Though Franciscan University mission trips don’t happen until spring break, preparation and prayer begin months in advance with Missions of Peace formation.
Leads and co-leads for each mission trip gathered in the J.C. Williams Center Fireside Lounge on Sept. 24 at 11 a.m. for a formation meeting. There, Missions of Peace coordinators Mary Wieszczek and Shae Mummey provided practical guidance for organizing a fruitful and Holy Spirit-filled mission trip.
The meeting began with spiritual formation. After a Sunday Gospel reflection on the story of the rich man and Lazarus, Mummey explained the parable’s application to mission work. He pointed out that the rich man ignored Lazarus’s poverty. In contrast, missionaries are called to be attentive to the needs of others.
To help them grow in attentiveness, Wieszczek gave the leads a challenge. She encouraged them to list the members of their team and pray a Hail Mary for the spiritual growth of each person.
Formation concluded with business announcements and tips for leading the upcoming mission team meetings. Wieszczek and Mummey suggested that meetings be rooted in prayer, Gospel-centered faith formation, and spiritual challenges for the team.
In a conversation following the event, Wieszczek said that her goal is to help deepen the faith of leads. In particular, she emphasized that the Gospel “is at the heart” of mission formation. She explained that the Gospels offer an encounter with Jesus that prepares missionaries to evangelize.
“The Gospel is the living word of God, and our hope is that … through his words … [missionaries] can serve him better and bring that knowledge to the people that they’re serving,” Wieszczek said.
Senior English major Anabel Stickney, who is leading a trip to Ecuador this summer, shared that she appreciates the weekly mission challenges from formation.
“It gives me something tangible that I can focus on for my personal growth, but also to give to my team as well,” she said. “I’m formed first as a leader, and then they’re formed as my team, so that we can help form … whoever we’re interacting with.”
Leads like Stickney are hard at work preparing their teams, and Missions of Peace stands behind them with the spiritual tools to coordinate impactful mission trips.