David Crowley: A Thanksgiving Mission in Mexico

December, 2005 - David Crowley had an experience over his Thanksgiving break that he will never forget. Crowley, an assistant professor of biology at Assumption, went on a weeklong mission trip to General Cepeda, Mexico with his wife Christina, three-year-old daughter Grace, and a group of friends from St. Peter Claver parish in Macon, Georgia.

The mission in General Cepeda is run by Family Missions Company (FMC), which was founded in Louisiana by Frank and Genie Summers. Frank and Genie’s daughter Sarah currently oversees the mission house or “Casa de Misiones”, which was the former servant’s quarter of the ancient Hacienda of the Marquees de Aguayo. The house is over 400 years old and is built around an open courtyard. Through this evangelical mission program, both full-time missionaries and families participate in service projects, which benefit the poor inhabitants of the surrounding desert region. The overall mission of FMC is to “Go into the whole world and proclaim the Gospel to every creature.”

Crowley and his family served in various capacities during their stay at the mission. The group at the mission house was divided into three teams with each team being assigned a specific work project. During the day, the teams performed their work projects and at night they went to the poor villages out in the desert, known as ranchos, to help spread the word of God through prayer, song, and testimonial gatherings at small chapels. Crowley’s group helped to renovate a house, which included painting the exterior and cleaning out its overgrown landscape. Christina and Grace were on a team that brought bags of clothes and food to the less fortunate.

The impoverished community in General Cepeda does not have everyday conveniences such as refrigerators, clean water or electricity. Crowley noted that this made the normal way of life for he and his family a little different during the time they spent at the mission. Showers could not be taken every day and the water was not clean enough to drink. “Brushing your teeth was a bit of an enterprise,” said Crowley.

Although the people of General Cepeda lack certain conveniences and material items, they are rich in spirit and faith. “The people are happy and focus on what’s important. It was just amazing to see,” said Crowley. “You actually became envious of what they have. They don’t have all the distractions of modern day society. They are faithful, live a simple life, and focus on relationships with their families and God.”

There are about 50 ranchos in this region of Mexico. The inhabitants of the ranchos live in extreme desert conditions for most of their lives. Crowley and his family, along with the other missionaries, went around the ranchos in groups and invited people to small chapels for prayer service. The villagers were diligent in their prayer and song and even offered testimonials, which thanked the missionaries for their services. In the town of General Cepeda, one or two priests serve over 100,000 people and often perform several sacraments at once. “These people have so many reasons to not be faithful, yet they are more faithful. They seemed so different from us but we all shared the same prayers and music,” said Crowley. This unity between the missionaries and the villagers illustrates the Catholic idea of a universal church where everyone prays together regardless of social or ethnic differences.

During Crowley’s stay in General Cepeda, people from the town often came to the mission house asking for money to cover medical expenses such as x-rays. The missionaries at the house worked together during these times and donated money out of their own pockets to help pay the fees. The Thanksgiving holiday provided a fitting time for Crowley and his family to witness such acts of grateful philanthropy. On Thanksgiving, the missionaries and townspeople enjoyed a full traditional dinner with all the trimmings. “We hardly suffered,” joked Crowley.

Although Crowley and his family became involved in this project by their own means, Assumption offers several mission opportunities for students, staff and alumni through Campus Ministry. Past projects have included work with Habitat for Humanity, volunteering in an orphanage, providing a spring camp for children in South Bronx, NY, serving in a substance abuse recovery community, and helping the Religious of the Assumption sisters continue to develop their new community in New Mexico. Other mission trips to Mexico, Cuba and Philadelphia, PA have also been offered.

The mission trip to General Cepeda was both a rewarding and challenging experience for Crowley and his family. Crowley strongly believes that mission projects like this one are vital in the lives of people they seek to help. People in this area of Mexico welcome the missionaries with open arms and need to see that people care about them. “It was the best week I ever spent in my life,” said Crowley. “You get back so much more than you put in.”

Dr. David Crowley received his Ph.D. in Biological Sciences from Stanford University in 1999 and spent five years on the faculty at Mercer University in Macon, Georgia before joining the faculty at Assumption College in 2004. Dr. Crowley is originally from Leominster, Massachusetts and received his B.A. from the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts. He has also participated in research at the University of Massachusetts Medical School in Worcester. He teaches several courses in biology, including Microbiology (BIO 250), Genetics (BIO 210) and Concepts in Biology (BIO 160).