signify the beginning of a project that will transform the building owned by Sacred Heart Church into the home of Vagabond Missions, whose missionaries build friendships with and serve teens in urban and inner-city areas to bring them the Good News.
Finding a place that Vagabond Missions can officially call its own has been almost a year in the making – ever since the outreach and mentorship program was introduced to the Baton Rouge area in Aug. 2023, according to Deacon Michael Parker, Baton Rouge area director of Vagabond Missions.
The local outreach mission has taken off since its beginning, said Deacon Parker.
“Consistently we have 30 youth that are coming here voluntarily weekly, and now we’ve cranked it up to where it’s two times a week that they’re coming. And in the evening, there’s a plethora of students who want to be involved. They want to be here; they’re walking the grounds of Sacred Heart because they want to be a part of this great mission.”
Speaking about the important role of the building in mission’s outreach, Deacon Parker said, “It’s been something we’ve thought about for the past year and right now it’s at the point where it’s finally having a birthday and we’re super excited. This is literally a true gift.”
The featured highlights of the hub are a recreational space, stage area, conference room, and two offices.
Top right photo: A groundbreaking ceremony signaled the start of interior and exterior renovations that will turn a building owned by Sacred Heart of Jesus Church in Baton Rouge into the Underground Hub, where inner-city teens and the community will be served. Photos by Debbie Shelley | The Catholic Commentator
Above Photo: Bishop Michael G. Duca, left, looks over the architectural rendering of the Underground Hub held by Father Joshua Johnson, Vagabond Mission national chaplain, and Vagabond Missionary Sarah Vicknair.
The building will jointly house Sacred Heart’s St. Vincent de Paul food pantry and the Do Good Deeds Café for the community.
“It’s an overall fun-looking space,” said Deacon Parker. “This space will be something that (the youth) are already used to. The format of the Underground Hub is a safe place to be.”
Vagabond Missions has been using Sacred Heart’s former CYO building for gatherings.
“But now, they understand (the Underground Hub) as a place that’s for them where they can relax, sit, play video games,” the deacon said. “There’s a stage for potential concerts, speeches, break-out sessions, things of that nature.”
Vagabond missionary Sarah Vicknair of LaPlace has experienced the positive impact the outreach ministry has had on inner-city youth.
Vicknair, who has lived in Baton Rouge since she acquired her bachelor’s degree in education by attending Baton Rouge Community College, LSU, and Southeastern University in Hammond, said, “St. Teresa of Calcutta had this phenomenal quote that says, “You don’t have to go to Calcutta to do missionary work. You can find your Calcutta in your own backyard.”
The Vagabond missionaries began working by casting their nets in the 100-degree August/September Louisiana heat.
“We had an ice chest with us because we wanted to hand out food, drinks, and popsicles and we were not finding them; and we’re going to the parks, we’re going here and there, and we’d meet one teenager. We wondered where are all of the teenagers?”
The missionaries discovered this was due to schools letting out at different times.
“One day we were standing in our neighborhood at one of the corners, just waiting to see. And we see five teenagers come walking down the street. And we’re trying not to get too excited, but they were receptive, they were talking with us. We gave them popsicles and then we just kept showing up every day at that corner (in addition to other sites).”
The missionaries discovered that the students went to a public high school that is a 10-minute walk from Sacred Heart, and so they showed up at the school and grilled hot dogs for students, gave them chips and drinks, and played music.
“Those five teenagers we consistently saw on the corner were shocked to see us at their school,” Vicknair said with a smile.
The missionaries had talked to the principal, who said, “These kids need you. All the teachers are excited.”
After building a rapport with the students, the missionaries invited them to come to the Sacred Heart gym and play games, hang out, and have a safe place to be.
At first only three teens showed up, but each week the number grew, Vicknair said.
The youth opened up to the missionaries and shared their stories, which were hurtful to hear and revealed broken lives.
“The stories they share, whether it’s violence, whether it’s a dad who is abusive, mom who is an alcoholic, these stories are real,” said Vicknair.
The teens, including the original five whom the missionaries encountered, spread the word about their positive experiences at the Vagabond gatherings.
“These teens are the ones. They are our best messengers, our best people to tell the news of ‘Hey, this is the place to be,’” Vicknair said.
Bishop Michael G. Duca, right, “turns the first sod” as Father Josh Johnson, pastor of Sacred Heart of Jesus Church in Baton Rouge and National Vagabonds Chaplain, looks on.
The newly dedicated Underground Hub will be a place for inner-city youth and members of the community to find support and be evangelized.
Deacon Parker and the missionaries envision the Underground Hub as a location for Bible studies and worship nights that people from all over the diocese can attend.
“Eventually the big goal is they will come to what’s called ‘Jesus classes,’ which is our RCIA program where the students are going to say, ‘Yes’ and come into the holy, Catholic apostolic church,” said the deacon.
The mission’s new home is made possible through the various financial partners who have come forth to help bring forth the Gospel and change lives, Deacon Parker stated.
Father Josh Johnson, pastor of Sacred Heart and national chaplain of Vagabond Missions, emphasized that everyone is called to be a saint and that youth are the emerging leaders today in the church and society.
Pointing out there are six African Americans on the path to sainthood, Father Johnson said it’s possible have more saints in America. And the Underground Hub, which will tentatively be renovated by St. John Paul II’s feast day on Oct. 22, can be the place they are formed.
“My desire is to form a new generation of saints,” said Father Johnson.
He added, “We have the opportunity to have the next St. Mother Teresa or next St. John Paul II right here in this neighborhood. And if we can help form (the youth) as young disciples, I think the skies the limit.”
An Architectural renderings of the Underground Hub.
