“Molly, Molly, you’re back!”
I turn around and am bombarded by three or four eager, smiling faces hugging me tightly.
This was my second time experiencing Missions at Kingsborough and far from my last.
Once a month, Cardinal Gibbons students have the opportunity to embark on a mini mission trip with the mission of spreading the Gospel message to underprivileged neighborhoods in Raleigh.
Kingsborough Estates, a mobile home park, is a neighborhood bursting with love, zeal, and an ingrained faith in Jesus.
Fr. Luke partnered up with the pastor of St. Joseph’s around Easter 2023 and decided to bring along some students to aid in the supposedly one-time mission work.
Two years later, Missions at Kingsborough is still alive and active.
The first time I came out to Kingsborough I was told to dress up as my favorite saint and bring some information about him or her. Choosing a saint that had always interested me, I decided on St. Kateri.
Going into this mission experience, I would be lying if I said I wasn’t a little nervous. Were the kids going to like me, accept me? Nevertheless, I was excited to share what I knew about our faith to this younger generation.
Upon arriving at Kingsborough, the first task undertaken was going door-to-door, knocking and seeing who wants to join us in play, food, drink, and teachings of the faith. The amount of kids who every time run excitedly down to the field to join us never fails to bring smiles to all of our faces.
The first hour at Kingsborough went by in a blur; a mixture of spikeball, volleyball, soccer – you name it – with the many kids that came out to join us. If I’m being completely honest, this did not feel like any type of service or mission work; it felt like fun.
After what felt like just moments later, Fr. Luke called us all in and we quieted down.
This specific mission trip was a lesson specifically about the saints of the Catholic Church, teaching the younger kids about their influence and emblazoned love for Jesus.
We had just been playing – the kids were rowdy and excited, full of energy. The minute Fr. Luke opened his mouth, however, and started his “lesson” you could see on the children’s faces their rapt attention and the soaking up of the information.
Matthews 19:13-14 reads: “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”
Jesus’ words in the Gospel of Matthew resonated loud and true throughout our humble field at Kingsborough Estates.
As we taught all we knew about the different saints we were dressed as, I felt the true joy of what Jesus personally calls each one of us to do as Christians: go out and share the Good News.
