On a recent trip to Denver, I was blessed by the hospitality of some Christ in the City missionaries. I had no idea what type of missionaries I was going to live with, but in just a few days they became very special people in my life and I knew that there was something different about them. Not only the missionaries, but also the staff showed me the essence of the Christ in the City movement through the way they treated me and everyone we encountered. I was so moved by my experience that I wanted to share about this apostolate with Catholic-Link readers.
What is Christ in the City?
“Christ in the City is a Catholic nonprofit dedicated to forming missionaries in Knowing, Loving and Serving the Poor and empowering volunteers to do the same.”
Christ in the City strives to form a new generation of Catholic leaders through year-long and semester-long commitments. Their holistic service program integrates Catholic spirituality with charitable works and educational advancement. Their mission is to serve the homeless and vulnerable with the love of Christ.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SF4cv1bwRmw
Inspired by this quote from Mother Teresa “Love until it hurts to serve those most in need,” this new generation of Catholic leaders gives their time and all their strength to help those most in need. They take care of their spiritual, psychological, and physical needs, regardless of bad weather or fatigue. The members of the CLM are passionate about reaching the homeless and leading them to Christ. They truly put their faith into action.
The reason that Christ in the City exists is to be the hands of Christ to those who have been broken by life, those who are hungry for conversation, hungry for caring, hungry for friendship. CLM missionaries treat the homeless as people, rather than a problem or a nuance to run from. They find out the stories of these men and women that are experiencing great suffering and loss and then begin to form unbreakable friendships with them.
Another key aspect of Christ in the City is to ensure the personal and spiritual growth of all of the people that volunteer their time to serve or become a missionary. They strongly believe that “you cannot give what you don’t have”.
We encourage you to find out more and to become a part of this outstanding apostolate. There are three ways in which you can help the Christ in the City mission: serve alongside them, become a missionary, or support them through prayer and monetary giving. Visit their website to find out more information: http://www.christinthecity.co/
