Every two years for almost 20 years the Diocese of Albany has sponsored a teen mission trips to Northern Ireland, where we partnered with the Diocese of Down and Dromore and often the Diocese of Derry and Raphoe.  Our last trip was in 2017.  A trip in 2019 conflicted with the  NYS school year schedule.  During our last three mission trips in 2013, 2015 and 2017 approximately 10 teens ranging from 15-19 and 3-4 adults attended  and served at Summer Madness, Ireland’s largest Christian festival at the Glenarm Castle in Ballymena.  Work included ushering at the Big Tent and seminars, cooking and serving for the Bishop’s BBQ, providing a late-night hot chocolate ministry, assisting at the zip line, and cleaning showers and “port-a-loos.”  Summer Madness exists to enthuse, equip and engage the youth and young adults of Ireland in their Christian faith so that they may be real change makers in their churches and communities across Ireland.”

After Summer Madness, they partnered with 20 teens from Derry and Raphoe for ‘On the Move’ in different locations in Northern Ireland.  Mission work included working alongside both Catholic and Protestant Northern Ireland teens as they served the community by painting fences, picking up litter, weeding gardens, and cleaning streets.

For more information about mission work in Northern Ireland contact Karen Love.