St. John’s J2A (Journey to Adulthood) class went on an urban adventure to Baltimore, MD on August 20th and August 21st. The weekend was meant to test the skills the group has been working on as a class. The hope was that the group would be able to successfully navigate around Baltimore by working together, listening to one another, and negotiating.
The group left at 6 a.m. Saturday morning and arrived in Baltimore at approximately 11 a.m. We entered the city through Dundalk Marine Terminal, which was a great opportunity for the youth to see commerce in action. We passed coal yards with coal train cars filled and ready to ship, auto yards with vehicles heading to Europe and elsewhere, and cargo ships ready to head overseas with American goods.
On Saturday the group went on a self-guided walking tour of Baltimore places of worship. We visited 10 churches in all, including Mt. Vernon Place United Methodist Church, which is built in Norman Gothic style and considered by The American Institute of Architects as the most important architectural structure in Baltimore; the Basilica of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, also called the Baltimore Basilica, the first Roman Catholic cathedral built in the United States; and Zion Lutheran Church, founded in 1775 to serve the needs of Lutheran immigrants from Germany (it still offers sermons in both English and German).
We also visited St. Vincent de Paul, the oldest Catholic parish in continuous use in Baltimore. During our visit, they were hosting a lunch program for the less fortunate, much like we do at St. John’s! Lastly we visited St. Leo Roman Catholic Church, which houses beautiful statues brought over from Italian villages. In keeping with the Italian theme of St. Leo, we were lucky enough to stumble upon an Italian street festival where we enjoyed delicious cannolis! After an exhausting day of walking in the hot sun, the group shared a quiet dinner with time for prayer and reflection.
On Sunday we woke up bright and early and enjoyed breakfast and prayers together. The youth were responsible for finding public transportation to Johns Hopkins Hospital. After a few missed buses, downpours, and negotiations we arrived at the hospital. We then visited “The Divine Healer,” the statue of Christ which was erected in 1896 in the main lobby of Johns Hopkins Hospital. To this day people still visit the statue and reach out and touch the right foot of Jesus to offer prayers for faith, hope, and healing. I believe this was the most powerful and moving experience of the trip; it was soul stirring.
Overall, the weekend provided fellowship and bonding between the youth and the leaders. Although much of the weekend involved churches, they were also able to enjoy some of their favorite stores as well as walk around Camden Yards, Oriole Stadium, on Sunday afternoon.
The group was both exhausted and fulfilled when we returned to St. John’s on Sunday night. As always, we appreciate your continued support and prayers for our youth.
Originally published in St. John’s Epistle, September 2016.