‘Spreading the love of God all over the world’
CHARLOTTE — Charlotte Catholic High School graduate Melina Tirrell is taking a leap of faith. Instead of heading off to college this fall with her peers, she is setting off on a worldwide mission called the World Race.
Tirrell, a parishioner of St. Matthew Church in south Charlotte, left Charlotte Sept. 10 to volunteer with The World Race, a Christian mission that challenges young adults “to abandon worldly possessions and a traditional lifestyle in exchange for an understanding that it’s not about you; it’s about the Kingdom.”
She will be serving people in Costa Rica, South Africa, Thailand and Myanmar over the course of her nine-month mission trip.
Tirrell explains that ministry on the World Race includes anything from working in orphanages, mentoring street kids, befriending those trapped in human trafficking, going on door-to-door outreach, doing manual labor, teaching English, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, and much more.
“My sister had given me the idea to take a gap year,” Tirrell explains. “When she brought it up, my very first thought was, ‘No, I have to go straight to college like everyone else.’ But I quickly realized, ‘Yeah, I have to go to college, but why do I have to go right after high school?’”
She started researching gap year programs and things all kind of fell into place from there, she says.
Tirrell shares that she has a family friend who completed the race a few years ago, and when she was looking for programs she remembered her.
“The funny thing was, when I brought the idea to my mom about doing the World Race Gap Year, she told me that she had recently heard about it over social media and thought it would be awesome.”
Mom Lori Tirrell says she is excited for Melina to embark on this journey.
“While I have a range of emotion as she prepares to leave, travel and serve for nine months, I remain focused on doing my best to trust that she is following God’s plan. As I look back, I take comfort in seeing how God has been preparing Melina her whole life to serve.”
Lori shares that it has also been amazing to see how God has revealed Himself to their family in so many ways, through so many people over the past several months with connections made, fundraising, etc., as Melina prepares to leave for the mission trip.
“Through this experience Melina has been bold in expressing her beliefs and relying on God through prayer. Her Catholic faith has been strengthened, and I am confident that, in her words, as she ‘lets go and lets God,’ her relationship with Jesus will grow even deeper,” Lori says.
Tirrell’s father Ed shares that as Melina’s dad, his mission has been to protect and nurture her with unconditional love.
“Watching Melina grow into a loving, confident young woman has been an incredible journey,” he says. “She will soon embark on an amazing nine-month mission trip to serve others, and I am at peace knowing God will be with her every step of the way.”
In order to participate in The World Race, Tirrell has had to fund raise on her own.
“Most of my donations have been made directly to my blog,” she explains. She sold about 200 T-shirts and conducted an “adopt-a-box” fundraiser where donors could “adopt” a box (numbered 1-100) and that’s how much they donated.
“My financial goal is $15,800 set by the Adventures in Missions Organization. I currently have raised about $12,714,” Tirrell says.
Starting Sept. 10, she will be in Costa Rica the first three months of the World Race. From there, she will travel to South Africa for another three months, then serve in Thailand for two months, then in Myanmar for the final month.
“A few weeks ago I went to our 10-day training camp. Just in those 10 days I felt an incredible impact on my Catholic faith,” Tirrell notes.
“I’ve already seen God move in amazing ways through my team in prayer and petition just from those 10 days. I’m so excited to see what God has in store for me in these next nine months as I grow with Him on this journey I am about to embark on!
“The reason I chose the World Race is because it gives me the opportunity to follow my passion of serving others while spreading the love of God all over the world! Who wouldn’t choose that over going straight to college?”
— SueAnn Howell, senior reporter
Help Tirrell in her mission
Want to help Tirrell meet her goal or follow her along on her journey? Go online to her blog at www.melinatirrell.theworldrace.org. More information about the World Race is at www.worldrace.org.
CHARLOTTE — Vincentian Father Abel Osorio, parochial vicar at St. Mary’s Church in Greensboro, has been suspended from ministry and an investigation has been launched by his order following the reporting of an allegation that he massaged the shoulders of a child.
According to a Sept. 7 statement from the Congregation of the Mission Eastern Province USA and the Diocese of Charlotte, “This week it was reported to the pastor that, approximately a year ago, Father Abel Osorio had inappropriate contact with a 14-year-old girl by massaging her on her shoulders during a public event held in the parish.”
“We are taking this allegation very seriously. Father Abel has been suspended from religious ministry and is prohibited from engaging in priestly duties while this accusation is investigated,” said Vincentian Father Steve Grozio, provincial for the order’s Eastern province, which is based in Philadelphia and oversees the Vincentian priests who serve in the Charlotte diocese.
According to David Hains, spokesman for the Charlotte diocese, the incident is alleged to have occurred at the church in Greensboro. Hains said diocesan officials were made aware of the allegation Sept. 7 “and immediately acted.”
Among its other ministries, the Eastern province staffs parishes in Philadelphia, New York, Maryland and Alabama.
Besides St. Mary’s Church, the order staffs Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish in Charlotte.
Father Osorio, who is from Mexico, ministered to Hispanic Catholics at the Greensboro parish.
The parish recently welcomed a new pastor, Vincentian Father William M. Allegretto, who replaces Vincentian Father Charles Strollo effective Sept. 10.
According to Hains, the parish’s leadership and staff have been notified and parishioners will be notified at this weekend’s Masses.
“The Vincentian Fathers and the Diocese of Charlotte condemn all forms of sexual misconduct and sexual abuse, especially concerning a child,” the statement from the Vincentian provincial and the Charlotte diocese stated.
“We are committed to providing a safe environment in our ministries and will take aggressive action when that commitment is violated. Any person who suspects, or has knowledge of, an incident of possible sexual misconduct by any church personnel of the Diocese of Charlotte is urged to immediately report the incident by reporting it to the pastor, or by calling the Chancery at 704-370-6299, or notifying the Department of Social Services.”
— Catholic News Herald