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“Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.” -Martin Luther King, Jr

If your son or daughter is looking at giving a year of full-time service to Bon Secours Volunteer Ministry, you are probably feeling many different emotions. Fortunately, you are not the first person to go through this. Here are some reflections from the parents of our past volunteers to provide a little insight and comfort as you discern with your son or daughter about this program.

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Janine McDonald | Reflection on daughter’s BSVM year (Kate McDonald, BSVM 2011-2012)

Janine McDonald says when she learned that her daughter Kate was thinking about joining Bon Secours Volunteer Ministry, she was “very proud of Kate for her willingness to take this opportunity for spiritual growth.” Although Janine was initially concerned for Kate’s safety, she felt better after visiting her daughter for her birthday and learning “about the classes Bon Secours gave them about safety.” Read More

Dave and Peggy Ceponis | Reflection on daughter’s BSVM year (Sarah Ceponis, BSVM 2011-2012)

"Bon Secours infused in my daughter an indelible sense of duty to the poor and needy... She learned about the cycle of poverty through the faces and lives of those who are born into it. She is now planning to pursue a Master's degree in Public Health in order to obtain the tools to structurally and radically change the cycle of poverty at its origins." Read More

Mary Vatterott Hastings | Reflection on daughter’s BSVM year (Paula Hastings, BSVM 2018-2019)

Parents often play an important role in a prospective volunteer’s discernment of a year of service. If their child chooses to say yes to service, parental support of and interest in their child’s experience also impacts the service year. BSVM alum and current BSVM Volunteer Recruiter, Paula Hastings (BSVM ’18-’19) is blessed to have strong parental support for her choice to dedicate a year of her life to service. Read More

Michael & Kathy Wood | Reflection on son’s BSVM year (Christian Wood, BSVM 2018-2019)

“I would like to take a gap year,” were words that frankly raised a small amount of concern for my wife and me as we wondered how this would impact our son’s ability to get into medical school, given he had worked so hard through his four years of college at Notre Dame. Read More

We are called by God and sent by the Church to reproduce in ourselves: Christ healing... Christ consoling... Christ always aware of the needs of others.

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