Caritas Denver Reflection, Christ in the City 3/11/25
Being in Denver has opened my eyes in so many ways. On Monday we had training and a street tour. On Tuesday, we went out to our street assignments for the first time. In Matthew, the Lord tells us to be “poor in spirit” (Mt. 5:3). Though I have heard it listed in the beatitudes my whole life, I have never experienced a tangible way to be poor. These last two days, my eyes were opened to the poverty that is a reality for so many, so many that could just as easily be me. In my friends who live on 16th street in Denver, I have seen many parts of my own heart: many ways I lack trust and dependency on the Father, many ways I lack poverty where it is needed, and many ways I lean on my independence over my dependency on the Lord. We can learn many lessons from the poor like not to take our home for granted, not to take our friends and family for granted, and not to take all the free gifts from the Lord for granted. It can be easy to think we deserve what we have been given, to get caught in the lie that it is ours, but it is all free gift from the Lord. While the hardships are real, I was struck by the joy that is present in such circumstances. My friends on 16th have a beautiful hope and receptivity about them. Walking with my friends on 16th street showed me the reality of deep hurt in our humanity, where my own heart is poor, and where my heart could use much more poverty.
Thanks!
Celi Chapman, Sophomore, Carroll College
Browning, Day 2, March 12, 2025, De La Salle Blackfeet School
So far, the trip to Browning has been a blessed time. Since the beginning of the trip, I have been amazed at the sense of community Browning clearly exhibits. In the first mass, during the sign of peace, everyone spent nearly two minutes giving peace and even during communion, continued to shake hands and exchanged signs of peace throughout the pews. Being able to play a part in the community of Browning has been so pleasant as I came in with the mindset that the community would have been more broken in the poverty that is present. However, the poverty seems to drive a real love between the people in uniting in their sufferings. Many of the people I have encountered suffer well, and this is something I wish to take into my own life.
In a reflection we had tonight, Roy, the campus minister of University of Providence (who is also joining the trip with us,) asked the question: “What does it mean to do what God does, see what God sees, and love as God loves?” I have been reflecting on this question tonight and the answer reflects a lot of my outlook on the trip thus far. For one, the answer to this question revolves around love, as He is love, sees through the lens of his love, and what he “does” is love. Seeing through a lens of love and charitability must then be the lens we tend to strive for in our own lives. But how do we actually learn to do this?
I have found that my perspective on how to view others has changed even in the two days we have been able to spend with the students here in Browning. Many of these students deal with real struggles, such as alcoholic parents, abuse, or other stresses that make the ordinary life we take for granted much more difficult. In this way, when in the schools and a student is paying attention, or struggling to pay attention, I find myself have a different reaction that I normally would, one that is more understanding and charitable to what may be going on in their lives outside the classroom. Rather than seeing them for what they do or how they present themselves, I have seen them in a more real and clear light, as children of God who suffer. Though their wounds and sufferings come out in different ways, they clearly love God and love each other, and as St. John of the Cross said: “In the evening of our life, we shall be judged by love alone.”
I have been blessed to see so many smiles on students faces as well as my own as I have been able to see the beautiful humanity that is here in Browning. I ask for prayers for these students, their families, and the many immersion trips that will take place in the future at this school. These students are our family in the Church, and suffer just like us, just in a different way. I am very happy I came on the trip to see this new perspective and am very excited to continue to learn to love and see these students as God sees them.
Ryan Frampton, Senior, Carroll College
Browning, Day 1, March 10, 2025 De La Salle Blackfeet School
Today was our first day working at the catholic school in Browning and it was absolutely wonderful! I got to work with the fourth and fifth graders and they were a blast. I was deeply moved by their simple joy. Their passion and excitement for life was infections. Throughout day I found myself being unable to stop grinning. I was pleasantly surprised by the kids sense of humor. I was laughing so much that the kids started making fun of me for it. But I couldn’t help myself these kids are just so darn funny. One highlight from the day was getting to help this young sweet girl develop a story. She ended up deciding the main character would be her older sister Kaia. To help develop this character I gave her sheet with a list of questions. The first question on the page was “What does your character desire most” to this she responded “My character wants more than anything to be mean to her little brother in the morning.” Anyway, I thought it was hilarious. I finished out the school day playing dungeons and dragons upon one of the students request. It was my first introduction to D&D and I learned that each participant gets to pick a player name by which they are to be referred. The names included “Issi” “Dark Lord” and last but not least “Big Daddy”. After the school day we had a lovey couple with two young children share with us the unique blessings and struggles of the Blackfeet people. It was a truly insightful discussion. Overall it was a great day and I am very grateful to Browning community for welcoming us in to their lives for a week.
