Teens from W. Dundee church take part in mission trip

Submitted by St. Catherine of Siena

The Youth Mission Team of St. Catherine of Siena Church in West Dundee spent a week, July 22-27 in St. Louis, Mo., volunteering their services to help those in need throughout the area.

The team, comprised of 26 teens and six adult chaperones, helped fill a need of assisting the elderly and individuals with ill health in cleaning and painting their residential homes and tidying up yards and gardens.

Special assistance was given to one family in particular that was undergoing great hardship due to illness and was accruing large amounts of fines from the city for their unkempt property.

The St. Catherine of Siena Youth Mission Team, which has supported volunteering endeavors for the past eight years, worked through the Catholic Heart Work Camp organization to serve the St. Louis community, joining more than 300 teens from neighboring states.

After a hard day’s work, the teens gathered together for evening programs to strengthen their faith. They attended Mass, adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, reconciliation, praying the rosary, team-building activities, and enjoyed fellowship with music, song and dance.

The Youth Mission Team members who volunteered in St. Louis were: Ryan Alvaro, Claire Blume, Sarah Bowen, Austin Davis, Hannah Davis, Mallory Dixon, Caroline Hutton, Dan Jaskowiak, Mary Jaskowiak, Madeline Johnson, Ellen Koscielniak, Amy Larsen, Alex Lobo, Marissa Marcheski, Katie McConville, Danny McConville, Christopher Mueller, Eleanor Oskorep, Ali Sanders, Austin Scarnegie, Taylor Shepard, Sarah Strauss, Ian Walsh, Devon West, Emily Wirkus and Kate Wirkus.

The project team chaperones were Mark Fitzgerald, Susan Harkin, Jennifer Hutton, Peter Mueller, Joe Sakowski and Shirley Sanders.

The St. Catherine of Siena Church Youth Mission Team is open to all high school students, freshmen to graduated seniors, in the parish. The church is at 845 W. Main St. in West Dundee. For information, call (847) 426-2217.