SJJ Sends 18 on Guatemala Mission Trip

Participating in the Guatemala Mission Trip were (front row, L-R) Mr. Adam Dane '02, Ron Birchfield '13,
Robert Austin Mack '13, Christopher Garzony '13, Benjamin Eddingfield '13, Nick Gramza ‘13,
and Michael Eddingfield '13; (back row, L-R)  Mr. Lukas Laniauskas, S.J., Samin Rai ’13, Jeff Anderson ’13,
Conner Mishler ’13, Sean Wheelock ’13, Dylan Futrell ’13, Nick Behm ’13, Harry Thaman ’13, Peter Krull ’13,
Sachin Jindal ’13, and Mrs. Stacie Stroshine.

On Thursday, June 14, 18 students and faculty members departed St. John's Jesuit bound for Detroit Metro Airport and the start of the Guatemala Mission Trip.

“We are called to be His hands and feet in the United States and in the whole world,”  said Mr. Lukas Laniauskas, S.J., as he gathered 15 students in the courtyard of SJJ prior to departing for Detroit Metro for the 11-day excursion. “I hope our students learn how blessed they are and how much injustice there is in this world. I hope they will feel the call to make a change and to make a difference.”

Students worked at the International Samaritan Mission at the Guatemala City Dump teaching children and assisting with the construction of a new wing of the Francisco Coll School. International Samaritan was founded by former SJJ President Fr. Don Vettese, S.J., in 1995 as Central American Ministries.

The group also made a two-day pilgrimage to the Romero Center at the University of Central America to pay homage to the Jesuit martyrs who were killed in 1989. In addition, they visited Archbishop Romero's residence and the chapel where he was martyred in 1980.

To read more about the group's journey, visit sjjguatemala12.blogspot.com.