My name is Agnes Rak and I am 13 years old. I am in St. Joachim Parish in New Britain, in the archdiocese of Hartford.  I am currently raising money to attend a pilgrimage this summer with other youth of my parish and of the archdiocese to the Holy Land in Israel. 

This pilgrimage is very important to me. 

These last two years were difficult, with school going on-line and back to in-person, but still very separated from my teachers and friends. My faith community at St. Joachim was the only connection I had to peers and to Jesus Christ. It’s also a difficult time to be a teenager in the United States. The pressures from technology, friends, and society that preach to us principles that are the opposite of our faith make it very difficult to live as a Catholic. This group within my parish helps me because it is the one place I can go where I can hear the truth.

Previous pilgrimages such as this one have helped me to discover Jesus Christ in a concrete way in my personal life and are helping me to see how God acts in the specific events of my life. The pilgrimage is twelve days long, beginning in mid-July, during which we will pray at many places where Jesus Christ actually walked. It will end with a gathering of youth who share the same beliefs that I have. I know that seeing the concrete history of Christ in this way will help me in my life. And it will also help me to begin to discern my vocation.

The cost of the entire trip is $3,000. I am writing to ask if you can offer any donation to help me to be able to go on this pilgrimage and have this important experience for my life.  Know that by any help you can offer, you are making a small investment in the future of our Church. I greatly appreciate anything you might be able to donate at this time.

Thank you in advance for your support.