Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I was a priest only a few weeks and had recently begun my summer assignment here at St. Pius X when I was asked to join the youth group for their annual mission trip with Catholic Heart Workcamp. That week of service began something I could not have imagined. After a few more years accompanying St. Pius teens to CHWC, I was asked to serve as a chaplain for Catholic Heart. Ten years of chaplaincy later, I was able to spend the first month of my sabbatical working with CHWC, offering staff training and chaplaincy at several camps. A week at Catholic Heart Workcamp gives high school students a chance to serve those most in need, encounter Jesus in Mass and in the people they serve, and to make new friendships. It is a high impact week every year.

This week, our parish group – twenty-one teens and their chaperones – is in Billings, MT for Catholic Heart. While it is my last camp accompanying a group from St. Pius, I am immensely grateful for the connection to CHWC that this parish has made possible. I am also grateful for the generous service that our teens give every year. I count myself blessed to have been part of the twenty-five year history of the St. Pius X youth group going on mission with Catholic Heart Workcamp, and I pray that this summer service trip will continue for years to come. Thank you for supporting our teens each year. Please keep them in your prayers this week as they make a difference in Billings!

Peace,

Fr. Sam