Catholic schools graduates continue to serve in college

By KATIE LEFEBVRE, Globe staff reporter
January 26, 2006

Graduates of Catholic schools in the Diocese of Sioux City continue to serve at the colleges they are attending and in the communities they are in.

Chad Driscoll, a sophomore at St. Ambrose University in Davenport, is a 2004 graduate of Heelan High School in Sioux City and continuing to serve post high school. He recently took a trip to New Orleans to help people affected by Hurricane Katrina.

"Once Hurricane Katrina hit, our school right away formed a hurricane committee to do different things on campus and come up with different ideas," said Driscoll. "From that also came this idea through campus ministry to take a group of students down there over the winter break for a week."

There were people interested, including Chad, and people wanted to go assist the people in New Orleans. Twelve students and three faculty/staff members made the trip.

"We could only take a total of 15 as a group because where we went to help that is all that they want at a time so they could give everyone enough work," said Driscoll.

While there, the group worked at a place called Mater Dolorosa and it provides housing for the elderly and the mentally-ill. They cleaned and raked up all the debris in the lots and the lawn, picking up and making things presentable.

"The week we worked there was the first week that the residents were allowed to move back in," said Driscoll. "We were making it presentable for them."

After helping outside, they moved indoors and re-painted a hallway and a few apartments. They also cleaned out some of the apartments.

"It was an educational trip as well as doing service for the people of New Orleans," said Driscoll. During the trip, he wrote reflections that are now posted on the St. Ambrose Web site.

At St. Ambrose, he is part of Circle K, whose mission is service and helping children. Driscoll helped bring the Big Brothers, Big Sisters program to the campus.

"Some of the same service opportunities might be available at any school you go to," said Driscoll. "With many that I have done either back home or through St. Ambrose we have always been able to pray about our trip, talk about things and relate it back to our faith. We are able to go the next step, instead of just doing the service."

Driscoll noted that he has always had the mind set to do service and going to Heelan and Catholic grade school "has helped continue that mind set and continued those thoughts of service and doing good for others. Giving back to the community is a good thing to do."

Kendra Homan, a Briar Cliff University junior, went to Gehlen High School in Le Mars and graduated in 2003. While at Gehlen, she was part of Mission Honduras and brought that to the students of Briar Cliff.

"I did so much and wanted to share my experience with others," said Homan. "I talked to Sister Janet (campus minister at BCU). We decided it would be an idea to try at Briar Cliff."

Homan went with the first group that went to Honduras from Briar Cliff in the fall of 2004. The second group went in the fall of 2005.

"It is just a life changing experience. I thought other people should have the opportunity to be involved with the program," said Homan.

The last few years she has also helped with the confirmation retreats that Briar Cliff provides for parishes and schools throughout the Diocese of Sioux City.

"High schoolers look up to us so much because we are so close in age to them," said Homan. "I thought it was a good idea to have the college students share their experiences. I had a lot of fun when I did it."

Homan commented that Gehlen is service oriented. While in high school, she was on the Christian leadership team that went to soup kitchens and did other service projects.

"Richard Seivert (a teacher at Gehlen) showed how much his life was affected by it (service) and how much he helped others," said Homan. "I started doing service and I felt like that as well. High school gave me the opportunity to start getting involved and show how much it does fill your life."

She pointed out that she continues to do service because it makes her feel whole inside.

"I have so much and to not be sharing that with other people, I feel selfish," said Homan. "After seeing the poverty of people in Honduras and even in Sioux City, being able to give something back feels really good."

Briar Cliff senior, Matt Benson, went to Remsen St. Mary's and graduated in 2002. At Briar Cliff, he is on the confirmation retreat team and went on a service trip to Mississippi.

For the confirmation retreats, the students studying to be confirmed either travel to Briar Cliff or the retreat team goes to the town where the group of students is.

When Benson went to Mississippi in the spring of 2005, he and his group helped in the poor communities there.

"It sounded like fun. It sounded like something I would want to do," said Benson.

While there he helped at a general store by sorting items, moving and cleaning up. During the afternoons, he assisted in the tutoring program run by a few sisters living in the area.

"We helped out the community the best we could," said Benson.

At Remsen St. Mary's, he was exposed to the different virtues and values. He pointed out that they learned about a different one each month. There would be bulletin boards about the virtue or value and that would be talked about in class.

Benson mentioned that the teachers and others he encountered modeled compassion for others and the other virtues and values.

He helped on the service days while in high school as well as traveling to Omaha to help with Habitat for Humanity.