News Post
Local Community Served by SJA Students
Working with Father Michael Alello at St. Thomas More Catholic Church, a group of St. Joseph’s Academy students served the Baton Rouge community through the Blessings Mission Trip, held June 18-23.
The students worked with the Red Cross to install smoke detectors in homes; painted and undertook beautification projects at St. Francis Xavier Catholic School; helped paint homes that remain impacted by the flood of 2016; and visited residents of several nursing homes.
“It’s always a great joy to see our young church taking time out of their busy schedules to help those most in need,” Father Michael said. “Often, we think mission trips require us to go abroad, but there remains plenty of work to be done in our Baton Rouge community. I’m thankful for the hard work of the hands and hearts of our SJA missionaries.”
Sophomore Ava Lemoine said the Blessings Mission was an amazing experience. “I really connected with all the people there,” she said. “It was so humbling to see the smiles on the faces of the people we served.”
Sophomore Lindsey Landry said the local mission trip helped her grow in her faith as she worked to serve those in need. “I felt like I got much closer to God,” she said. “Everything we did helped us reflect on our lives, how we want to live and our connection with God. The only way we can help make other people’s lives better is by taking action. I know that we made a difference.”
Sophomore Alanna Meyers said she enjoyed every minute of the weeklong experience. It was especially meaningful to bond with her teammates as they worked to help local people in need. “All of the people I helped this week have brought me closer to God in every way possible,” she said. “I loved leaving a worksite or place we’d worked thinking, ‘Wow, it’s crazy how we may have changed these people’s lives just by the work we put in.’ I loved seeing the joy and excitement they had when we finished our work. Our team got in there and got all of the work done without even thinking about complaining. We knew that the outcome would be amazing and that the people would be so thankful. I will never forget this awesome experience.”
Faculty member Ghedy Matus served as chaperone for the trip.
Mindy Brodhead Averitt
Communications Director