History

What a wonderful thing it is to take the hand of a little child in yours and trace that symbol of the Holy Trinity, that symbol of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, that symbol of the Incarnation.  What a wonderful thing to teach a child about Jesus Christ.

Fr. Thomas A Judge

Trinity Missions serves thousands of people on our missions in the United States and Latin America.  And, among those thousands are children who need your support and prayers.  Many of these children and their families are struggling to resist the pitfalls of poverty which all too often lead to hopelessness and despair.

As Missionary Servant priests and Brothers, our job is to lift these children up in order to help them to recognize Christ in themselves as well as others and to bring hope where there is none.

Our founding document reminds us that: “We are to have an ardent zeal for the poor, for those desolate in all things spiritual and for victims of injustice.” In keeping with the Church’s social teaching, we labor to preach the Gospel, to correct injustices, and to care for immigrants and minorities as we serve the economically poor and abandoned in both rural and urban areas. Our zealous missionaries are committed to welcoming immigrants and lending a helping hand as they adapt to life in their new country as well as those with nowhere else to turn as they suffer from addiction.

For most of the thousands of immigrants they serve, our Missionary Servants are a lifeline.  The migrant ministry team helps organize Spanish-language Masses and religious education programs at different parishes.  They serve as advocates, helping them get medical care or legal help when needed.  They might help a family find affordable housing or put a father in touch with a local food bank for help with groceries for his family, or just “be there” to listen to a homesick young man as he talks about the family and friends he left behind.

Keaton Douglas of iThirst, offering Recovery workshop to those suffering from addiction

In 1964, Fr. Fred Lawrence, ST, founded the Serenity Retreat League at the Trinity House in Stirling, NJ, as a way of offering spiritual support and encouragement to the families of alcoholics. Recently, it was the site of the Regional Recovery Initiative headed by Brother Joe Dudek, S.T. Today, the Missionary Servants under the leadership of Keaton Douglas seek to continue the tradition of aiding the families of the addicted as well as the individuals themselves through the iTHIRST Initiative.

This warm and inviting place is where recovering addicts can come and feel safe, find a listening ear, an understanding heart, and nourish their tired spirits. The beauty of the program is that it is simple. It is people helping people – people like Brother Joe and Keaton Douglas who understand addiction and giving themselves wholeheartedly to offer spiritual support to addicts who are struggling with recovery.

The iTHIRST initiative empowers dioceses, parishes, and communities to become a resource for those suffering from addictions and their families. At the heart of iTHIRST is an understanding that there is a spiritual dimension to the disease of addiction that cannot be met by clinical professionals, but only by the spiritual consolation and guidance that the Church can provide.

Since 2006, Missionary Servants have served the good people of Guamal, Colombia. The parish has one main church with 30 smaller chapels covering a 25-mile radius. Of course, our missionaries tend to the spiritual needs of the parishioners – traveling long distances to bring the Sacraments and the Word of God.  But they also tend to their physical needs when they can. Every day our missionaries in Guamal are preaching the “Good News” of the Gospel both in word and action.

When the Missionary Servants looked to open a mission in Costa Rica, we wanted the poorest and most abandoned place in the country….and we found it on the Osa Peninsula. In 1994, Missionary Servants served as pastor of Parroquia Santo Domingo De Guzmán (St. Dominic of Guzman Parish) in the town of Puerto Jiménez on the Osa Peninsula.  Besides the main church in Puerto Jimenez, there are 26 chapels served by the mission.  The parish encompasses nine square miles of rural communities, including the Indian reserve that is home to the Guaymí tribe.  Today, our men continue the Missionary Servants’ tradition of service to the people of St. Dominic’s parish.