Remsen St. Mary youth serve less fortunate on Chicago trip

By KENNY KEANE, Globe staff reporter
August 14, 2003

REMSEN - Every school day at St. Mary High School in Remsen starts off with one of the Gospel values as they are incorporated into the classroom.

Scripture pertaining to the Gospel value for the day is read and then discussed and reflected upon. However, according to the spiritual life director at the school, Mary Arens, there is more to it than that.

"By serving others we really learn to live the Gospel values Jesus exemplified through his teaching and actions," she said. "I think that's the best way that students can learn about compassion, empathy and loving others. Service at St. Mary's is one of the key things that we want to instill into the students - the importance of serving as Jesus did."

Most recently, Arens took a group of nine St. Mary students on a mission trip to Chicago where they put the Gospel values into action. Along with Father Tim Johnson, pastor of Remsen St. Mary Church, and Doug Ruhland, another adult chaperone, the group headed for the Windy City on July 27 and returned on July 31.

"We do a lot of service within the Omaha area, the Sioux City area and our area here, but we want to really instill into the students the importance of continuing to reach out further and further," Arens said. "Service has to be based within your home community, but it also needs to extend out further. I always tell the students they need to get out of their little box and really experience life."

That is exactly what they did during this brief missionary trip, which began with a visit to New Melleray, the Trappist Monastery, where they stopped for a picnic.

From there the group headed into Chicago, and they stayed at the Port, which is a Franciscan-run ministry. It was started by Father Gus Milon, OFM, a Franciscan friar who came to the south side of Chicago in 1985 with nothing more than a few friends, a few dollars and a dream to feed the poor, clothe the naked, shelter the orphans and be a friend to those that life has just passed by.

"It was a whole new life from what we're used to here in rural Remsen because everything was behind iron gates," Arens said. "They had two dogs there that greeted us. It was just a whole new ballgame once we unloaded there."

One place where they provided service was at Mother Theresa's Missionaries of Charity Soup Kitchen, where the students helped to prepare and serve food to the homeless.

"It was interesting how the homeless would even bring their little jars," Arens said. "I had noticed one elderly man had an old pickle jar, and he wanted that filled because that was going to be his dinner for the evening. After the people got done eating they would hurry back in line again to take their dinner home for the evening, which would consist of basically a jar of goulash or something. So that was real eye opening for the students to see."

While some students went to the soup kitchen, others would go to the Theresa House - a homeless shelter where the students worked with children tutoring them in math, English and reading. Andy Galles, a St. Mary senior who went on the trip, said he really liked working with the children.

"I enjoyed tutoring the kids, especially this one little boy who wasn't real anxious to learn at first, but after awhile I showed him that math could be fun," Galles said. "I think it was just that they live in such a chaotic kind of environment where there's really not a lot of order. I do think they have a passion to learn something deep down."

Arens said the students were amazed at the education level of these poor, young children just because the opportunities aren't there for them. This was made evident to Arens when she worked with a girl of junior high age who had difficulty adding 10 plus three.

Another place where the students worked was at the Greater Chicago Food Depository, which is where damaged, packaged goods come in and then are delivered throughout the whole city of Chicago. Arens said the students told her that was a tremendous amount of work.

The group also spent time at the St. Bonaventure House - a home for AIDS and HIV victims. They had someone speak to them about the AIDS/HIV virus, and then they shared dinner with the residents.

In addition, Sister Angie of Holy Cross Parish in Chicago gave them a walking tour of a gang ministry.

"In the neighborhood where they work there are a lot of gangs, so they try to keep the younger kids entertained and try to get them their education so they don't join the gangs," said St. Mary senior Kayla Keffeler. "Sister Angie had so much pride in what she did. She really wants these kids to grow up and have a better life than what they do now."

Another St. Mary student, Rachel Loutsch, said the one thing she will always remember from this trip is the people she met, who provided a good example of service.

"The volunteers at these places were awe inspiring," she said. "They were there helping people every day, and they did it with such compassion and hope that it gave me hope. It helped show me that serving others can make a difference."