Andrew Devine, Senior
Day 5, Browning, March 14, 2024
From Grace: March 14, 2024:
We headed out a bit early this morning so we could spend some prayer time in Little Flower Parish. We spent our final day in the classroom, and things went pretty smoothly. Even in one week, we have started to build some relationships with the kids, and it was kind of hard to leave so soon. The sixth graders were very enthusiastic in saying goodbye!
This afternoon, we went for a hike in east glacier, near St Mary Lake. The weather was very good, it was sunny and above freezing. We went with two park rangers who pointed out some plants and animals, and told us a little bit about the history of the park. It was a good opportunity to learn a little while enjoying the beauty of nature.
Day 4, Browning, March 13, 2024
From Emma:
We opened today with Mass led by my class, the 7th graders! I loved getting to see how they went about assigning mass parts and studying for their roles earlier this week. All of the students were very eager to participate which I found very encouraging. Mass in Little Flower Parish was beautiful and I was very happy to finally get to visit the chapel space after unfortunately being unable to on Sunday. I spent the remainder of the day working one on one helping students complete some of their missing work. However, I think that the students worked very independently throughout the day and I appreciated the change from making sure that work was being completed to being able to act as an additional resource when they encountered questions.
Over this week I have really seen God’s presence in these kids; in their laughter, in their curiosity, and especially in their perseverance. These traits lead me to understand that although the circumstances of life feel like they divide us, at our core we are all connected both through our humanity and our status as God’s children. When I was preparing for this trip, I was expecting to feel more alienated as I entered this community that I knew very little about outside of their hardships but during my time here I have recognized the ways that this school feels familiar. I grew up attending a small Catholic private school and I see so much of my childhood in these classrooms; simultaneously I also understand even more clearly how privileged my upbringing made me. However, I think that it is important for me to acknowledge this difference and be able to recognize that the differences aren’t what connects us.
Day 3, Denver, March 13, 2024
Hello readers! Today we started off with the same routine of waking to blinding lights at 6am and walking down to the Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish to pray morning prayer. We stayed there afterwards to say mass, which featured a beautiful homily by Fr. Drew Hoffman about how the Lord will not forget us. After this we came back to do some personal prayer, while the cooking crew whipped up a delicious meal that included pancakes!, oatmeal, fruit, and ham and cheese sliders. We ended the morning with an amazing talk on poverty given by one of the CIC missionaries, Lidia. She talked about surrendering the material things we grasped as well as the spiritual things we grasped(like our sins, self-consciousness, anxieties, etc) in order to receive the gift of poverty.
After this talk came the preparation for the famous 
lunch in the park
We loaded up about 150 chairs,10 tables, boxes of donations, and the food. We arrived at the park and went to work handing out donations and serving food. I grabbed a plate of shepherd’s pie and talked with a man named Vince for the whole time. Although most of our conversation was pretty surface level stuff, he was very grateful for our conversation, and I was honored to spend some time existing with him. After lunch we divided into “Marian groups” where we broke down some of the deeper thoughts of our hearts. These talks were vulnerable and beautiful and could have lasted way longer than they did.
