St. Benedict teens lend a helping hand in Valdez

Matthew 25:19 says, “Go, therefore and make disciples of all nations.” Long ago, this meant traveling to distant lands and teaching the people there about Christ and His love for us. Today, this means many different things, including supporting other churches throughout Alaska. 

In December, I spoke with Fr. Robert Whitney about his new ministry at St. Francis Xavier in Valdez, where he is pastor. He shared with me of needs around the church. When I mentioned to the youth group at St. Benedict parish in Anchorage the possibility of going there to help the parish with the projects, the teens overwhelmingly agreed. 

A group of six teenagers volunteered and traveled to Valdez to help with some of the parish projects. Most of the teens were unsure about the extent of the work but were excited for the prospect of doing mission work, helping another parish. 

The mission group gathers for a picture at a waterfall. (Courtesy of Gabriel O’Lena)

The work projects included painting the faith formation hallway and cleaning of the garden around the parish sign. One of the youths, Tristan Freswick, said, “I was expecting to do physical labor like painting.” But what was unexpected was the connection made with the community at St. Francis Xavier. Every youth group member who participate in the mission trip was amazed with regards to the parish’s hospitality.

“I was nervous to socialize with the church community, but I found that they were very kind and wanted to know about who we were,” said Genevieve Sperbeck. Freswick said, “I found a newfound appreciation for the church and the community in Valdez.”

Valdez was holding their “Gold Rush Days” celebration during the mission trip. With that came multiple events that the youth participated in such as various competitions. Nadya Everard described it best: “From pie eating competitions and fish tosses, to watching the cardboard boat regatta and being knighted by the King and Queen of the festival, I couldn’t have asked for anything better.” 

At the end of the mission, the youth group members were asked to share something that they learned from the experience. Freswick shared, “I acquired a few things from this trip, namely a new sense of community with the group that I went on this mission with. Overall, I very much enjoyed this trip, and it has helped me connect more and grow in my experience and appreciation for the Catholic faith.”

The mission group gathers for a picture on a bridge. (Courtesy of Gabriel O’Lena)

Everard reflected, “Being able to serve that community in such a way was life changing. I learned that service toward others, while hard work, is uniquely fulfilling. When I signed up for this trip, I did not expect it to be so meaningful and rewarding. I learned so much more about Jesus and life just by talking to the people around me.”

Sperbeck summarized the experience well, “I’ve never done a mission trip before, and I didn’t know what we were going to do. At first, I thought it would be evangelizing, but it turns out we would be serving the local Church community there. During the mission I realized we were doing Jesus’ work. The thought that Jesus served others not only through words, but by works, and that we were able to imitate Him. This was an awesome experience, and I hope to do it again.”