Once a chaplain of the Fellowship of Catholic University Students (FOCUS), always a chaplain, or so it would seem for Father Christopher Stanish who recently returned from a mission trip to Costa Rica.
Father Stanish currently serves as the moderator of the curia and vicar general for the Diocese of Gary. Before being assigned to these positions, he served as chaplain at St. Teresa of Avila Catholic Student Center in Valparaiso, serving Valparaiso University, where he invited FOCUS to serve on the campus.
Four to five missionaries worked with campus ministry to help students encounter Jesus through retreats, Bible studies, conferences and mission trips. When Father Stanish was eventually reassigned, the FOCUS organization continued to reach out to him to participate in events and trips.
The most recent mission trip, March 1-8, involved those enrolled at Grand Valley State University in Grand Rapids, Mich. Father Stanish was asked to step in to accompany 15 students and four missionaries on their mission trip.
“I had never been to Costa Rica before, but have always wanted to visit the country,” he explained.
For this mission trip, FOCUS partnered with Christian Life Movement. In a very remote, rural area, the community they visited in Costa Rica only sees a priest about once a month.
“So we were helping to build them a chapel so that they would have somewhere to gather for Mass and other community events,” said Father Stanish. “Up until this point, they were just meeting in someone’s house.”
In addition to building the chapel, Father Stanish and other missionaries also broke up into groups and did house visits. The visits he was a part of also included hearing confessions and offering the anointing of the sick.
Father Stanish has been on multiple mission trips with FOCUS. Typically, he shared the role of the chaplain is to minister to the students in helping them encounter Christ as they serve those who are in need, but this mission trip was unique.
“In addition to serving the students, I was also ministering to the locals by celebrating Mass each day in Spanish, hearing their confessions, anointing the sick, and blessing any religious articles,” he said.
Father Stanish said some of the greatest experiences from this mission trip involved the home visits.
“Every time we entered a home, we were treated like family,” he said. “The locals didn’t have much at all and yet they so freely gave to make us feel welcome. They were so joyful and offered such radical hospitality.”
In addition to meeting the people of the area, Father Stanish said he was also able to take in the beautiful surroundings of the country.
“Costa Rica is known for its beautiful jungles, wildlife, and for the bioluminescence in their water that would shimmer and glow as the water moved,” he said.
Editor’s Note: Father Stanish leads a pilgrimage for adults every year. Look for information this Fall for next year’s pilgrimage.
