In the spring of 1994, a small group of students from the University of Dayton, under the direction of Professor Timothy Spraggins, came to Resurrection Catholic Missions for a week of service and study as an alternative spring break. These young people from Dayton worked in all of the Mission’s programs and toured historical sites important in the modern Civil Rights Movement, whose key event was the Montgomery Bus Boycott led by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. In the last 23 years, this program has developed into a major program of Resurrection Catholic Missions.
The collegians who participate continue to serve in all of the mission’s ministries and, depending upon the program of their university, spend a good deal of time in prayer and reflection. The Mission Center sponsors a dinner where local citizens who were instrumental in the civil rights movement share first hand reflections and remembrances of those events. The role of the Catholic community in that struggle for justice is often highlighted. The Mission also sponsors other presentations and worship experiences which provide an opportunity for the collegians to experience the rich heritage of the Catholic presence in the African-American and southern cultures.
Resurrection Catholic Missions is pleased to have students from University of Buffalo, Creighton University, DePaul University, Dominican University, Gonzaga University, Saint John’s University, Dalton State College, Loyola University Maryland, Marquette University, St. Thomas University, University of Portland, Quincy University, Resurrection University, the University of California, Los Angeles, the University of Southern California and Wellesley College, participating in this program. The example of these young people is inspiring.