The universal prayer intention entrusted to the worldwide Apostleship of Prayer by Pope Francis recognizes and asks us to pray for volunteers: "That volunteers may give themselves generously to the service of the needy." I occasionally hear someone mutter something about how our contemporary North American culture is so selfish, with individuals turned in on themselves.
That may be true of some people. But it is not my experience of our culture. Think of how many high school curricula require that a student have a certain number of service or volunteer hours before she can graduate. Take note of how many high schools organize service trips to poorer countries in the Global South. These immersion programs are very well thought out. My sense is that the majority of participants come back home with a new understanding of issues being faced by the poor and marginalized. The students could never get an intimate knowledge by reading books or articles.
I have certainly heard some of the details of the experiences of nieces, nephews and the children of friends. They return to Canada with a bigger picture of the world, more understanding of the links between North America's lifestyle and the price paid by people in their host country, and a new sense of compassion.
There is an informal slogan often used by alumni/ae of the Jesuit Volunteer Program in the United States: "ruined for life." How are they "ruined"? Basically, they have had their eyes opened to the realities of the poor and marginalized in our society or those in the Global South.
I'm sure there are international development people who have a critique about some aspects of these programs: What can you really see or experience in an immersion program of a few weeks? Aren't you really separated from the reality of the lives of the poor, because you get to go home to Canada, but the poor have to stay in Guatemala or Haiti? Some of these may be good questions to ask. However, my sense is that the advantages of the experiences far outweigh the disadvantages. I asked my niece, Laura, to say a few things about an experience she had. Laura is now a teacher at St. Jean Brebeuf in Abbotford, British Columbia. Here are her words:
“Teaching in the mountainous region of Dharamsala, India, was tremendously challenging, but humbling, and through this experience I became more grateful. It wasn’t long before I started building relationships with my adult students, and although I was there as a volunteer English and Physical Education teacher for students who were learning English for the first time, the rapport and stories we shared transcended any language barriers and cultural differences that may have existed.
“As I listened to the courageous stories of my Tibetan students, I was left humbled and in awe. I was continuously overwhelmed with a sense of gratitude for the loving, hopeful, and joyful Tibetan people in exile, who inevitably taught me far more than I could ever teach them. Feelings of guilt resonated as I prepared to leave, and at that time it was hard to understand. Upon reflection I realize that I was given far more than I could have ever provided, even though I was there to help the students. My experience with the people of Tibet is manifested in the profound words of St. Francis of Assisi, who reminds us that, “it is in giving that we receive.”
A Jesuit Volunteer program has been resurrected in Canada: www. jesuitvolunteers.ca/ [1]. Check it out: There will be four volunteers starting the program this year. Let’s pray that their experiences transform them. And let us pray for all volunteers, that their experiences may transform them.
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Editor's note:
The men in this photo are all former Jesuit Volunteers and are now Jesuits in formation. Over 50 former Jesuit Volunteers have gone on to enter the Society of Jesus. Many continue to work closely with Jesuit Volunteer Corps as support people, in direction and at retreats. Photo via Garrett Gundlach, SJ.