Fulfilling the Mission

This month, eight rising seniors from the Class of 2027 renewed Jesuit High School’s extraordinary annual tradition of brotherhood and service to the Lakota people of the Rosebud Indian Reservation.

On June 5, Jack Bedell, Fletcher Harding, Noah Kreye, Rafael Ludovice, Bobby Miller, Brady O’Connor, Jake Schifeling, and Tucker Thurston boarded flights from Tampa to Denver to Rapid City, S.D., to engage the children of the reservation during the following week at Vacation Bible School – just as their Jesuit brothers before them have done for some 15 years.

Through service, friendship, fun, and reflection, the team of Tigers made an impact on a reservation community rich in faith – about 20,000 Lakota live on the reservation and roughly 8,000 identify as Catholics though church attendance is very low – but plagued by poverty and substance abuse. Accompanied by eight-year South Dakota service immersion mission trip veteran Andy Wood ’92 and Henry Ibanez ’86 (on his second Rosebud immersion experience), they served with compassion and humility.

“One of the great things about this experience is how beneficial it is for everyone involved,” Wood said. “Yes, we strive and hope to make an impact serving this community, especially the children. But also, our students will return to campus this fall as better ‘Men for Others.’

“To some extent we are all transformed by the experience. It is an eye-opener to a different culture, a different lifestyle, and the daily reality of poverty.”

Before the Jesuit students took charge of the Body, Mind, and Soul VBS for the week, they enjoyed a team-building weekend of amazing sightseeing and educational experiences in the Badlands and Black Hills region. They visited Mount Rushmore and the Crazy Horse Memorial, learning about the legendary Lakota warrior whose unfinished mountain monument is one of the world's largest sculptures. They also explored the scenic Needles Highway and Custer State Park, encountering bison and the famous begging burros, while swimming in Sylvan Lake.

By the time the group arrived at their trailers on the reservation, they had meshed like a championship team, ready to tackle the week. First, they attended Mass celebrated by Fr. Edmund Yaino, S.J., at St. Bridget Catholic Church. Fr. Edmund spoke about the challenges of serving the reservation community and encouraged the students to embrace a core Jesuit principle: finding God in all things.

For the next five days, from 9:00am to 3:00pm, the Jesuit students led Bible lessons, arts and crafts, games, and recreational activities while building relationships with the children. They broke down the barriers and walls to form meaningful connections with young people whose lives are often shaped by the difficult circumstances of significant economic hardship as well as in many instances unstable home environments. Through their presence, encouragement, and friendship, they made a difference.

"Our children love to meet the students that come every year," said Jenny Black Bear, who has been the director of religious education for the St. Francis Mission since 2013, shortly after Jesuit High School students began making an annual mission there. "They look forward to the BMS camps every summer. A lot of our children have never left the reservation, and I think it is good for them to learn from shared stories and experiences from others, especially those who come from elsewhere. It is a positive experience to learn from others. Throughout the year, the children talk about the students they met and became friends with."

When camp activities concluded each afternoon, the Tigers turned their attention to service projects. As they have been doing for years, the students cleaned up and restored the local cemetery, clearing overgrown areas, removing debris, making repairs, and improving the grounds.

“Through the years, the Jesuit students have made a big difference in the way the community feels about the cemetery,” Wood said. “Cleaning up the trash, clearing the grass covering the headstones – the locals notice and appreciate it, and they express their gratitude.

“Compared with a decade ago, when they visit the cemetery now to see their loved ones or just walk by, they feel much better. While for us, seeing the history, with gravestones hundreds of years old and all the cool Native American names – we are honoring the deceased and getting a history lesson.”

Additional service projects included cutting back overgrown grass surrounding the building that houses the Body, Mind and Soul camp, which this year was the Ichiman Centre adjacent to the main church of the St. Francis Mission, the iconic, soft lavender-colored St. Charles Borromeo Church. They also gathered firewood for community members and cleaned up a common gathering area used by local residents.

But it was the relationships with the 20 children at the Mind, Body, and Soul camp that was at the core.

“One of the campers, Trayson, who was a big Lionel Messi fan, he asked his grandmother if she could get a gift for each of us,” Wood said. “He wanted to do something special for us, even though his family has little. So it was very special. He gave all 10 of us a traditional Native designed keychain.”

As is the case every year, the most difficult task was saying goodbye. The relationships formed throughout the week left a lasting impact on everyone involved. Through the years, several Jesuit students have stayed in contact with youths they befriended.

"The students help to make the camps successful by meeting, teaching and learning with our children," Black Bear said. "I have had some children share that they are still in contact with some of the Tampa students (years later). They became friends and they appreciate that! I think it is valuable and meaningful for the young men to come and share their experiences with our students. I appreciate that they meet our children where they are at."

After a full day of travel back to Tampa, one final tradition remained: the coveted Golden Spatula Award. It is presented to the students who prepared the week's favorite dinner, and this year it was awarded to Bedell and Schifeling for their delectable quesadilla meal.

“It was another transformative experience in South Dakota, an annual story of faith in action,” Wood said. “The reward is the genuine connections. These Jesuit students came together as a team to make it happen and fulfill the school’s mission.”