Your support
helps the
Friars continue
their fruitful
relationship
with FOCUS!
DOMINICAN-LED COLLEGE MISSIONS
IN SOUTH AMERICA
Fr. Michael Weibley, O.P., was ordained a
priest this May. He recently led FOCUS
(Fellowship of Catholic University
Students) missionaries and other college
students on a three-week trip to Peru,
birthplace of Dominican Saints Martin
de Porres and Rose of Lima. BlackFriars
sat down with him to discuss this
combination mission trip and pilgrimage.
What was your role on the trip?
I served as priest-chaplain for the
group, providing spiritual guidance for
the FOCUS missionaries and the other
college students. As a priest, I was able to
offer daily Holy Hour, Benediction of the
Blessed Sacrament, and the Sacrament
of Confession to the group. I also helped
the local pastor in the mountain town of
Orurillo by saying Masses in Spanish.
What impact did the trip have on the lives
of the student missionaries?
For many of the students, it was an
eye-opening experience of the radicality
BlackFriars - Volume III, Issue IV
0400_BlackFriars_VF2.indd 6
that the Gospel takes on in different
environments. It alerted them to the
seriousness of making their relationship
with God the most important part of
their life. They found joy in spreading the
Gospel, whether by painting the chapel at
the center of town, catechizing children,
encouraging people to return to the
sacraments, or talking directly with them
about Christ.
Can you tell us about the pilgrimage aspect
of the trip?
It was beautiful for me as a Dominican to
lead a pilgrimage to Dominican churches
and priories that have been there since the
early fifteen hundreds, to walk in places
where our Dominican brothers and sisters
have walked for centuries, and to venerate
the relics of St. Martin de Porres and St.
Rose of Lima at their tombs. I also had the
privilege of celebrating Mass at the Basilica
of Santa Rosa in Lima. It was a great way
to share the Dominican charism with the
students.
6
11/17/16 10:40 AM