Christine Ingrassia
                                                   Coordinator of Youth Ministry
                                                   985-345-3360
                                                   gracie_eddie@yahoo.com

Holy Ghost Catholic Church high school youth group traveled to Arteago, Coahuila, Mexico on a working mission trip the week of June 10-18. The experience of youth working in Mexico is sponsored by Youth Mission Mexico. Father Peter Hammett, O.S.B., pastor of Holy Family Church in Franklinton and Mrs. Doris Mueller, a member of St. Thomas More Church in Baton Rouge, are the sponsors of Youth Mission Mexico.  Joining four other parishes, the youth and adults worked on the building of a small church in a barrio outside of Arteaga. The barrio is a settlement, or neighborhood, where abject poverty is prevalent. Besides the need of a church to worship, the barrio residents are in need of decent housing, medical care, transportation and education opportunities.

Temperatures rose to near 100 degrees as the teens mixed concrete, built retaining walls and dug the pits to house a septic system and the church bell tower. Evenings included daily mass, soccer with the locals, ice cream and even a Mariachi Band! On the last day of the trip, the group traveled to Saltillo where we toured the Cathedral of Saltillo and a local Mercado. Despite the harsh conditions of the barrio, Holy Ghost teens discovered the friendship of the Mexican people and a deep satisfaction of serving the poor. All of the teens from Holy Ghost are already waiting to return to Arteago next summer!

Attending Youth Mission Mexico from Holy Ghost Parish were: Christine Ingrassia, Youth Director, Beth Gray, Adult Leader, Brandon Abelseth, Chelsea Benoit, Abbie Dufrene, Danielle Ferrara, Jacob Quebedeaux, Kailey Rocker, Lauren Williams and Stephen Pfeil.