Operation Overhaul 2025
Vincentian Marian Youth Southeast Missouri (VMY SEMO) spent the second week of June doing mission work in Racine, Wisconsin, for the twenty-first consecutive Operation Overhaul. VMY’s annual mission trip, Operation Overhaul, began in 2004 on a journey to do service work in West Virginia.
This year, in Racine, St. Catherine of Siena High School hosted 150 participants, including adults, young adults, and students, for seven days, providing areas for them to sleep and gather. Every morning, participants walked three blocks to the local Catholic Church, St. Richard’s, to celebrate daily mass. After Mass, everyone returned to the school to enjoy breakfast and prepare a sack lunch for the workday.
This year, 18 work teams of two adults and five students served at eight different project locations, including the Women’s Resource Center, Kristen’s, Zach’s, Rachel’s, Rick’s, Lety’s, Maria’s, and Annie’s Homes. The workday began with a prayer that involved sprinkling holy water on the volunteers’ hands and the homeowner’s house. The volunteers spend eight hours, a typical workday, doing the respective tasks at their job sites.
Whenever the day’s work was completed, participants returned to the school to eat dinner and listen to a talk on one of the six virtues of Mary: Faith, Charity, Humility, Purity, Simplicity, and Obedience. The talks were followed by small-group discussions, during which students applied the talk to their own life experiences. On Monday and Thursday, adoration and confession were offered at St. Richard’s Church.
The evenings were spent in community and fellowship, playing games and participating in crafts. There was an epic water balloon fight, an impromptu karaoke night, and perpetual rounds of the iconic game ‘signs.’
Before bed, participants prayed the rosary and compline. Since the theme of the week was ‘Guided by Mary,’ the week was entrusted to the Blessed Virgin Mother. Different Marian Apparitions and Devotions were available in the participation booklets for the week.
On Friday, the group spent the morning visiting a historic lighthouse on Lake Michigan. Later that afternoon, the participants spent their fun day bouncing on the largest water inflatable course in the United States of America. For that evening’s formation, there were men’s and women’s panels where anonymous questions submitted throughout the week could be answered.
All 150 participants had the opportunity to encounter Jesus in the Eucharist, through prayer, and in community with one another. Our Blessed Virgin Mother guided us to Racine to grow closer to her son and serve those in need. VMY SEMO is so thankful for all the generous donations of time and treasure that made this week possible.
