Volunteer Program

"For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles will be exalted"(Mt. 23:12).

The volunteer program was founded in 1988 by Fr. Jim Ronan of the Archdiocese of Boston, MA. Rostro de Cristo is a lay, Catholic volunteer program of the Catholic Church based in Guayaquil, Ecuador. The main purpose of the program is to challenge young people to follow the example of Christ by working among the poor, and by recognizing the face of Christ in them. Volunteers are recent college graduates from the U.S. who have been called to Ecuador to deepen their faith in two main ways: by living and praying in community, and by serving others.

The community of volunteers, live out Christian values to the best of their ability, including charity, sacrifice, patience, humility, faith, perseverance, simplicity and love. In an effort to remove any obstacles between the Volunteers and those they serve, the focus is on building relationships and community with God, each other, and those with whom they work. The Volunteers live among and work with the poor, forming relationships with them built on respect and love. The opportunities for ministry are limitless, but some examples include teaching, tutoring, coaching sports, working in soup kitchens, running after-school programs, leading retreat groups, assisting in parish activities, working at a hospital for Hansen's Disease, and visiting orphanages and nursing homes. The emphasis in the Rostro de Cristo program is always on "being" with the people and not on "doing" for them. The focus is on forming relationships, which serve as the most powerful and profound means of expressing God's love to each other. For further information or to request and application please contact the Assistant Director.