Sophomore CFX

The Urban Challenge is the cornerstone program sponsored by Romero Center Ministries. The Urban Challenge experience gives Catholics and other people of faith the opportunity to build bridges of understanding. We help confront issues that divide us—poverty, race, class—in a prayerful and constructive environment. In Urban Challenge, we combine volunteer service in the city of Camden with study and prayer. During the day, we work at a variety of work sites—in schools, with hot meals programs, at drop-in centers for persons infected with HIV/AIDS, at housing construction, and with several other agencies in Camden and Philadelphia. In the evening, we discuss urban poverty, social and economic justice, and reflect on our call, as disciples, to embrace a “preferential option for the poor.” We also tour the city and listen to people from the community tell their stories about living in Camden.

The Urban Challenge Program is an urban, service-learning, immersion experience rooted in the Catholic faith tradition. It offers a point of access to the lives and stories of the people of Camden, NJ, and its surrounding communities. The program is built upon four fundamental components: prayer, service, education and reflection (much in line with our own CFX cornerstones of prayer, service, simplicity, and community).

There are a limited number of spots for this trip ,which runs from a Thursday through a Sunday and is open to juniors and seniors. If you are accepted to CFX Mexico or Pine Ridge, you may still be eligible to participate in CFX Camden as well.

The typical day begins at 8 a.m., when all participants gather for morning prayer and reflection. From there, the students leave for their work sites between 9 and 9:30 a.m. and return to the Romero Center between 3 and 3:30 p.m. Upon their return, participants engage in a full afternoon and evening of activity and building community. We end the evening with reflection and prayer. We encourage participants to get as much rest as possible as we maintain a very ambitious schedule!

After submitting their online application, applicants will then go through a review process by a committee of faculty before being selected for the program. Once the participants have been selected, each student will be required to attend regular meetings. Each student will be expected to pay a $100 deposit up front. No fundraising is required for this trip and the total participant cost is $325. The $225 balance will be due at a later date. If you are selected for the program and you cannot participate for any reason, you must let Ms. McCann know ASAP and you will be placed on the wait list.

The cost covers transportation, lodging, programing and registration costs at the Romero Center, and most meals. (Students will be responsible for their own food purchases during the drive back and forth to Camden.)

Appalachia Habitat for Humanity is one of the oldest affiliates of Habitat For Humanity International. This well-known organization serves the needs of lower income people throughout the world in new home construction and repairs on existing houses. Once a homeowner is approved for a Habitat house, he or she is required to do 500 sweat equity hours with Habitat and will receive a 30-year no interest mortgage on the home.

Working with Appalachia HFH, CFX Tennessee gives participants the opportunity to be involved in social justice outreach in an environment of a Christian community. This experience includes service to the poor of Scott and Morgan Counties in Tennessee, community building, and prayerful reflection of experience, both personal and communal. Participants of this program are invited into a simple lifestyle to be in solidarity with the poor. This lifestyle includes home-prepared meals and refrained use of modern conveniences.

The Companions of Xavier Service Program is about serving those living in poverty and trying to understand what Jesus was asking of us when he said, “Love your neighbor.” The week is about living together as a community centered on the person of Jesus Christ. In order to do this, the four cornerstones of community, simplicity, prayer, and service are all important aspects of the week. When working in the community, we are not there to impose our values and standards of living on those that we serve. The simple fact is that many who go to serve receive even more from those they help through home construction and repair. Most volunteers leave feeling they are taking home more than they have given because the people they work with are rich in spirit, family values, pride, and faith.

In Appalachia we rise early and begin our day with prayer to center our thoughts and motives. After prayer we have breakfast together before heading out to the worksites. Lunches are packed in the morning and eaten at the worksites. Some jobs entail roofing, insulation, painting, digging for septic systems, framing new houses, vinyl siding, plumbing, etc. (No prior experience is needed; the worksite coordinators teach you everything.) At the worksites, volunteers are also encouraged to visit the people with whom they are working. Once back at the volunteer housing, we have free time until dinner. This time can be used for journaling, hiking, swimming, playing games, napping, or spending time with friends. Living simply, we do not have any TVs, radios, computers, etc. We usually have dinner around six. Some nights, we have friends from the area join us for dinner, or we travel to join them. Everyone will be responsible for preparing and cleaning up after dinner at some point in the week. After dinner, we share in evening prayer together. Participants will have the opportunity to plan morning prayers.

The CFX Tennessee service trip is open to current sophomores only. After submitting their applications, students will then go through a review process by a committee of faculty, staff, and administration before being selected for the program in mid-November. Once the participants have been selected, each student’s family will be required to pay a participant's fee ($350) to cover the cost of food, transportation, and stay at the volunteer center. Each student is required to raise additional money through mandatory outside fundraising ($750) from family, friends, parishes, etc. This total cost of $1,100 helps the school pay for airfare, food, and lodging and primarily contributes to the materials and labor needed for Habitat to construct new houses. Once you are placed on your trip, you cannot switch to another week. If you cannot participate that week, you must tell Ms. McCann ASAP and you will be placed on the wait list.

The Companions of Francis Xavier Service Program requires leadership, maturity, and dedication to others. This program is for those students willing to accept the challenges, responsibilities, and guidelines described above, and may not be for everyone. Many high school students have found such service trips to be incredible, life-changing, and exciting experiences in which they have learned new skills, ministered to wonderful people, made new friends, and grown closer to God.