The construction project of a Catholic school in Boucandrice, Haiti, undertaken by the members of Mission Youth of the United States, is a few months away from completion and it is expected that its first school cycle will begin at Easter. Father Michael Mitchell, LC, tells us about this.

Father Michael is the chaplain of Mission Youth in the USA. In this interview, he shares the development of the project and what humanitarian and evangelization missions in Haiti have meant for him and the young people.

Father Michael, when did the Missions of Mission Youth in Haiti begin?

The first mission was a few months after the earthquake of 2010, and a group of young people from Mission Youth of the United States went there, accompanied by Paola Treviño, a consecrated member of Regnum Christi.

Once they arrived in Haiti, they met with the Missionaries of Charity and established how to collaborate with them in evangelization and humanitarian aid.

Since then, about 1,200 young people from the United States have visited Haiti to help the most needy and to bring them the message of love of Jesus Christ.

Usually, when we go on missions to Haiti, we focus our attention on an orphanage and a hospital run by the Missionaries of Charity.

We help in these places by feeding the children and the sick, and by bringing words of encouragement and hope. At the same time, the young people have helped with the construction and remodeling of some chapels in the area we visit.

How did the idea of building a school in Haiti come about?

Regarding this, thanks to God and over the years, we have had more young people willing to offer their time and talents in service to the people of Haiti.

From 10 missions in the early years, we have grown to more than 30 annual missions with mixed groups of 15 to 30 young people.

In recent years, we have been working in Boucandrice, a village on the outskirts of Port-au-Prince. We have received great support from the parish priest who serves 7 communities in the area.

Not all communities have chapels or schools, so we considered the possibility of offering the parish and the people the construction of a Catholic school and a chapel.

We saw, above all needs, that education is an effective means to break the cycle of poverty in which many people live.

Many groups, especially Protestant, have built schools in Haiti, so we recognized the need to offer the parish assistance in the Catholic formation of the people.

What steps did you take afterward to start the project?

The missionaries who regularly go on missions started a network among themselves to raise funds and invite other young people to join the project.

In a short time, thanks to God, we were able to acquire land for the school and raised the necessary funds to begin construction.

We realized that around the school site, there was no potable water, and people traveled long distances to get it.

So, we decided to also build a water tank inside the school so that children and local residents could have access to drinking water.

The people of Boucandrice have thanked us for the decision to hire a Haitian company for the construction of the school, as this has generated jobs and improved the economic situation of some families.

The teachers we hope to hire for the school, about six or seven, will also be from Haiti. The San José School is now in the final stages of construction.

Recently, members of Mission Youth organized a fundraising campaign to buy desks, blackboards, and school supplies, and in March, some young people will go to paint the school, which will currently have six large classrooms and some small facilities, sufficiently large for the current needs of the community.

The diocese will be responsible for managing the school, and Mission Youth will continue supporting evangelization.

The third step we plan to undertake is the construction of a chapel next to the school.

How have the young people of Mission Youth experienced this entire process?

Mission Youth is one of the most rapidly growing apostolates in the United States.

The mission of Mission Youth is basically to invite young people to be missionary apostles of Jesus Christ, which is very much in line with our charism.

We have found that when a young person is invited to step out of their own home, town, city, and comforts, they put on the Mission Youth shirt and become an apostle for a week.

The young people we have taken to Haiti have been touched by a strong experience of Christ. They have seen the poverty of the people, the suffering of children and the sick who are near death and need a message of hope and love.

They experience the need people have to encounter God’s merciful love. Christ touches the hearts of these young people in these situations, and they feel they cannot remain indifferent.

In a week of missions, they realize that being an apostle is possible, that it is a mission to which Christ Himself is inviting them, and that it gives a new meaning to their lives.

They realize they can be happy living their lives alongside Christ and serving others.

They are young people who identify as missionaries, as apostles, and feel the desire to gradually change their world: their homes, workplaces, schools, etc.

In this sense, I believe that having young people like this is also a gift to the Church in the United States.

What experience has particularly marked you during the missions?

Above all, the experience of God’s mercy. I have realized that today’s man needs merciful priests. I can say that a merciful priest is a happy priest, and souls are drawn to him.

I have also perceived the need for priests to have an open heart that can approach anyone. In Haiti, I had my first experience of approaching lepers.

Humanly, my first reaction was to want to run away. However, being able to approach them, embrace them, and tend to their wounds has been, at the same time, the most difficult and the most beautiful thing in my life.

It is to be able to touch Christ who suffers in that way.

After being in Haiti surrounded by people experiencing great poverty, I return to the United States and come into contact with people who enjoy a certain economic well-being. I think that a legionary must experience both realities to be a bridge between them.

Most of my mission time is dedicated to administering the sacraments. I have been able to baptize several children who were about to die and administer the Anointing of the Sick in the hospital.

There is also the contact with fellow missionaries, who, when they go to confession, carry a series of existential questions generated by their mission experience and need to process and dialogue about them.

In this regard, the work of the consecrated women of Regnum Christi, Katelyn Moroney, María Corona, and Jana Crea, who lead Mission Youth in the United States and are dedicated to organizing activities and personal care of the missionaries, is also admirable.

It is a great grace to see the various vocations of Regnum Christi working together in this cause.

We hope, with God’s help, to continue bringing the joy of being Christians to those most in need.