Welcome

NO MISSION TRIP SCHEDULED for 2024

Thank you for your interest in the St. Luke's Jamaica Mission Trip.  In April 2007 the first group of missionaries from St. Luke’s, went to Blessed Assurance to work with children that are abandoned and disabled.  Blessed Assurance is an apostolate run by the Mustard Seed Communities (www.mustardseed.com ); please visit their website to see what they are all about. 

Each year the trip takes place during the April school vacation, with a group consisting of approximately 18 Youth Missionaries (9 boys / 9 girls), 5 adult volunteers and 1 spiritual leader /St. Luke's Priest.  The  journey is more than the week in Jamaica - it begins every August and continues past the time you arrive back in Barrington.  This may be a weeklong trip, but it is a life altering experience! 

There are many things that your family should consider before making this commitment.  The process consists of fundraisers, bi-weekly then weekly meetings, community service projects and monthly Missionary masses required of the Missionaries.  The parental/family involvement is just as important.  Parents are expected be at the first meeting of every month, help in the coordination and execution of all fundraisers.  In addition the parent needs to make sure that all required paperwork is completed and handed in according to the schedule as well as ensure their missionary is fully committed to the process and the trip. 

There have been years where we have had more interested youth than we can take on the trip.  So, in order to make this as fair as possible, here is the entry outline.  There are two mandatory meetings:

1. There is an Informational Meeting held in August.  This meeting is usually held on a Sunday evening @ 6:30 PM after Sunday evening Mass; the date is posted for several weeks prior in the church bulletin.  During this meeting we  outline all of the commitments / requirements for both the Missionary and the families, as well as answer all questions the families may have.
2. The following Wednesday evening there is a Commitment Meeting.  This allows families time to review what they heard at the Informational Meeting and decide if this trip is right for you.  If you choose to take on the adventure you must come to the Commitment Meeting with the provided paperwork filled out and the first deposit of the families commitment funds (this will be explained at the informational meeting).
    

If there are more missionaries that show up at the Commitment Meeting than slots available we move to a lottery.  The lottery rules are as follows for each (girls / boys):

1. If the number of missionaries (9 boys or 9 girls) who attended both the Informational Meeting AND are at the Commitment Meeting are less than the allowed slots, those missionaries are automatically on the trip.
   1. The remaining missionaries go into a lottery per gender, and those names are randomly pulled to fill the remaining slots available.
2. If the number of missionaries (9 boys or 9 girls) who attended both the Informational Meeting AND are at the Commitment Meeting are more than the allowed slots, those missionaries are the only ones that will go into the lottery. 
   1. Additional potential missionaries who only attended one of the meetings will be put on a waiting list.
3. If you attended the Informational Meeting but can't attend the Commitment Meeting due to extreme circumstances, you can work with the Coordinator and provide the paperwork and deposit ahead of time.  If there is a lottery you will be placed in the lottery (as above).
4. If you did not attend the Informational Meeting and show up at the Commitment Meeting and there is space on the trip you will need to meet with the trip Coordinator to discuss the parameters of what the family is committing to prior to being allowed on the trip.  At the time of the Commitment Meeting, you will be placed on a wait list until you have discussed all the requirements.  If there is a lottery as described above, you do NOT get placed in the lottery and go on a wait list.
5. Parishioners take precedent over non-parishioners in any circumstance.  In the event of a lottery scenario, any non-parishioner will be put on a wait list for an open slot.

For additional information please email:  ms.jamaicamission@gmail.com

Click here to view pictures from our previous trip.