In the evening, we got some free time while the kitchen crew made us a splendid little burrito bar. This was shortly followed by night ministry, where half of the colleges were sent back out to the city to hang out with the poor, while the other half got free time. I went to a DoubleTree hotel that became a shelter, where I talked to a guy named Rick for the whole time. This man had crazy stories like opening for the band, Whitesnake, or hitting a bullseye from 150 yards away with a handgun. We drove back in a rain storm that was slowly becoming snow. There’s expected to be a few inches tomorrow, so praise God for the things we can’t control (even though it was 60 degrees yesterday). Overall, today was a little bit deeper and I can easily say this trip has changed my life. Thanks for reading!
Asher out
Day 3, March 12, 2024, Browning
From Katie:
Our second day in the classroom had much more ease than our first day. It was a day that practiced patience and consistency. Throughout the day, the 4th and 5th graders started opening up to me and befriending me as a role model. Although there were parts of the day that were difficult, there was so much fulfillment in being present with the children and community. From playing sharks and minnows to helping children practice their reading skills and learning bits and pieces of the Blackfeet language to visiting with members of the faculty, I have fallen in love with this community and the way in which each individual cares for one another like family. The roots are deep within this community and even through historical trauma, hardship and violence within their lives, there is a deep sense of love that the community shares for one another. This experience has helped me acknowledge my blessings and embrace gratitude for the life I have. There is so much goodness and learning opportunities within the Blackfeet community, the gifts of humility and everlasting love have persevered within me.
During sunset I embarked on a beautiful evening walk with Emma, I enjoyed singing happy tunes, listening to the river clap among the rocks and watching the amber sunset fall to sleep behind the rocky blue mountains. When arriving back to the cabin, I loved having dinner with our guest teachers tonight and asking questions, listening to their wisdom, and playing with their children. The night ended with a beautiful closing prayer and day reflection, a perfect way to end the day.
I have greatly enjoyed “doing life” with these passionate students and faculty members accompanying me on this trip. I realize the beauty and power this opportunity offers, the memories, laughter and cultural insight will accompany me throughout my entire life journey. I will deeply miss this community and I am forever thankful to be able to spend a week with the Blackfeet community.
From Sarah:
Hi friends!
Today was the second day with the kids, and it was a lot easier than yesterday. Yesterday, I felt like I had failed the kids and that I was going to be dreading going back every day. However, I really just needed to think about it in a different way. So, I prayed more and really considered the Saint Mother Theresa of Calcutta’s words on service through Mary; “Lend me your heart” was her prayer to Mary. This morning I offered up my day to her, asked her to use me as a she fit and asked for her heart to see these kids as they are. As I came into the day today, I came in with hope that I would offer myself up, not my work and that something about me would be worthwhile for the kids.
I felt that the kids needed to see that they could be vulnerable with me, so I offered up my vulnerability first during our morning circle up. I think it did work because I had more students come and ask for help and just want to talk with me. One student even gave me a book recommendation! I am so determined to finish this book, just so I can talk about it with her. I also got closer to another student when we were working on an assignment together, she had asked me what I knew about the Blackfoot tribe and I was honest in the fact that I didn’t know much. She really wanted to hear what I had to say so I answered honestly, “I’m here to learn just as much as you are.” It was really cool to see her so content and maybe even grateful for my answer. She just sort of unwound. Of source the day had its lows as well, but I was grateful for today and I’m excited for how tomorrow will play out; hopefully just as well
Peace and Prayers,
Sarah
Day 2, March 12, 2024,Denver
Hi all, Tess reporting for duty here! Today started off bright and early with morning prayer at 6:30 in Our Lady of Guadalupe Church. After breakfast and a few house chores, we were off to the streets to meet the homeless of Denver, the many friends of Christ in the City. My team walked 20th street and met Marcus, a man with a passion and talent for sketching, and especially portraits. Our team missionary, Olivia, brought him some chalk, which he was happy to accept- we learned that chalk is his favorite medium! (Seen in the picture sketching a chalk portrait of Mason, one of the Kansas seminarians).
Following street ministry was mass at the Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception. Praying at mass, this verse kept coming to my heart- “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me… For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30). Over the two days we have been here, my favorite part of the day has been walking the streets and talking with the homeless. It has been much easier than I expected- I am increasingly in awe and admiration of their humility, vulnerability, and gentleness of heart. I feel that not many people instinctively want to work with the homeless, (including me before this trip) and yet the fruits I have received from getting to know and love them are much greater than anything I could have imagined! Truly, the Lord’s yoke is easy. The world’s yoke of self-service, the path of least resistance, is indeed not easy at all!
