For more than 20 years, members of Jesus the Good Shepherd Parish (JGSP) in Owings, Maryland have conducted Vacation Bible School (VBS) programs for Glenmary parishes. “The first one we went to was supporting Father Neil Pezzulo at St. Jude Parish in Waldron, Arkansas,” says Deacon Paul Fagan, volunteer youth minister at JGSP, who was been part of VBS trips since 2009.
From the original group of seven people, including chaperones, VBS volunteers have grown to include 30 teenagers, plus adult chaperones. The program has expanded to two weeks of VBS, not one. JGSP parishioners have also traveled to Glenmary parishes in Georgia, Kentucky, Tennessee, and North Carolina.
The partnership between the Maryland parish and Glenmary Home Missioners began when Father Neil, then a seminarian in Washington, D.C., was assigned to JGSP for two years for his ministry practicum. “He kept in touch with our youth minister and, after Father Neil was ordained, he mentioned that his parish had a lot of kids but no adults to run a VBS. The rest is history,” Deacon Paul recalls.
VBS serves children from ages four to 13. Sessions run the end of June and beginning of July. As many as 100 kids have attended VBS during a one-week program. “I told the priests if you only have 10 kids we don’t care. We’re not looking to have a lot of kids. We’re looking to make it a good experience for whoever comes to VBS,” states Deacon Paul.
Each VBS session is based on an overall theme, and each day has a different theme based on that. “Everything is tied back to Scripture. There are five different stations — prayer, games, crafts, music, and snacks.” VBS participants rotate from station to station as JGSP teenagers lead the activities with adult chaperones present.
As with all Glenmary ministries, there is no restriction on being Catholic. “Anybody who wants to sign up and come can do so. Some of the Protestants come and get to see what the [Catholic] Church is because it’s a mystery to them,” the deacon explains.
To further enhance the experience, Deacon Paul strives to give the week more of a retreat feel for the teens. “Our volunteers start every day with morning prayer in the church, Mass once or twice a week, confessions when a priest is available, and evening prayer. That’s been very successful in bringing more prayer life into the VBS week,” notes Deacon Paul.
In addition to VBS, JGSP teens have assisted with Glenmary community outreach such as Bible Study for local residents and food distributions. “It’s been our experience that the participants get more out of the trip than they put into it. Seeing the poverty and how the work of the Glenmary Missioners makes a big difference in a lot of people’s lives is a real eye-opener for our kids,” says Deacon Paul.
