Every year in our Diocese each parish is assigned a mission group to present their work and needs to the parish as part of a Mission Co-operative Appeal. This weekend was our Appeal, and we were visit by a great young man named Jim Campbell from New Jersey. He was the founder in 2007 of a mission outreach program called Mission Santa Maria that helps youngsters in Ecuador. Mission Santa Maria is a U.S. based non-profit organization helping children and youth in Ecuador. The monies raised help a group of Religious Sisters who run an orphanage and a school for disadvantaged kids. Many of these youngsters come from extreme poverty or abusive families or no families at all.
Jim spoke at our Masses and told of the needs that he found there during a mission trip that prompted him and a few friends who work in NY and family to form this charity which provides tuition to the local Catholic School, food and clean water, clothing, books and supplies to the kids and some necessary equipment (washers/dryers) for the orphanage. Our people were interested and I'm sure generous. If you are interested in finding out more about Mission Santa Maria, link onto www.missionsantamaria.com. If you feel compelled to help in some way, through prayer or financial support, Jim would welcome your inquiry.
I enjoyed my brief visit with Jim, and find him an engaging young Catholic gentleman whose education and experiences at Franciscan University in Steubenville on the undergraduate level and Georgetown University where he earned an MBA have led him into the area of lay missionary work. Pray for their efforts.
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