YNIA

This is an international program located with work sites in both the United States and Canada that engages high school aged youth in hands on experience by working among the poorest and more desparate areas of our inner cities to bring the Gospel alive.  The larger purposes is to learn the social teaching of the Catholic Church with regard to the lived reality of our modern world.  Since 2008, youth from Milford, both Saint Mary and Sacred Heart of Jesus Parishes have journeyed throughout our country and Canada to share this experience with other youth from around our country as well.  
Each participant helps to raise the necessary funds for the annual trip, arranged for the summer vacation months of mid-June to August.  A different week and site is chosen from year to year.  the cost of the week is $495 not including transportation to the site location.  The raising of these funds is the responsibility of the youth who pay out of pocket or help in fundraising through the year.  In 2018, we initiated a Fish Fry on the Fridays of Lent as well as an olive wood and Christian jewelry sale and an autumn bake sale.  In June our youth held a bottle and can drive at Big Y Market and later that same day JJ's Ice Cream stand in Upton helped an afternoon fundraising providing YNIA with a percentage of their sales that amounted to $350.  JJ's does this in memory of Jackie Gray who was a dedicated member of our youth ministry, an avid participant in YNIA and died tragically in an auto accident on July 4, 2016.  Some of the proceeds of the Fall Golf Tournament at Shining Rock Country Club help to pay for the chaperones.  All of these fundraisers are organized and accomplished at Saint Mary's Parish through the generosity of her parishioners.
The following are the years and their locations for of our Milford delegation for YNIA: