MERRILLVILLE – The Mexico Mission Trip is a six-day pilgrimage and service experience organized through the Diocese of Gary in collaboration with the mission organization Hope of the Poor. The upcoming trip is scheduled for Oct. 8-13, 2026.
“The Mexico Mission Trip has truly become a beautiful expression of the missionary heart of our Diocese,” said Claudia Sadowski, coordinator of intercultural ministry.
Pilgrims will travel together to Mexico City and the surrounding mission areas, where they will encounter communities served by the missionaries. The trip combines a life-changing pilgrimage, service, prayer and cultural encounter. It is intentionally structured so participants can encounter Christ both spiritually and through direct service to people living in poverty.
Participants experience a full immersion in missionary life. Some of the key activities include:
daily visits to the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, distributing food and essential supplies to those in need, serving alongside the missionaries in their outreach ministries and more.
“The goal is not simply to ‘do service,” said Sadowski, “but to encounter Christ in others and to allow that encounter to transform our hearts.”
According to Sadowski, the past pilgrimages have been deeply meaningful for the participants and for the communities they visit. She explained people often return home with a renewed sense of faith, a deeper appreciation for the dignity of every person and a stronger commitment to live the Gospel in concrete ways.
Sadowski added that most people who go on the mission trip return home with three things. 1) A transformed perspective. She said, “When you meet families who have very little materially yet live with profound faith and joy, it changes the way you see the world.” 2) A deeper relationship with Christ. 3) A renewed missionary spirit.
“Several participants from past trips have gone on to become more engaged in parish ministry, missionary outreach and service within their own communities here in Northwest Indiana,” she said. “It has also been a beautiful witness of the universality of the Church, bringing together people from different parishes, cultures and backgrounds from across our diocese.”
On a personal note, Sadowski shared that the most powerful part of the experience for her is witnessing the encounters that happen between the pilgrims and the people they meet. There are moments where language, culture and circumstances seem very different, yet faith creates an immediate connection.
“I have seen pilgrims moved to tears praying with families they had just met,” she said. “I have seen children welcome strangers with incredible joy. Those moments remind us that the Church is truly one family in Christ.”
Sadowski said it is also very meaningful to see members of the diocese discover gifts they did not know they had – compassion, courage, generosity, and a deeper sense of vocation.
Deacon Robert Gromala said, for him, the mission trip was an opportunity to “live out what Jesus asks of all of us, to go out and encounter Him in others.” He commented that it can be easy to keep faith comfortable and contained within daily normal routines.
“If we are to live out the Diocese of Gary’s mission to ‘Be Disciples, Be Missionaries,’ this mission trip invites us to step outside of that comfort and allow Christ to stretch our hearts,” he said.
Deacon Gromala shared that he also wanted to experience the Church beyond his own parish and community. He noted the Church is universal, and being on mission reminds people that faith connects brothers and sisters all over the world.
“It reminded me that the mission is not simply about what we bring to others, it’s about what God reveals to us through them,” he said. “I walked away realizing that Christ was already present there long before we arrived. We went thinking we were bringing something, but in many ways, we received far more than we gave. I truly saw the face of Jesus in those young people and it changed me.”
Felicitas Villa, of Holy Family Parish in LaPorte, had participated in a pilgrimage but was looking to experience a mission trip when she traveled with the diocese to Mexico last year.
Villa stated she wasn’t sure what to expect, but that trip she took with her daughter, Saraidee, turned out to be “extraordinary and very rewarding.”
Villa acknowledged there were times when she felt unsure of how to act around those she encountered, but quickly came to learn that they were respectful individuals who were grateful for her help. She shared that even though she and others remained quite busy feeding those who were hungry and were tired at times, the effort was worth it.
“I don't think there are words to explain what people can experience in these types of mission work,” she said. “I think the people have to live it to see what God gives you. I think God gives you more than what you give. You go there to help people, but I think you received more than what you give.”
Villa recalled an orphanage they visited, which created moments that touched her heart. She got to interact with the children residing there. Even though they didn’t have much, she saw the happiness they had and witnessed them showing their love and appreciation to those around them.
“I was able to interact with them, and at the end I didn't want to leave,” she said. “ I can still remember one of the people. She was not able to speak, but in a way, I had a connection with her. If I close my eyes, I can still see her face, and I was able to see God in her, even though she didn't say a word.”
As the diocese has now organized several trips to Mexico, Sadowski feels they are even better prepared this year. This time, there will be a more intentional emphasis on formation before the trip so that participants arrive spiritually and culturally prepared for the experience.
“We are continuing to invite participants from across multiple parishes in the diocese so the pilgrimage becomes an even broader expression of unity within the Church of Northwest Indiana,” Sadowski said.
An information session, no commitment required, is scheduled for April 13 at 6:30 p.m. at the Pastoral Center in Merrillville. To RSVP for the information session, visit https://dioceseofgary.jotform.com/260546611170147. Visit dcgary.org/2026-missiontrip for more information.
