The Mother of Sorrows School faculty/staff family concluded the first month of school together by taking part in an annual event: the MOS faculty/staff retreat. But this year, the long-standing tradition had a new twist.
Faculty and staff members awoke a bit earlier than usual on Friday, August 30 to start their day of prayer and reflection by participating in a morning of service. The entire group met at 6 a.m. at The Midnight Mission (www.midnightmission.org), which is a social service agency located in the Skid Row area of Downtown LA. Teachers and staff worked with the team at The Midnight Mission to prepare and serve breakfast to guests in The Midnight Mission kitchen.
Although many MOS students have volunteered at The Midnight Mission as part of class service projects, all but three MOS faculty and staff members had never been to the social service agency. So, the morning of service provided the opportunity not only to serve others as our Vincentian charism calls us to do, but also to take part in something that our children have also experienced. And just as our children have, our teachers and staff left The Midnight Mission wanting to return again.
After their morning at The Midnight Mission, faculty and staff had the opportunity to share their thoughts, emotions and observations from their service as they also shared breakfast together. They then spent the rest of the morning and afternoon on retreat at St. Vincent Medical Center. The retreat focused on the MOS family’s theme for the school year – Living the Light of Faith – and provided opportunities for teachers and staff members to share with their prayer partners, to pray and reflect individually, and to read and discuss letters from St. Vincent de Paul and St. Louis de Marillac in small groups.
We thank the staff at The Midnight Mission for allowing us to join them on August 30 and for welcoming us with such kindness. We also thank the Daughters of Charity at St. Vincent Medical Center for sharing their campus with us to use for our retreat.
