Xavier High School
Greensburg, Kansas Service Trip

Click here to view service trip online photo album

On June 20, 2007, 14 Xavier students and five adults, including Janet Satterlee from Xavier's Campus Ministry department, joined forces and departed for five days of service work in Greensburg, Kansas - a small rural town ravaged by tornados in early May 2007.

Saterlee recalls the first reactions of the students after arriving in Greensburg; "When we first got there it was silent in the car. I was crying and the devastation was just very, very hard to see. It was devastating on a level I don't think anyone (in our group) had seen before."

The Xavier group spent their days clearing lots - they were charged with everything from moving gigantic pieces of metal and house to picking tiny pieces of glass out of yards. “The first day was overwhelming because there is so much to do,” recalls Satterlee. “We were walking through lots and finding personal artifacts – a doll here or a picture there and the students would just be crying. That’s when we realized these were people’s homes – and this is all that’s left.”

Often while the group was sifting through rubble and debris the home owners would stop by to express their appreciation. “Typically, the home owners were individuals who couldn’t do the work themselves and they were so grateful for our help,” recalls Satterlee; “One woman named Bethel met the group in her lot and showed them her rose garden that her husband had planted. That’s when we realized – this is an individual and this is her home. The work is not endless. We’re helping this one individual a tremendous amount.”

The general consensus from the Xavier group was, “I’ll never be the same after this.” What started as a service trip changed the participant’s perspective on what really is important. One of the greatest impacts on this life changing experience were the people they met. Satterlee describes the people of Greensburg as “Incredibly nice, welcoming and gracious.” Instead of dwelling on the possessions that had been destroyed, or complaining about what they no longer had, they were positive and just ready to get settled again. They were very grateful.”

The Xavier volunteers attended prayer group every night and took time to reflect on what they had seen, the people they had met, and the work they were doing. The evening before the group left for Cedar Rapids they attended Mass at the sister church of the Catholic church where they had worked earlier in the week (scheduled to re-open on Sunday, July 1, 2007). Many of the other volunteers the Xavier group encountered throughout their trip also attended the Mass and the parishioners gave the volunteers a blessing. Satterlee noted how powerful it was to feel a fellowship with the church there.

Despite the magnitude of the destruction and the amount of work still left to do, the people of Greensburg made sure the Xavier volunteers knew that they had made a difference. Every piece of debris they cleared from a lot brought a family, a church community, and the people of Greensburg one step closer to restoring their home.