Intro | The Program | History

The Gospel Roads program began in 2001 when 28 young people gathered at the Salesian House in South Orange, NJ for the first GR I programs. During those first two weeks, these young volunteers worked at several sites in Essex County, NJ, including soup kitchens, food pantries, and crisis pregnancy centers. One of those sites was the St. John's Soup Kitchen in Newark, NJ. St. John's has become a staple of the GRI: South Orange program ever since, and many GR participants list it as one of the most moving experiences during their week.

After several Gospel Roads programs took place, the need arose for a program to include past participants. As a result, 2003 was the debut of Gospel Roads II, where past GRI participants traveled to St. Philip Benizi Parish, a Salesian community in Belle Glade, Florida, for another week of service. The types of service became more focused during GRII, and the participants actually spent the week living within the community they were serving. Since then, families from the parish have made it a point to welcome the participants into their homes and spend time getting to know them outside of the direct service work.

In 2005, Gospel Roads I spread to Miami, Florida. The following summer, GRI programs were also offered in East Boston, Massachusetts and Birmingham, Alabama.

2006 also saw the first Gospel Roads III, which took place in the Dominican Republic. Accompanied by 2 Salesian Lay Missioners, 6 young adults who had completed GRI and GRII progams during the previous summers traveled to Santo Domingo, and then spent time at several different Salesian ministries throughout the island.

At the time, 2006 had been the busiest summer for Gospel Roads, featuring 6 retreats. Since then, Gospel Roads I has also traveled to Cincinatti, Ohio and Tampa, Florida. Gospel Roads II has expanded to Philadelphia, PA.

The most important measure of success of the Gospel Roads program is seen in what past participants have done since returning home. Many past GR participants have gone back to their schools, parishes, and ministries and encouraged other youth to participate not just in future Gospel Roads retreats, but also to get involved with Christian service in their own communities and beyond. Past participants are also encouraged to apply to be members of the Young Team that animates and helps to lead the individual Gospel Roads retreats.

Several participants have gone back to their college campuses and started GR-style programs that have traveled to sites including Belle Glade, Florida and Honduras. Two Salesians from the United Kingdom developed a Gospel Roads program in the UK after attending GRI: Miami.

In 2005, three months after Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast, a group of Salesian young adults in college traveled to New Orleans to help in the long process of rebuilding. They spent their Thanksgiving Break in New Orleans, and every year since, a group has returned to continue the work. Beginning in 2008, the Hurricane Relief Trip became Gospel Roads: New Orleans, and the tradition of Salesian youth traveling to New Orleans continued.

The Summer of 2009 saw continued growth of the Salesian Gospel Roads program. Gospel Roads I continued in South Orange and Tampa. It returned to Birmingham, and expanded to Lexington, Kentucky. GR: Philadelphia became a GRII/College Gospel Roads. Gospel Roads: New Orleans will also take place, this time during the Christmas/Winter break.

Here are the plans for the summer of 2010: Gospel Roads I will return place in Lexington, Kentucky, and Tampa, Florida. It will expand to New Orleans, Louisiana; the inner-city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and Washington, DC. The week that has traditionally taken place in South Orange, NJ, is moving to Stony Point, New York, to accomodate a larger group. Gospel Roads II will take place in West Chester, Pennsylvania (it's the same program that's been identified as Philadelphia) and Leeds, Alabama (which has been upgraded from a GR I). The second-ever Gospel Roads III will take place in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, where we hope to aid in the ongoing relief efforts in the wake of the devastating earthquake.