The end.

LYA 2013 is in the history books.  Tonight following dinner we had our customary closing prayer service and social.  The evening presentations began with each school meeting to come up with a list of some of the best ideas we've had in Campus Ministry and to share some with the whole group, a sort of best practices exercise.  Our group came up with:

1. Cardboard City
2. Sunday Mass and dinner
3. Baby Shower to benefit Our Place
4. March for Life
5. Holy Thursday Pilgrimage

Kasie Bourque '14 and Kerra Photiades '14 then got up and explained the Sunday Night Mass and dinner and actually substituted our annual trip to Saint Francis Inn for Cardboard City as another school had already mentioned that they do that.  One idea another school had that I really liked was something called Midnight Run (Bishop Libasci mentioned this to me a couple of years ago too so it must be common in New York).  Essentially, schools prepare food and coffee and collect hats and gloves and fan out one night in the winter at midnight to pass these items out to the homeless.  I've been looking for a big December event and I think we may try this one.

After the presentations we all prayed, sang, and were treated to a slideshow put together by one of the moderators, Stefan Phillips of Saint Mary Magdalene Parish here in New York.  He always does a great job and works on it all week long, it's a great hit.  We then had our final social and said our goodbyes as many of us are leaving early.

It was touching, once again, to see how well received our kids are.  The goodbyes are poignant and meaningful, they have developed very close bonds with students from all over the East Coast, some over many years of attending LYA together.  I am a little sad myself as this will be the last LYA with Kasie Bourque '14 and Kerra Photiades '14 who have come on these since we first started attending in 2011.  It's also the last one for Bryan Dufour '14 and Michael Twomey '14 who first came last year.  Next year will be a whole new crop with the exception of Jessie Charon '15 who joined us for the first time this year and jumped right in to it.  The good news is that we have a whole year left with the extraordinary Class of 2014.  It motivates me to really make it a good one.

Tomorrow we will head out at 6am as I am meeting up with Mr. Mailloux '72 and Bro. Robert Ferguson, FSC at noon.  Brother Robert, I believe, taught at Bishop Bradley and/or Trinity and happens to be in Manchester this week and asked if he could visit Trinity.  Perfect timing!

Thanks to everyone who followed our adventures this week.  I had as much fun as the kids and loved reconnecting with my colleagues.  To show the impact, Mr. Joe Selfridge from West Catholic High School in Philadelphia offered to show our kids around Philadelphia when we visit Saint Francis Inn next month.   In addition, we will be touring and having dinner at La Salle University the Wednesday we are there courtesy of Bro. Ed Hofmann, FSC.

Good things are happening, folks.  Trinity is not an island unto itself!

Saint John Baptist de la Salle - pray for us.

Live Jesus in our hearts - forever!