While this seven-day missionary trip is made up of numerous activities, projects and experiences, the program can be simplified into three different key elements: community, service and prayer.

The Stony Point program consisted of five different days of service. The first of these was dedicated to the site at which we stayed, the Marian Shrine, as we prepared it to host the relic of St. John Bosco in October. The remainder of the service days were spent at different sites across New York and New Jersey, including soup kitchens, shelters for domestically abused women and children and distribution centres.

“Their social action does not have to be monumental, but transformational to the world around them,” said Velasco.

Since the program began in 2001 in South Orange, N.J., with 28 people, it has quickly grown. Out of the single service trip in 2001 came eight more programs at three different levels. Gospel Roads I, including the Stony Point program, is an introduction to service and a way to expose young people to different types of volunteer work, as they visit different sites every day. After they have completed the first GR, they can attend Gospel Roads II, which runs twice a year, where they will spend more time at one specific site, developing relationships with those they are aiding and seeing the fruits of their labour. Gospel Roads III, running once annually, takes place in Haiti, giving young Catholics an opportunity to serve in the Third World where aid is needed most.

In addition to the service aspect of the retreat, there was an opportunity for faith development in a more reflective and contemplative setting. Every day began with Mass first thing in the morning, and there were prayer services to conclude each night. The days of service were followed up by returning to the retreat centre and reflecting on the work that we did through communal prayer and small group discussion.

“Gospel Roads was like a bridge between hearing about people’s experiences or situations and actually experiencing them,” said Rugosi.

A typical Gospel Roads program can host anywhere from 20-50 participants, commonly high school students who attend in small groups through their parish or youth group. As participants, we were led by a collection of young team leaders in college or university, and an adult staff of chaperones and directors.

The most recent GR in Stony Point marked the largest participation to date.

“(I hope) they consciously commit to a lifestyle of social action as they return to their homes and communities,” said Velasco. “For us, Gospel Roads is more than a week.”

Plans to bring the Gospel Roads program to Canada have begun. Together with St. Benedict’s, the parish that the participants were representing, there is hope to host a Gospel Roads Toronto in the summer of 2012.