Center for Global Perspectives: February 2007

When I first organized the "Through the Eyes of Faith: Holy Cross Ghana" program in Ghana in the Summer of 2000, little did I know that this program will develop into what it has become now: an experience changing for many students who come to Ghana on such trips. Every student group that comes to Ghana is different. They come with possibilities, excitements and challenges but in the midst of those possibilities, excitements and challenges, God uses them to touch the lives of the students and non-students alike on such trips. That is the beauty and workings of God. Through faith we discover how God is at work in our lives. With openness of heart and mind, through thoses experiences we have on such trips, we encounter God through the people and the events; meanings are embedded those experiences. It is those meanings that become a changing experience for most of us; it helps us discover a bit of about ourselves.

Let me share an experience with you. I just came back from Dunkwa on Offin through Kumasi this evening (Feb 21, 2007). I brought a 17-year-old young girl to school. This girl is given reason to hope for the future through the generosity of one of you. I see this kind gesture as God responding to the needs of this needy young girl through you. What a difference you have made in keeping this girl's hope alive. I thank you on behalf of her.

To those who are exploring the possibility of coming to Ghana or to go to Peru, don't be afraid to venture into that unknown path. Ghana and Peru are different countries with different cultural, and economic backgrounds that have possibilities and challenges. This year, Ghana is celebrating its Golden Jubilee as an independent country from Britain. Holy Cross is also celebrating its golden jubilee of ministerial presence in Ghana. Ghana as a country is going through a period of peaceful development in economics, structural and social change. We in Holy Cross are also developing along with Ghana. We are excited about it and we want you to be part of our dream of creating new ministries through education where educating the hearts and minds of our peoples becomes paramount. Our new Holy Cross school is gradually becoming a reality as the land is secured. Come the next five years you will not have to travel long distance on your first day in Ghana, our school in Kasoa will be ready!

To the students and parents who want to experience Ghana and its people, I will urge you to come. You have nothing to be afraid of. Ghana is a save place. The people are hospitable and friendly. We the Holy Cross community in Ghana will do our best to ensure that your trip is memorable one. Your welfare while in Ghana is our greatest concern and we do well to ensure that. You are welcome to Ghana, Akwaaba!

We landed in Accra after about a 10 hour flight from New York. I thought to myself, "I am in Ghana." I could not comprehend the impact the next few weeks would have on my life. Sitting back at Holy Cross in April, we were learning so much classroom material about Ghana, I thought the day would never come that I would actually be there in a few short months. I am sure many of you have heard this and have probably even said it, but it needs to be said again and again. It is a truly eye-opening and impacting journey.
The people I met, the friendships I made, not only with the Brothers down there, but the students I went with, I will carry with me. I still miss the smell and the sight of driving along the road by the coast and taking it all in. Even the market, which was a unique smell, will sometimes creep into my memory as I sit and class and miss Ghana.
I truly hope that anyone who gets a chance takes the opportunity of a lifetime, to change their life, build friendships, and live with our brothers and sisters in Ghana for a few weeks. I promise you, a piece of Ghana will always stay with you.

Holy Cross Service Corps

The Holy Cross Service Corps is one of the newest endeavors of Holy Cross College. HCSC is a post-graduate service program housed in the Center for International Programs. The concept for the year of voluntary service was born out of the enthusiasm exhibited by our students returning from their International Experience. So many of our students return saying the same thing, “I want to go back!” HCSC gives our graduates the incredible opportunity to return to the sites of their International Experience to help advance the mission of the Brothers of Holy Cross.

In July of 2007 the inaugural volunteer for the Holy Cross Service Corps left the United States for a year of service alongside the Brothers in Ghana, West Africa. The undertaking was a complete success and will spur the growth of this exciting new program to include our other International Experience sites. A great deal of work will be done throughout this year to continue to structure this program so that our graduates may continue the mission of Holy Cross which “sends us across borders of every sort.”

HCSC Mission Statement

The mission of the Holy Cross Service Corps is to provide volunteers, or Moreau Fellows, named after the founder of the Holy Cross Congregation Fr. Basil Moreau, with an opportunity to improve their personal relationships with Jesus Christ through service, simple-living, and prayer. The goal of HCSC is to establish a more intimate relationship between the professed brethren and the laity all the while advancing the mission of the Holy Cross brothers as educators in the faith.

The Ghana Global Immersion Experience

This is a 17 day experience in Ghana, a culture ancient yet ever-changing, poor yet developing. In that land are some of the most significant sites in the history of the world. For example, we visit the slave prisons that held millions of Africans when the coast of Ghana was the center of the slave trade, beginning in the 1500's. We spend time with church officials, like Ghana's only Cardinal, Peter Kodwo Turkson. And we spend much time at the retreat center where the Holy Cross Brothers share their life with us. Below are some pictures. Also, fyi, the emergency contact with us in Ghana:
Brother Paul Mensah, CSC
Telephone: 011-233-910-1624 or
011-233-42-91482
Mobile: 011-233-20-834-4631
His email is: pkmensahcsc@yahoo.com