Southern Nebraska Register
Bishop Neumann Jr./Sr. High School
Bishop Neumann Jr./Sr. High School in Wahoo recently completed a mission trip, with 43 students and 23 chaperones working in Gallup, N.M., the poorest diocese in the United States.
Bishop Neumann has hosted mission trips for high school students since 2016, in New Mexico or Chicago. The endeavor is supported by donors who sponsor students with scholarships and fund building projects conducted during the missions. Local business owners volunteer as chaperones for the builds.
“I am filled with so much gratitude for the adults who take time off of work and give of their time to serve on this mission trip said Gery Kenney, Neumann’s campus minister. “Our students learn so much from them.”
Each day includes Mass, adoration, group discussions, fellowship, singing, and service work, all centered on serving Christ by serving others. This year, Father Steven Mills, Father Robert Johnson, Father Luke Fleck, and Father Carson Kain participated to provide the sacraments and spiritual direction.
“The mission trip has become as much a retreat for our students as it is about the work we do,” Kenney said. “Having four priests join us is so valuable in helping our students encounter Our Lord.”
Two seminarians joined the trip this year, including Trent Moudry, who graduated from Bishop Neumann in 2024.
While in New Mexico, the students also visited many Catholic shrines and churches, including the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, El Santuario Chimayo, The Holy Steps at Loretto Chapel, the Cathedral of St. Francis Assisi, and San Miguel Chapel, the oldest church in the United States.
(Story continues below)
Courtesy photos
Neumann’s Campus Ministry Department organizes the annual mission trip, assisted by a team of volunteers who help design, plan, and organize the details with the Diocese of Gallup and religious orders who serve in the Gallup area.
Neumann works closely with the Franciscan Missionary Sisters of Assisi (SFMA). They plan events with the order each year. Much of the students’ time is spent at the Sacred Heart Retreat Center, where the group stays while in Gallup. Service projects have included building walking paths, moving rock, painting, laying cement, replacing floors, and rebuilding or repairing homes on the Native American reservation outside Gallup.
At Villa Guadelupe in Gallup, the Little Sisters of the Poor serve low-income elderly. Neumann students serve meals, share conversation, and lead exercise classes. They also assist with maintenance tasks such as planting trees, removing weeds, and other outdoor projects. Before the Neumann students leave, they sing and perform skits for the residents.
The Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist serve at Sacred Heart Catholic School, a vibrant elementary near the Gallup Cathedral. The children look forward each year to the Neumann students hosting an activity day that includes games, dancing, water balloons, and ice cream.
The Missionaries of Charity, founded by St. Teresa of Calcutta, serve the poor and homeless in Gallup at St. Joseph Soup Kitchen and Shelter. This year, Neumann students prepared and served food, cleaned rooms, made beds, and served food and coffee on the streets of Gallup. They also shared stories and played games with those in need of friendship.
Father Mills, chief administrative officer of Bishop Neumann, summed up the experience.
“When you combine mission and getting your hands dirty and doing work, with the beauty around us and get moments of prayer letting Our Lord in, you get the whole human experience,” he said. “That is why the mission trip is so good.”
In addition to the annual mission trip, Neumann hosts an annual activity service day at Villa Marie School in Waverly, working with the Marian Sisters of the Lincoln Diocese. Neumann students participate in Villa Marie’s summer camp for its students and alumni. Along with the Villa Marie students, the Neumann students attend Mass, go bowling, play games, host dancing, and cool off with water balloons. Newman students also work at Villa Marie School and the nearby retreat house, on outdoor projects such as cleaning rooms, serving food, washing vehicles, gardening, mulching, washing windows, planting flowers, and weeding. This year, 45 students attended the service day, along with six chaperones and a bus driver.
The Bishop Neumann Campus Ministry Department’s programs aim to help students encounter Christ in the world. More than 50% of the student body at Neumann participates in one of the trips or a pilgrimage or conference, and all students participate in local service work in the community, in service to Jesus Christ.
