Campus Ministry Opens 2018-2019 BERSI Registration

CM Communications Staff
CM Campus Ministry launched its registration for the annual BERSI program on Wednesday afternoon.
WEST ROXBURY, Mass.— Catholic Memorial School extended its decade-long commitment to service and solidarity in Washington D.C., Philadelphia, Wyoming, and Peru on Wednesday afternoon.

The school’s Campus Ministry listed the four sites along with its third annual trip to Brownsville, Texas when opening registration for the 2018-2019 Blessed Edmund Rice Solidarity Initiative (BERSI) online.

“We are proud to facilitate a variety of travel programs that offer our diverse students the opportunity to experience the joys of serving others and encountering new communities and cultures,” said Mr. Kevin Durazo, the Director of Campus Ministry.

Campus Ministry launched BERSI in the early 2000s as a collection of travel-based educational service and immersion programs. Over a span of three to seven days, each trip exposes students to the poverty and injustice of a marginalized community. Hosts share their lives with students who form long-lasting relationships amongst themselves and with those living in the community.

All five BERSI trips offer their own unique dynamic. The program begins in November with its trip to Brownsville. Located on the southernmost tip of Texas, Brownsville introduces CM to the world of immigration while working alongside 20 other students from Christian Brothers schools.

Both trips to Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. provide students with an opportunity to reflect on their nation’s history. Students participate in the annual March for Life during the Washington, D.C trip in January. Those travelling to Philadelphia orchestrate CM’s annual “Hungerfest” food drive prior to their trip in February. All donations collected go toward those served when visiting Philadelphia.

The BERSI trip to Peru occurs simultaneous to the Philadelphia trip. In Peru, students encounter a community plagued by severe malnutrition, disease, and lack of education. At the end of June, BERSI ends with its Wyoming trip. Students learn about the unique challenges facing local Native American tribes while touring Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks.

Past BERSI initiatives include trips to Bosnia, Canada, China, the Czech Republic, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Germany, Italy, Jamaica, Poland, and Puerto Rico.

If chosen for the initiative, students must fulfill three requirements. These include two pre-trip reflection meetings, the trip itself, and an advocacy project upon their return. Students present their work to the entire CM community, raising awareness for an issue that resonated most on their trip.

Past advocacy projects saw students lead prayer services before a football game pep rally, offer a reflection of their experience to theology classes, and share photo galleries of their host communities. Last year, Dominican Republic BERSI trip members photographed members of their host community. In a series called "Face(s) of God," CM students displayed the pictures with their own quotes that described the profound impact left from their hosts.

Registration for BERSI closes on October 1st. Visit CM’s website to learn more about the BERSI program and complete the registration form. 
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