By Cheri Perkins Mantz,Catholic Herald Staff

Many teenagers spend summer vacations laying poolside, hanging out with friends and generally taking it easy. Some area teenagers decided to put those things aside for a few days to paint, clean, plant flowers and sleep in a church basement.

The partnership between St. John Vianney, Brookfield, and Prince of Peace, Milwaukee, is not new. For the second year, teenage parishioners from the Brookfield parish have come to Prince of Peace on Milwaukee’s south side to help improve the parish and neighborhood.

“I like it; it’s a lot of fun,” said Brian Dwye, 18, of Brookfield. “Except, we don’t sleep. It’s kind of crazy to find out that 20 minutes away people need your help.”

The group of 27 St. John Vianney and Prince of Peace teens spent three days on site at Prince of Peace, sleeping and eating in the church basement. The teenagers cleaned desks in the school, painted outdoor picnic tables, planted gardens in the neighborhood, and cleaned carpeting. Friendships formed among these young adults from different walks of life.

“Last year I thought they’d be spoiled rich kids,” said Elias Sepulveda, 19, from Prince of Peace, “but they weren’t; they were really cool. I thought we’d have so many differences, but we don’t.”

Sixteen-year-old Brookfield resident Mandy Lipinski saw this as an opportunity to deepen her faith.

“Part of it is you want to do something for your faith,” she said. “And you can meet a lot of cool people here.”

This work camp collaboration is the brainchild of German Diaz, Prince of Peace’s director of religious education, and Martha Furst, director of parish administration at Prince of Peace, and a member of St. John Vianney.

“About two years ago, we decided we wanted more encounters with people from here and (St. John Vianney),” said Diaz. “My goal was to build a relationship and do some work. Sometimes people send a check and think that’s helping; we want them to get involved here, that’s what changes minds and hearts.

“We have camps where we send people away to Mexico and we have a need here,” he continued. “Why not make this place beautiful? People go to Mexico to change the world; why not change the world here?

“They’re changing the face of the neighborhood,” said Diaz. “They’re making this place more beautiful.”

“I call it the miracle on 25th street,” said Furst, referring to the location of the parish. “It’s amazing to walk through today and see all the differences they made.”

Besides the work the teenagers did around Prince of Peace and in the neighboring area, they noticed friendships bonding.

“She’s 16 and from the suburbs,” said Sepulveda, referring to Lipinski, “and we had the longest conversation yesterday. I never thought I could have such a long conversation with a kid from the suburbs.”

“We want the kids to share experiences and find out how it feels to grow up in these places,” said Diaz. “They found out they have mostly the same issues, but in a different way.”

“They live on different planets, the kids do,” said Furst. “But there’s a common grace and a common spirit as teenagers. I think that’s what draws them together. It wasn’t anything we did, trust me. It was just there.”

Diaz also stressed the impact this experience has on youth from Prince of Peace.

“For many, this is the only chance for young people to say, ‘I was in church for three days and I felt safe. God was there.’ That’s what I wanted to accomplish and it was great,” he said.

Prince of Peace 14-year-old Raul Ortiz knows this experience benefited not only himself, but his church, too.

“It was real fun,” he said. “It was a new experience and it saved the church some money.”

“It’s a spiritual boost to those who work here to keep going,” said Furst. “Having the kids here is like drinking an energy drink. To see the kids working outside in the vacant lot — what a boost to the people outside to see. It’s a privilege to have the kids here.”

At the closing liturgy, students received T-shirts reading, “Prince of Peace Loves St. John Vianney.”

“This is bringing the Catholic community together,” said Sepulveda. “We’re so segregated … the suburbs usually stay away, but we’re all Catholics.”

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