Answering the call to serve Christ!

Alyssa Bucheit, Sts. Joachim and Ann class of 2016, has answered the call to serve Christ! You may have heard her speak at mass a few weeks ago about her plans to serve the people of Philadelphia through an organization called Christ in the City. Christ in the City has a unique mission to “know, love, and serve the poor,” cutting out loneliness and repairing relationships. They do this through a culture of encounter, where they not only give the homeless physical needs for survival but help restore their dignity through friendship. Step one to getting off the streets is believing that you are worthy enough to get off the streets, and that can only happen when you feel seen, known, and loved.
 
Alyssa first felt the call after spending 3 weeks in Boston her sophomore year of college volunteering with individuals living on the street. Alyssa shared that, “While I knew everyone was a beloved child of God, I didn’t understand why or how someone would end up or even choose to stay homeless. In many places, there are plenty of resources available to the homeless.” Then, she met a man named John. Through John, Alyssa witnessed first-hand the way that the Lord works through this culture of encounter. John is a veteran who seemed to be hitting rock bottom when they first met, as he had gotten kicked out of his rehab program, his foot was in immense pain, and he expressed his suffering, mentioning “I don’t know if I can go on.”  Alyssa shared that she prayed for the Lord to give her the words, but nothing her team or she said could help. Alyssa shared that she and her team stayed with John throughout the day and helped him get to his nearby appointment. The change in his demeanor within those couple of hours was immense. That that was when Alyssa truly understood what accompaniment and being there to listen could really do. She shared that it was a beautiful witness of how the mission of Christ in the City can impact a person, even in a few hours. 
 
Alyssa plans to spend this year, starting in August, in Philadelphia serving and then go back to school to pursue her dreams of being a Physician Assistant in the Fall of 2025. Alyssa recently graduated with her Bachelor of Science in Cell and Molecular Biology.
 
Alyssa would appreciate your prayers and is asking you to send her your needs as she plans to keep all of us in her prayers. If you feel so called to help support her in her Mission, you can donate by visiting her page:  https://christinthecity.org/missionary/alyssa/
 
Your fellow Flames at Sts. Joachim and Ann are so very proud of you Alyssa! Keep spreading the love and joy that you embody with those that need your light!