Contact:
Kris East, Administrative AssistantMaryknoll Fathers & Brothers Western Region
keast@maryknoll.org
510-276-5021
2017 San Francisco Tenderloin Immersion Trip
for Parish Ministers and Leaders
“I prefer a church which is bruised, hurting and dirty because it has been out on the streets, rather than a church which is unhealthy from being confined and from clinging to its own security” - Pope Francis
Do you have to go overseas to experience mission? What is the connection between poverty in the U.S. and elsewhere in the world? Pope Francis reminds us “I can say that the most beautiful and natural expressions of joy which I have seen in my life were in the poor people.” How does our encounter with the poor help us experience joy in our own lives?
This program is designed for teachers, DREs, catechists, deacons, wives and others who minister in the Church and who wish to increase their awareness of their baptismal call to mission and to pass that mission on to others. Join us as we explore how mission begins at home but extends to the ends of the earth. Participants will stay at the Maryknoll Mission House in a retreat setting and travel daily on BART to St. Anthony’s Foundation to encounter God in the poor, elderly and homeless who struggle to survive in the Tenderloin area of San Francisco.
Immersion experience includes:
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Pre-trip orientation and mission training
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During the day, participants will minister in the Tenderloin by rotating through the senior center, clothing store, and diningroom
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Talks by the members of St. Anthony’s staff on the realities of poverty in the Tenderloin.
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Reflections on mission each evening at the Maryknoll Mission House in San Lorenzo in a retreat setting.
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Meditations on Pope Francis’ Joy of the Gospel and examination of how to better share the Good News in our lives and ministry
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Daily communal prayer and time for individual reflection
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Post-trip debriefing and reflection
Costs:
- Suggested donation for room/meals at the Maryknoll Mission House is $400.
- Participants are responsible for purchasing their own BART ticket.
- Scholarships up to $150 may be available.
- Contact Kris East at (510) 276-5021 for more information or for help with registration.