By John Rohlf, The Message assistant editor
Diocesan youth spanning over a dozen parishes served the local community during the seventh Mission Evansville.
On June 18-21, sixty participants spanning 14 parishes in the Diocese of Evansville participated in Mission Evansville, a home-based mission trip aimed at serving the local community and making a difference in Evansville.
“I heard a lot of great things from years past from my friends and I decided to give it a try this year,” Sts. Peter and Paul Parishioner Lucas Church said. “Definitely give it a try if you are interested. People may say they might not like to work but once you do the (service) work and you see what you finished, you feel accomplished and you can’t beat that feeling.”
Mission Evansville Executive Director Katie Goebel said back in Mission Evansville’s first year in 2016, they sent crews to seven different locations around Evansville. In every year the program has been offered, they have expanded impact and participation, she said.
Goebel said the three main goals of Mission Evansville are to empower youth to show Christ’s love to the local community through concrete acts of service, to give youth a profound spiritual encounter with Christ and to provide an affordable mission trip experience for area young people.
“Guided by the Holy Spirit, we hope Mission Evansville continues to benefit area agencies and families as well as the young people giving of their time and energy,” Goebel said.
Goebel also noted how many of the participants were surprised to see how many service agencies are in Evansville, and how many of them have Catholic roots.
“It is wonderful to show them the heritage of service for the poor that we have in our diocese,” she said.
A parishioner of St. James Parish in Haubstadt, Bailey Baker was one of the five dozen participants this year. She also participated in 2023 and wanted to come back this year because she loved the work, relationships and connections she made during Mission Evansville. One of her favorite aspects of this year’s Mission Evansville was working at Seton Harvest.
She encouraged diocesan youth to consider participating in Mission Evansville in the future.
“If you are interested in Mission Evansville, give it a try,” she said. “Showing effort and showing up for God is enough for Him. And giving a little extra through mission work and service is something that is very inspirational. Not only for other people but (it) also encourages and motivates you.”
Sherie Cooley, Mission Evansville administrative director and member of the core team, said she ultimately wants the participants to encounter Jesus. She added prayer is essential for service and “it is as necessary as air.”
“Mission Evansville is more than service hours, but the whole experience is steeped in prayer and reflection so that students develop the proper mindset to serve,” she said.