Spring Break In Service for Friar Missionaries

Fourteen Bishop Lynch High School students spent their spring break on a transformative mission trip to Punta Gorda, Belize, where they spent a week living simply and serving alongside a Catholic school in a Mayan community. Accompanied by Chaplain Fr. Cesar Garcia, Coordinator for Student Formation Maritza Fierro, and Math Department Chair Kate See, the group embraced a spirit of faith, community, and servant leadership throughout the experience.Students partnered with the local community to improve campus facilities at San Jose Catholic School, helping replace particleboard walls in classrooms and the principal’s office with cinderblock. Along the way, they learned to mix cement, build assembly lines, and work collaboratively to complete the project. Time on site also included opportunities to connect with San Jose students through games and conversation, building meaningful relationships beyond the work itself.

Stepping away from cell phones, air conditioning, and other daily comforts, the Friars fully immersed themselves in life in another country, embracing the culture, cuisine, and hospitality of the local Mayan community. Each evening, the group gathered for Mass, followed by dinner and reflection, during which students shared gratitude for both the blessings of that day and of the aspects of their home life and Bishop Lynch education that they often take for granted.

By stepping outside the familiarity of daily life and engaging with others in a spirit of compassion and solidarity, these Friars lived out a broader understanding of our Dominican pillars of community and service—one rooted in a call to meet Christ in neighbors near and far.