VT Catholic Campus Ministry 2026 Issue 1

Abington: completed yard and house work at elder community, taught religion class at St. Anne’s, and built a planter box for the Jubilee Retreat Center Dominican Republic: taught catechesis to local children, worked on the water treatment facility, and delivered donations to local communities Emmitsburg: assisted at family homes doing yard work, painting, weeding; did farm work including reconstructing fences, chopping wood, and hammering; and befriended locals Louisa: volunteered at community thrift store and built new decks, porches, and ramps Louisville: served at food pantries, worked with refugee families, and created viable plots for families to farm on Philadelphia: s erved meals at homeless shelter, worked at a literacy center, and helped at a free clothing store associated with the St. Francis Inn Mound Bayou: completed y ard work, painting, and volunteered at a food pantry Trips at a Glance

“I never had a clear picture in my mind of what college spring break was supposed to look like, besides lounging around on the beach with friends. Coming to Newman last year showed me that my spring break could be a faith-filled and service-oriented week while hanging out with awesome friends. I was able to serve in Louisville, Kentucky last year, and this year I got to go to Emmitsburg, Maryland. We stayed in the National Shrine of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton and served over 15 households in the surrounding area, especially working on farms and in yards. Besides the service work, we also had ample free time for fun and games like “Body Body” in Mother Seton’s house mixed with “hitting the quan” intermittently. However, the spiritual aspect of the week was the focal point for me, especially on the days where we were out in the 80 degree direct sunshine, and I was questioning myself, ‘Why did I ever agree to this?’ After a couple hours of weeding, I was asked to clean up the rose bush trimmings, which in my mind was the absolute last thing I wanted to do: I had previously cleaned up some rose bushes, and I had over a dozen little stab wounds all over my arms and legs. I agreed anyway, and as expected, I kept pricking myself. During that task, I thought it would be the low point of the day for me in our evening reflection. However, when I looked at the time and realized it was 3 p.m., I was reminded of Jesus’ Passion and how he accepted the crown of thorns without complaint. I realized how God was allowing me to physically experience a part of his suffering, even if it was the most miniscule amount, and found joy in it. ASB allowed me to step into his Passion where I could accept this small suffering and even be grateful that I had the privilege of uniting it with the Lord’s. Overall, ASB was an incredible experience with such awesome memories, and I would encourage everyone to try it out. You will definitely make new friends deepen existing friendships, and most importantly, grow in your relationship with Jesus!” - Felicity Wolf