Summer Service Trip - Juneau, AK, July 3-10, 2024

Priest, Prophet, King. Those three calls, spoken at our Baptism, are the yardstick by which we measure all of our young adult ministry efforts. Our service trip from St. Joseph Church in Hillsborough, NJ to the National Shrine of St. Therese of Lisieux was no different. Fr. Hank teaches us that being a prophet compels us to challenge others and console our sisters and brothers when needed. As a priest we are called to prayer. And as a king (or monarch) we build community. 

On July 3 of 2024 we embarked on a long journey to Juneau, Alaska, leaving at an atypically late time - 6:00 AM for our flight to Seattle and on to our destination. Traveling with a group of 25 presents unique challenges, but the journey was remarkably smooth. 

When we arrived at the Shrine of St. Therese it was late in the day - close to 8:30 PM. We got to experience our first evening of long days and pleasant nights and were welcomed by the Shrine’s director, Joe Sehnert, and the two caretakers, Deacon Peter Nguyen and his wife Loni. Our arrival on July 3 was auspicious - we got to participate in one of the area's most important holidays, the 4th of July. Making our way into town about an hour before midnight we experienced the joy and chaos that fireworks brings! It was, well, awesome!!

First our Prophet moments.

Our work over the next week brought us into contact with the clients of the Glory Hall. We not only got to cook, serve and clean but work in their beautiful garden and spend time with the clients and learn their stories. It was beautiful and humbling.

We spent time working at the St. Vincent de Paul thrift store, sorting, organizing and marveling at the work they do for the people they support. We moved tons of gravel while working with Trail Mix, a local non-profit that maintains hiking trails, and later toured St. Paul’s, where we also helped in their youth ministry room.

One of the biggest blessings for us was being able to spend time working at the Shrine. When Joe asked me what kind of service we wanted to perform, my response was “whatever you need done”. We worked for four days spreading tons of millings around the beautiful Columbarium that the Shrine has. You might think that the work was hard and the mood somber - being that we were working in a cemetery but you would be wrong - at least on one count. The work was hard. But the combination of the scenery, the obvious care and beauty of the gardens and the visitors thanking us for the work we were doing filled all of us with a joy that is not easy to describe. 

One gentleman was at the Shrine to spend time with his wife who passed away a few years prior. As we worked, moving gravel, shoveling, tamping and grunting, I was concerned that we were disturbing his peace and interrupting his visit. Not only was he not disturbed, he told me how much he appreciated our group spending their time beautifying the area and that his wife would rejoice in the music of the noise. Over the two days that he was there he spent time talking to each of the members of our group, telling us stories of his wife, and their love of the Shrine.

Next our Priest moments.

It is difficult to measure beauty but by all accounts the Shrine of St. Therese is one of, if not, the most beautiful places in the world. The glory and grandeur of our God is on display there in myriad ways. Each morning, we prayed, thanking God for His past and future blessings. While we were serving at the Shrine we went to the noon Communion service that Deacon Peter lead in the chapel. Each evening we closed our day worshipping in song and prayer. Rea, our worship leader, started each day and end each night with the song The Blessing by Elevation Worship. Its simplicity allowed us to mine our own fears, questions, and emotions and grow in our faith. The lyrics will be familiar to any Catholic. “The Lord bless you and keep you, make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace.”

King moments - building community

Staying at the Shrine of St. Therese and living in community, even if only for a week, was an experience that we treasured. The Shrine provided all of the comforts of home plus more. The view of the Gastineau Chanel from the steps of the cabins is just something you must experience. One of the most special things that we are able to do at the Shrine is to cook for ourselves. Nothing builds community faster than cooking for each other! 

Our community was not limited to the 25 people in our group. Joe, Peter and Loni became fast family. We were blessed to be able to share dinner with them and to pray with them during our stay. Stefanie Wolter, the St. Paul’s youth minister invited us to her home for dinner one evening. “Are you sure?” I asked. We were a large, hungry group after working hard all day. “Of course!” she responded. While we ate well cooking for ourselves, our dinner at the Wolter’s was the best of the week! Rock fish and salmon caught by Stefanie’s daughter Aylin, plus lots of other goodies. We met the neighbors, made s’mores and prayed and sang together. 

No matter how you gauge it, our trip to Juneau was a success on all three measures: Priest, prophet, king.