St. Thomas Aquinas has established several opportunities over the years for mission work. Opportunities abound throughout the year and range from local mission work to international mission work. We are called to be the eyes, ears hands and feet of Christ. Often those we seek to help do more for us in the end. God works in mysterious and awesome ways!

Our stateside mission trips are a week long and either take place during Christmas break or at the end of the school year. Mission South Arkansas, Mission South Louisiana and Mission St. Louis have all been missions in the past few years by groups of students wanting to make a difference here in the States. These are perfect opportunities, especially for the international students, to become involved as missionaries. We do not have any upcoming dates for our stateside missions. For more information, e-mail Vera at zawislak@uark.edu.

Mission St. Louis, MO
In January 2007, several member of St. Thomas spent the last week of their Christmas break living and working within the Vincentian Service Corps community in St. Louis, Missouri. The focus of the week was service to the poor, education centered on poverty in the area and prayer with the community. The students spent time volunteering for each of the Vincentian Service Corps' social service outreach sites.

Mission South Louisiana
In May 2006, 13 parishioners of St. Thomas spent five days in two small communities of southern Louisiana that were devastated by Hurricane Rita in September 2005. The group spread out in Forked Island and Pecan Island, gutting, rebuilding, painting and lending a helping hand to our southern neighbors.

Mission South Arkansas
In May 2005, St. Thomas Aquinas worked in conjunction with the Daughters of Charity in Dumas, Gould, Star City, McGehee, Monticello and Lake Village, helping out various community organizations for a week. A working retreat with the poor of the communities of southern Arkansas teaches us that poverty exists not only across the world, but in our own back yards.

St. Thomas is exploring the option of working in the Appalachian Mountains and perhaps the Indian Reservations in the Southwest. As long as we keep our guiding light at the center of what we do, we can go anywhere!