St. Albert the Great Wisconsin trip

This was my second year going on the Wisconsin mission trip. Some things remained the same, others were different, but I really enjoyed it. We had a much smaller group this year, which allowed us to get to know each other better. Our first stop was the Salvatorian Mission Warehouse, where we worked with Brother Regis and Sister Dora, sorting donated pant cut-offs to be shipped to Africa and South America. The locals use this fabric to make backpacks, hats, dresses, etc. as a source of income. Their mission succeeds on volunteers and donations alone, which I find very fascinating. Their budget is only $1 million/yr, and nearly all of that goes towards shipping costs.

Our next stop was Milwaukee for a little sightseeing. We witnessed some incredible architecture at the Church of the Gesu and the Basilica of St. Josaphat. We prayed the Stations of the Cross at the Basilica and Father Al said mass in St. Joan of Arc Chapel on the campus of Marquette University. It was a really cool old medieval chapel that came from 15th century France. It is now the oldest building in the U.S. still being used for its original purpose. We also were fortunate enough to get to meet with the Archbishop, Jerry Listecki of Milwaukee

Finally, we headed to Fr. Carr's Place 2 B in Oshkosh. The men's dining room at this shelter needed tile installed to replace the carpet. We worked for two full days cleaning up the floor and laying tile. It was hard labor, but nothing beat the satisfaction of seeing a big section of the room covered with brand new tile. Both the warehouse and the shelter were displays of great faith, because there is steady source of funding for either. Still, both are successfully helping those in most need.

We were exhausted at the end of every day of hard work, and we would finish with prayer and fellowship. All in all, I had a great time on the Wisconsin trip.