“But I, brothers, could not address you as ‘spiritual people’, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it.”
St. Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians brings to mind Vagabond Missions
(www.vagabondmissions.com) which was started in 2007 in Steubenville, Ohio and now has ‘teams of missionaries’ serving in nine cities: Steubenville, Wichita, Baton Rouge, Greenville (NC), Mobile, Indianapolis, Oklahoma City, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. Its purpose is to engage young adult Catholics willing to serve as volunteer ‘missionaries’ in the cause of evangelizing inner-city high school students who have had little or no exposure to Christianity let alone to Catholicism. These urban youth typically are teens from low-income families and historically underserved, marginalized racial and ethnic populations.
As its website states: “As Jesus was a vagabond during his earthly ministry, wandering to the margins of society to bring home the wanderers, our missionaries follow his example and bring the Good News to those the world ignores. Vagabond missionaries build friendships with and serve teens in urban and inner -city communities through weekly programs, outreach, and personal mentorship”.
Its program includes several initiatives. ‘Open Underground’ is an after-school activity which provides teens with an opportunity to unwind and build a sense of community in companionship with Vagabond missionaries. ‘Bible Study and Worship’ is a weekly program that allows the teens to explore and strengthen their faith through the study of Scripture. ‘Discipleship Groups’ are small gatherings where teens learn to apply the teachings of Jesus to everyday life – an experience which lays the ground for a profound connection with Christ. ‘Prayer in Action’, as the name suggests, encourages the participants to become involved in improving the communities in which they live, i.e. serving meals, home repair, etc. During these programs the teens learn to set and achieve personal goals in career planning, vocational training, health care, and post-secondary education.
To assure long-term viability Vagabond Missions partners with dioceses and parishes. It does not charge membership fees. Rather, it relies on support from corporate sponsors and foundations. Significantly, it has received financial assistance for the Diocese of Wichita and the Archdiocese of Pittsburgh.
Since its inception Vagabond Missions has served more than 5,000 urban teens and have led almost 300 to Catholicism. It should be noted, however, that the outreach of this ministry goes beyond the individual teens involved. Their families and the recipients of the social services the teens provide are also beneficiaries.
Readers with mathematical proclivity will calculate that 300 ‘converts’ from a population of 5,000 teenagers is a 6% return. Those familiar with the vibrancy of this apostolate will attest that such a deduction is short-sighted. They realize that but for the outreach of Vagabond Missions the other 94% most likely would never have heard the Good News let alone incorporated it in their personal lives. Whether exposed to it by preaching or example, all involved benefit. The Good News is good news.
As the Kingdom advances there are travelers on the journey who are still fed with milk.
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Love hearing about Vagabond Missions Dana – I’ve been re-reading Life of the Beloved by Henri Nouwen, and he encourages us to embrace our weakness and dependence (infancy) — as it is a crucial doorway into deeper union with God. And while we aren’t encouraged to linger there long-term, part of our spiritual journey is always learning to become the beloved child of the Father, which includes approaching him with vulnerability and simplicity.