The Mary Our Queen Mission 2012 Team

Dear Friends, Family and Benefactors,

This year, we have 13 missionaries who responded to the call to come on Mary Our Queen’s eight mission trip. We will be working in the Bronx with the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal (known as the CFR’s).

We arrived safely at LaGuardia late this morning. Fr. Herald and Br. Ignatius picked us up in two vans and  we made our way across to the Bronx to the complex where we will live and work for the next week. The complex consists of St Adalbert’s school and church that closed down 25 years ago. The school has been renovated to include a men’s shelter, St Padre Pio, a medical clinic, a gym, and the dorms where we are staying. The old rectory is St Crispin Friary and the former convent is another Friary, Our Lady of the Angels. Lastly, the complex includes a six story building which houses St. Anthony’s men’s shelter. In between the buildings, the Friars have transformed the area into beautiful gardens and fish ponds with a water fall creating a serene environment. This is the first house of the CRF’s.



St Adalbert School that  has been converted

 
           One of the the gardens in the compound



    Another garden with a statue of St Anthony of Padua

This afternoon we had introductions and orientation to our week sitting in the garden and then started with a retreat given by Fr. Herald. Fr. Herald spoke to us about the urgency of our mission as Christians. He used the parable of the laborers in the vineyard and how God calls us in a number of ways and in His time.  He told us that we can’t remain idle especially in today’s culture of indifference and irresponsibility. We each have a role to play as individuals to help evangelize the world.



John, Colin and Walker relaxing before the retreat

We had a holy hour from five to six and then dinner. Tonight we went to Mass with the men of St. Anthony’s shelter. We are tired and ready to have a good night of sleep after leaving Mary Our Queen this morning at 5:45 am.

We all feel so blessed to be here. Thank you for your support to make this happen for us. Please keep us in your prayers as we are praying for all of you.

God bless,

The Mary Our Queen 2012 Mission Team