By Michael Gresham
The Texas Catholic
For many high school students, spring break is a time to relax and unwind. For one group of students from Bishop Lynch High School, this year’s spring break provided an opportunity to serve others, grow in faith, and experience new cultures.
Eighteen Bishop Lynch students traded sandy beaches and vacation getaways March 6-15 for experiences of faith and service, traveling to Belize for a nine-day mission trip.
“I felt God when I was in those places, when I got to serve, give back, and just see how other people live in other parts of the world,” Bishop Lynch junior Alexia Barrientos said. “Those moments just changed my life.”
Maritza Fierro, coordinator of student formation at Bishop Lynch, served as the mission trip coordinator and accompanied the student missionaries along with fellow chaperones; Father Mark Garrett, school chaplain; and Patty Barton, school nurse. She said a top goal of the mission trip is to help students to grow in their faith and embrace the opportunities to serve others.
“They leave behind their comforts — no electronics, no cell phones, and sometimes, no hot water. They eat what is provided,” Fierro said. “Most of all, though, our students embrace an attitude of gratitude throughout the trip.”
Since 2007, Bishop Lynch has participated in Diocese of Dallas mission trips, initially joining with other Catholic schools. In 2015, Fierro said the school began organizing its own mission trips, allowing Bishop Lynch students to immerse themselves more fully in the experience of serving others.
Belize had been a planned destination for 2020, but just two days before departure, the COVID-19 pandemic forced its cancellation. This year, the school revisited the idea with a mission trip taking student missionaries to the Mayan village of San Jose, about 45 miles from Punta Gorda in Belize. There, they partnered with a local Catholic school to help refurbish its buildings.
Fierro said their mission extended beyond paint and walls. Throughout the experience, the Bishop Lynch missionaries engaged with local students, teachers, and parents, forging meaningful connections through shared faith and love.
“We may not have known what to expect,” she said, “but we all spoke the same language — the language of love and service.”
Sharing faith
For Bishop Lynch senior Mark “MP” Vasquez, the spring break mission trip was more than just an opportunity to travel; it was a calling.
“I just kind of felt like God put me on this trip for a reason,” Vasquez said. “I felt like something was calling me to go…and I’m glad I did.”
When not working, Vasquez and his classmates found joy in forming connections with the local children.
“During breaks, we got to go into the classrooms, talk to the kids, and play with them during lunch or recess,” he recalled. “One of my favorite memories was teaching them a special handshake. We’d dap each other up and say, ‘What’s up, bro?’”
While the trip was filled with laughter and camaraderie, it also challenged Vasquez to step out of his comfort zone and reflect on what truly matters.
“It was definitely humbling,” he said, noting the lack of electronics, access to social media, and everyday comforts he is accustomed to having. “It was kind of like a recentering. We really got to take a break…and just step back and be a part of something greater.”
While in Belize, junior Alaina Oommen and her peers took part in various outreach efforts, from assisting in schools to sharing their faith through music and dance. One moment stood out to Oommen as she taught students a dance to the song, “I Thank God” — when the music stopped, the students kept singing.
“When I heard them singing the words, I knew that’s why I was supposed to come on the trip,” Oommen said. “I felt like the Holy Spirit was in the room with us.”
Oommen said watching the joy light up the children’s faces was “just really incredible.”
“What an amazing thing to be a part of spreading Jesus to these kids and getting to see their faces just light up with joy,” she said.
Beyond service, Oommen found the experience to be one of spiritual growth. One of the most significant differences from her daily routine back home was the opportunity to attend Mass daily.
“I felt really connected to God,” she explained. “Even not having some of the daily comforts — like we didn’t have air conditioning — it taught me to have more of a heart of gratitude for the things that I take for granted so much.”
Likewise, Barrientos reflected on the impact those daily Masses had upon her, recalling becoming overcome with emotion during the celebration of one Mass.
“I started bawling my eyes out, because I truly felt the Holy Spirit,” she said. “And a day or two later, after Mass, I felt a calling in my heart to participate more in the Mass.”
That calling led Barrientos to volunteer as an altar server for the first time in years.
“Father Mark asked who would like to altar serve, and I volunteered,” she said. “It felt so good to be back there and to participating in Mass in a different way.”
Now back in Dallas, Barrientos said she is eager to bring her renewed sense of faith and mission to her school and parish community.
“I realized that I want to participate more in campus ministry here at BL and more in my local parish,” she said.
Cutline for featured image: Bishop Lynch High School students and chaperones pose for a photograph at the entry to the town of Punta Gorda, Belize. The group had the opportunity to explore the small town during a mission trip to Belize March 6-15.
