During the school year, Corinne Murphy ’17, a human services and theology major from Wilbraham, and Mary Boulton ’17, an elementary education and mathematics major from Poughquag, NY, invest much of their spare time serving as a peer ministers among other Campus Ministry-related activities on the Assumption College Campus.  However, this summer, Murphy and Boulton continued their spiritual education by participating in the College’s ministry internship program.  The program, funded by a NetVUE grant that the College’s Campus Ministry office received to assist students in their vocational discernment, supports two students who are discerning some form of ministry as their vocation.

Murphy spent her nine weeks of internship work serving as a missionary at Camp Covecrest in Tiger, GA. The camp was operated by Life Teen, an organization that brings teens and their families closer to Christ and strengthen their relationship with the Church. Murphy said her desire to spend the summer as a missionary stemmed from the experience she had with Life Teen in high school that “changed her life forever.”

“My main responsibility was to love and serve the teens I was accompanying each week, praying for them, and helping them to encounter Christ as He was present in their lives,” said Murphy. While working at the summer camp, Murphy took part in a variety of activities with the teens, including dancing, hiking, sports, rafting, field activities and obstacle courses. In addition, each day there was time for campers to reflect and pray during small group sessions and Mass.

Meanwhile, Boulton spent her summer working as a missionary intern in Worcester at St. Peter’s Central Catholic Elementary School, where she worked as a preschool aid nurturing children 3 to 5 years old, and St. Peter’s Parish, where she helped at the Food Bank, assisted in organizing the parish donations, helped with the organization of weddings and funerals, and ministered to the elderly.

“This internship affirmed my want to cater to the spiritual and intellectual needs of children and parishioners,” said Boulton, who hopes to engage in Catholic education and/or ministry in some capacity after graduation “either by being a teacher, youth minister, or any other occupation that makes the faith accessible to children and young people.”

This is the first year Assumption has offered this ministry program to students. According to Paul Covino, director of Campus Ministry, the Ministry Internship Program is funded by part of a NetVUE grant Campus Ministry received to support their vocation discernment efforts. “We offer paid internships to students who are considering a vocation in church ministry, since the vast majority of parishes and other church organizations cannot afford to pay interns,” he added.

Covino said the students work full-time at the parish or other church organization for nine weeks, and then attend the Catholics On Call Young Adults Conference, which offers support and resources to Catholic young adults who are considering a vocation in church ministry, either as priests, brothers, sisters, or lay ministers.  “The conference gives them a chance to reflect on the nine weeks in light of some excellent presentations by theologians and seasoned ministers.  They also get a chance to visit some interesting ministry sites in Chicago and meet other Catholic young adults from around the country who are also considering a vocation in church ministry.”

Murphy’s experience this summer helped show her how broad the vocation of ministry can be and the options available to her after graduation. “I saw joy everywhere I turned this summer,” she said. “Coming into this, I wondered if I became a religious sister, could I be happy without possessions or a family of my own. As the weeks went on, the answer became abundantly clear. The answer is yes.”

Murphy noted that the guiding principles of Assumption College – community, contemplation, longing for God, vocation and mission to serve – helped prepare her for her Life Teen experience this summer. She also found that what she has learned inside the classroom has helped her in her work outside of it. “At Assumption, I learn about how and why to serve others. This summer, I was given the opportunity to do that through summer missions. One of the reasons I love Assumption is that I feel that I am educated here both academically and personally,” she said.

“My Assumption education prepared me for the summer by showing me that emotional, intellectual, and spiritual growth are so intimately connected,” said Boulton.  “This connection allowed my heart and mind to be open and ready for every personal experience I had with a student or parishioner.”

According to Murphy, the most unexpected part of her journey this summer was discovering how much effort was required to be a successful missionary. “There were days when I was exhausted, when I was sick, and towards the end, when I no longer had a voice, but I learned that my own weaknesses were in no way a stopping block for the mission I was on,” she said. “After seven weeks at camp, I was sent out into the world, back into familiar places and situations, but with a new outlook. During my time at camp, I realized that I am not just a missionary for the summer. This summer was only the beginning. To be a missionary means to love with the heart of Christ, and to act in response to that love.”