FLATLANDS — It was the trip of a lifetime for a group of young Catholics from the Diocese of Brooklyn, who came away with enriching, unforgettable memories.
Seventeen members of the Youth Leadership Ambassador Program of the Vicariate of Black Catholic Concerns went on a missionary trip to three African countries — Ghana, Senegal, and Morocco — where they visited churches, helped renovate schools, looked after children in orphanages, and fed people at soup kitchens.
Four of the travelers — Jada Brown, Ruth Mekako, Joseph Allen, and Bryan Maitland-Jones — joined Father Dwayne Davis, project director for the program and pastor of St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Flatlands, to talk about their journey, which took place from June 27 to July 8.
According to the Vatican, the Catholic Church in Africa has grown over the past 114 years. In 1910, the continent. had fewer than 1 million Catholics, but by 2021, it had 265 million, or 19% of all Catholics in the world.
All four said the trip to the African continent strengthened their Catholic faith and admitted it was an eye-opening experience, especially when visiting poverty-stricken countries.
The poverty rate in Senegal is 36.3% in 2022, according to the World Bank, and 24.2% in Ghana, according to Oxfam America. Morocco, with a 6% poverty rate, according to Statista, was the most prosperous of the three.
What struck the youthful ambassadors the most were the people they met. They explained that the people of Ghana, Senegal, and Morocco welcomed them with warmth and good humor.
Bryan, a parishioner of Mary, Queen of Heaven Church in Mill Basin, recalled watching in awe as people presented gifts during a Mass in Ghana.
“It was really shocking to see that they weren’t just walking to the altar, they were dancing to the altar,” he recounted. “And they weren’t bringing bread and wine. They were bringing actual gifts to the altar. I’ve never seen that before.”
Ruth, a parishioner of Sacred Heart Church in Cambria Heights, was struck by the patience residents in Ghana showed her group when they arrived more than 30 minutes late for Mass after being stuck in traffic.
“We held up the people there. But after Mass, they still gave us gifts — handmade gifts that were personalized. And they were really welcoming,” she said, adding that she came away from the trip having made many new friends. “I have several Ghanaian numbers in my phone now.”
An impromptu soccer match after that Mass provided Joseph with one of his fondest memories.
“We just bonded with the kids over there,” he recalled. “I think just enjoying that moment, being able to relax and not think about anything else for two, three hours was a nice moment for us.”
Joseph, a parishioner of St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Flatlands, was struck by the universality of the Catholic Church when he attended a Mass in Senegal.
“Even though we didn’t speak the same language, we still celebrated the same God,” he said. “God wants us to love one another, and I feel the people we met showed love for foreigners.”
For Jada, a meeting with Bishop Anthony Narh Asare, a religious leader in Ghana, made an impression. “My favorite quote that he said to us is, ‘Life is not what we seek but what we give.’ I really live by that quote because I like to put out my helping hand to a lot of people,” she explained. “And that quote gives me an understanding of why I like to do what I do.”
Ruth conducted some research into Ghana, Senegal, and Morocco before she left and was eager to see if the countries would live up to what she read about them.
“I heard a lot of good things about the countries we were going to, like the perfumes in Morocco. I heard that they were awesome and they were,” she said. “I heard the mangoes in Senegal were great, and they were.”
Father Davis, who has led youth ambassadors on missionary trips to South Africa, Rwanda, and Jamaica in the past, called the recent African journey “a transforming experience.” He loved seeing the participants “really engage fully and put themselves in the spirit of the surroundings.”
The Youth Leadership Ambassador Program was established 15 years ago by the Vicariate of Black Catholic Concerns to encourage young blacks in the diocese to serve as role models in their parishes and their communities.
Jada, a parishioner of St. Bonaventure-St. Benedict the Moor in Jamaica, said the African trip was a valuable learning experience.
“As to why I wanted to go, honestly, it’s because I’ve never been outside of the country,” she added. “I was trying to step out of my comfort zone.”
