As a stewardship community, we strive to promote and live out discipleship — and this is certainly the case for our youngest stewards. Every year, St. Leo’s sponsors a team of high school students to serve side by side with those in need by participating in a mission trip through Catholic HEART Workcamp. This past year, the students once again participated in the camp, this time in Champaign, Ill., joining more than 200 youth from across the country.
“The team experienced a transformation through this mission trip,” says Rita Hemmer. “Some admitted that they were not excited about going on a mission trip and some were very nervous. All members of the St. Leo’s team admitted that their hearts were renewed with the love of Christ and they felt empowered to recruit more team members for next year. A mission trip can transform the heart of a young person and fill them with hope. That was very evident with this year’s team.”
Our parish will once again sponsor a mission trip with Catholic HEART Workcamp next summer. The registration fee is approximately $600 — there are many fundraising opportunities that will help offset the cost. The main fundraising event is the Craft Fair and Soup Supper.
“This event will be celebrating our 12th anniversary and is much anticipated by our parish and the community,” Rita says.
This year’s Craft Fair and Soup Supper takes place on Dec. 9 from 4 to 7 p.m. and Dec. 10 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The fair is held in the parish hall, which will be filled with high-quality crafted items and opportunities to support home-based businesses.
“The event has become so successful for many vendors that they come every year,” Rita says. “There will be home crafters with holiday items, clothing, and food items to name a few. It is an excellent shopping experience.”
The mission team prepares and serves soups — homemade chicken noodle, chili, and the famous St. Leo’s taco soup. The event is an exciting opportunity for parishioners to support our youth who plan to attend the mission trip this coming summer. It also allows for a time of fellowship and being together during the Advent season. All are welcome and invited to attend.
“Parishioners can help by promoting the event and spreading the word to the community, then coming to the event to support our local vendors and the mission team,” Rita says. “Supporting this event will help our youth raise money to attend the summer mission trip. This, in turn, will help them experience something that will touch their heart and change their lives.”
For more information on Catholic HEART Workcamp, visit drive.google.com/file/d/1yTI_hpSevRqN8ysmemRxrQwm6bNvVoZL/view.