Franciscan University of Steubenville’s Missions of Peace will send over 250 students on 13 domestic and international missions beginning March 12. These missions are completely student-led, organized, and funded.

This year, students will serve on spring break missions in Arizona, the Bronx, Denver, Los Angeles, New Mexico, North Dakota, San Diego, Steubenville, Belize, Honduras, and the Dominican Republic.

For the first time, the mission trips were almost fully funded by Christmas, said Rhett Young, director of Missionary Outreach at Franciscan University. He was excited to see students overcome the “fear factor” to ask for donations.

“Some of the most bashful, timid students got past their fear and trusted in Jesus” to touch the hearts of donors, Young said.

More than 60 percent of the mission work will be in school environments, while other work will take place in orphanages, medical clinics, inner-city shelters, soup kitchens, and parishes.

Each student received training in evangelization and scripture reflection, and received a blessed scapular, mission Bible, and a St. Michael rosary to prepare them for spiritual warfare in anti-Christian environments.

The University’s Austrian Study Abroad Program will also send students on mission to Hungary and Romania during their 10-day break. University students are also preparing for summer missions to Ecuador, Iraq, and Steubenville.

Mission students will participate in Mission Week beginning March 5, led by Father Rufino Corona, TOR. The week will include a holy hour, a Mission Immersion Mass, and mission empowerment, where each student will receive their missionary cross and be instructed to forth go like St. Francis to rebuild the Church.

Students, advisors, and religious will leave for their spring break mission trips on March 12 and return on March 19. For more information, visit outreach.franciscan.edu/missions-of-peace.