Summer in the Dominican Republic

Thanks be to God for all His love, mercy, and kindness! This summer I was in the Dominican Republic for 8 weeks at a small parish that the Archdiocese of Milwaukee helped start, La Sagrada Familia in Sabana Yegua. No, I unfortunately am not fluent in Spanish after the summer, however, I can understand and follow others in conversations. The summer was an immersion into a culture I am very unfamiliar with, and thus at times was very challenging and took me out of myself. I learned to appreciate our differences and “receive all with love” as St. Therese of Lisieux says. 

Our days were spent doing all sorts of activities. We helped clean the cemetery, we painted buildings and walls on the parish grounds that needed painting, we worked in the parish panadería - bakery - making pan dulce - sweet bread - for the parishioners, and we practiced baseball with the little league team. We were also able to visit so much of the country and see the northern and southern shores. Santa Domingo, the capital city, has a historic area of the downtown that is filled with buildings, forts, and churches built in the 1500s. It was so moving to visit these beautiful churches full of such rich history. We were even able to visit the spot of the very first baptism in the Americas, the place where the faith began for all of us. 

The traveling and site seeing was obviously exciting, but the most moving and profound moments of my experience were found with the parishioners of La Sagrada Familia, as well as, listening to Fr. Javier - the pastor of the parish - preach the gospel, sitting down for dinner with parishioners, and playing and teaching the kids of the parish about the love of Jesus. Our Lord made Himself present very often throughout the summer, and often times it was in the little things, a thank you, a smile, a dinner, a hug, He was there in all of it! 

I hope to go back again in my lifetime, the experience changed me and brought me closer to Christ and His cross. This summer has also strengthened my calling to the priesthood, an unexpected blessing, and a blessing I cannot wait to bring with me as I return to Lumen Christi with all of you. God bless!

- Alex Becker, Seminarian