Middle School Love Begins Here 2025

In July, Lumen Christi hosted 45 middle school missionaries from around the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, including 11 of our own students, as a part of Love Begins Here local outreach initiative.  

Together, nine work groups served 21 households within Ozaukee county, Anita’s Garden, Willowbrook Place, Kinship Urban Farm, Life’s Connection Pregnancy Center, and around the Lumen Christi Parish grounds.  

They cleaned headstones in the cemetery, spread mulch, pulled weeds, washed cars, planted flowers, organized garages, washed windows, swept, created Mary gardens, spent time with residents, and so much more. Totaling more than 450 hours of service in two days! 

The Love Begins Here Middle School Missionaries worked hard, played hard, and prayed often. Things our missionaries loved: serving (especially locally), making new friends, playing games, going swimming, the food, praying together, and so much more.  

I posed the question, “Where did they encounter God this week?” Here are the responses given:

• While helping others in the community
• In animals and friends
• Through helping others and serving the church
• In Reconciliation and Adoration
• While I was weeding
• Helping with the incense at Adoration
• Going to Mass and helping those in need
• Hearing about Mother Teresa’s Story (she is the patron saint of the LBH Mission Trips)
• Everywhere but especially at Mass, Adoration, Confession, and when the entire LBH group prayed together.

St. Mother Teresa said, “ I want you to find the poor here, right in your own home first. And begin love there. Be that good news to your own people. And find out about your next-door neighbour- do you know who they are?” (Nobel Prize Lecture 1979)

During this week with Love Begins Here, Ozaukee County became our Calcutta. The Middle Schoolers on this trip learned how to radiate Christ’s love within our own community by serving others.

St. Teresa of Calcutta, pray for us!

Kayla Rothering, Middle School Youth Minister