The afternoon’s highlights included a talk on mercy given by missionary Fintan, debriefs on the day, and spike ball games in the park! As the result of an unfortunate series of events, the ball ended up in the storm drain. Shortly after we rescued it from there, it somehow got lodged 17 feet up in a tree:/ Following multiple rescue attempts and methods, we were finally able to get it down and the game continued.
The evening included a nice dinner of turkey soup, and a community movie (ft. Hercules) and karaoke night! Then came night prayer and afterwards a stop at the famous Little Man ice cream, the perfect end to our second full day in Denver!
Day 1, Denver, March 11, 2024
I’m not exactly sure how exactly to write a blog but I will do my best.
Today was our first full day with Christ in the City and it was a wonderful experience. We started the day off with breakfast and a little training, and then we were off to meet our friends in the streets. Before doing street ministry I was a little nervous but I have to say, I ended up thoroughly enjoying it.
During our street walk I got to meet a lot of really great people. One thing that I thought was cool was how nearly every homeless person I talked to was familiar with the Christ in the City missionaries and seemed to think very highly of them. I also liked how the missionaries referred to the people on the streets not as “homeless” but as “our friends.” It opened mind up to the fact that those who are homeless are actually people who we can build friendships with not just problems to be fixed.
One of my favorite people I got to meet today is this older gentleman named Ron. Ron has a great sense of humor and through out our conversation he could not stop making me laugh. He was an absolute joy to be around. In our conversation I learned that he used to live in Dallas Texas where he had worked at Texas Instruments and raised two successful children with his wife. After hearing about his back story I couldn’t help but wonder how he had gone from being a working man with a family to an old man alone on the streets.
It’s so hard to encounter people like Ron who have experienced such brokenness and loss and be unable to offer them any concrete way out of it. Because all we are doing for these people is treating them like a human being and being open to sharing the goodness of the gospel with them. Encountering these bleak situations that many of these people find themselves has definitely made me grateful for the reality of the world to come. That while these people may never get off the streets, whether that’s due to their own past actions or others, there still hope for them in heaven. That Jesus can wipe their every tear and bring them home for eternity.
Andrew Devine
Day 2, Browning, March 11, 2024
Today was our first day in class, and I didn’t know at all what to expect, especially after volunteering to help out in the sixth-grade class. Having once been a sixth-grade girl myself, I know how dangerous they are, and I was almost certain that they would eat me alive today.
However, I’ve come to understand that what the Lord might be trying to teach me is an attitude of surrender, a readiness to accept the day as it comes. Yesterday and today were full of opportunities to do exactly that. Like Natalie might have mentioned yesterday, we didn’t make to Mass as a semi-truck had been blown over across the road going into town. Instead, we celebrated a Communion service in the old mission chapel with a few of the De La Salle brothers, and they let me ring the big bell!! Afterwards, a couple of the guys decided to walk back to the bunkhouse, and I acted all macho about it and wanted to walk too, not realizing that reservation darkness is NOWHERE close to streetlamp-lit Helena darkness. We found out the hard way where the barbed wire fences were, and that duct tape makes for a really good bandage. Today entailed a lot of sitting and observing in the classrooms, with a little bit of one-on-one student help. I realize now how blessed I have been all my life to have access to good education. The De La Salle brothers are doing a beautiful thing here in Browning, and I would advise that if you ever get the chance, you should check out the De La Salle Blackfeet School for yourself, even if only through Google. As for the kids, I had a blast hanging out with them today. They didn’t necessarily eat me alive, like I thought, but they did absolutely school me in four-square and chess. Hanging out with them reminds me that there is no group of people, no nation, and no culture out of reach of the love of Christ. I am excited to get right back into it tomorrow and see what other opportunities this week brings!
Hailey
Carroll College Campus Ministry 