Most St. Pius X students spent their spring break visiting places like Florida, Las Vegas, Europe, and Costa Rica. However, 11 students spent their spring break serving others in rural villages in the Dominican Republic.

Along with the students, Mr. Liam Byrne and Fr. Robbie Cotta traveled to Mustard Seed Communities in Canca La Reyna, Dominican Republic, to care for orphans with disabilities such as Down syndrome, autism, cerebral palsy, muscular disorders, and many others.

After a long flight and drive to the complex, the children, overjoyed to meet the students, welcomed them immediately.

“We were all kind of nervous [when we first got there], and when we were walking to the pavilion to greet the kids, two of the really outgoing children came out and grabbed our hands and pulled us in,” said sophomore Lide Edwards.

Each day, the students would wake up, eat breakfast, and complete one of their assigned jobs. These tasks included preparing lunch, washing clothes, or doing yard work. Afterward, they would help serve the children lunch before it was time for naps. When the children woke up, they spent a few hours playing with the students before dinner. Most days, the group also celebrated Mass. Fr. Robbie was given the opportunity to celebrate Mass with the children.

Fr. Robbie said, “I had to find a bunch of rocks to keep the altar cloth stable, and then the pages of my book were getting blown around, so I had rocks on my little missal. So it was a little hectic, but beautiful in its own way.”

“Each person is impacted differently. But what was really cool is that you get to go with kids who are in other grades that you don’t really know, and then by the end of the week, everyone gets really, really close,” said junior Ava Dewey.

The students spent the week talking with the children, helping them eat, and celebrating Mass together.

Over the course of the trip, students formed close relationships with many of the children.

“There was one girl named Julianni, and she was really sweet. I was definitely her favorite because every time she saw me she would get so excited and put her hands up,” recounted sophomore Mollie Brownlow.

Dewey especially enjoyed growing close to a nonverbal girl named Emily.

“Emily stuck out to me the most … I remember just being able to sit next to her throughout the week and seeing her smile light up every time I’d go into their house to get her for lunch or dinner,” said Dewey.

The students were amazed by the joy the children showed despite the immense trauma many of them had experienced. The trip left the students overwhelmed with gratitude and more appreciative of the things they often take for granted.

“Now I am grateful for the things in my life because the children there do not have the little things that we take for granted every day, like hot water, standard household appliances, and other things like that,” said Edwards.

“It’s a really different experience, but it’s really rewarding,” said Brownlow.

Overall, the students enjoyed the experience, growing closer to both the children and each other. They were not only able to bring joy to the children, but they also helped improve the community and make a meaningful difference in the children’s lives.