MISSION YOUTH
& FAMILY
2026 Holy Week Missions
“In every encounter, the unshaken love of Christ was shared in a unique and personal way.”– Rosalia Gutierrez
This year’s Holy Week Missions in Houston were a powerful witness to Christ’s love in action. A total of 973 missionaries, organized into 30 teams across 33 mission sites, were sent out to serve communities throughout The Woodlands, Conroe, Houston, Katy, and surrounding areas. Among them were over 180 youth missionaries, with more than 100 committing to a three-day overnight mission experience.
Thanks to the generosity of Sts. Simon and Jude Parish, missionaries distributed hundreds of Easter baskets, homeless care packages, and clothing and shoes to those in need. Throughout the week, thousands of families and community members were encountered and evangelized through both word and witness.
This year’s theme, Unshaken, was prayerfully developed by the youth, centering on the Unshaken Love of Christ. That message deeply marked the spirit of the missions rooted in peace, prayer, and a joyful urgency to share Christ with others. Each team was guided by team leaders, many of them couples, who accompanied missionaries both spiritually and practically.
Missionaries served in a wide variety of ways: visiting the elderly in nursing homes, supporting women’s shelters, hosting Easter celebrations for children in underserved communities, serving at food banks, reaching out to the homeless, renovating spaces for foster children, and more. As well, for the first time, they also had a group of missionaries at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Houston, which is assigned to the Legionaries of Christ, prayerfully accompanying Mary in her sorrow on Holy Saturday.
“It had a great impact on us to go on a mission to a public school in Conroe, where we observed a principal and a coordinator with hearts incredibly open to expressing the things of God to the students and their families. We were struck by the fact that they took the risk of inviting a group like ours to share the meaning of the Paschal Mystery, knowing that it is a public school and there may be people whose faith is not Christian, much less Catholic. Their attitude, their openness, and their willingness for us to speak about our Lord Jesus Christ touched our hearts. We believe this is a sign of these times, where our Lord is touching hearts so that—just as he asked of us—we may evangelize every creature.”– Linda and Abelardo Cruz
“For me, Holy Week missions were a moment to come back down to earth and truly realize how good God has been to me. Having the opportunity to serve Christ through the missions was something beautiful. Becoming a disciple of God and being able to share even a small part of the love he gives us fills my heart with joy.”– Fernanda Pelaez
2026 Mission Photos
2025 Mission Photos
UNSHAKEN: 2026 Holy Week Missions Theme
The rain fell, the torrents raged, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because its foundation was on the rock.
This Holy Week, Christ calls us to go out into the world as his Apostles—rooted, grounded, and anchored in him and in his word. We are sent into a world that desperately needs Christ, the Rock on whom every life must be built. We go not timidly, but with purpose: to establish the Kingdom, a Kingdom founded on the Rock that no power can shake. Standing on Christ, when the storms rage and the winds howl, we do not retreat—we remain unshaken.
The theme of Holy Week Missions this year is a battle cry. It calls us to face the temptations, chaos, and storms of the world with an unbreakable confidence in Christ. We stand unshaken before the forces that seek to intimidate and divide us. Fear does not have the final word. With the boldness of the Gospel, we echo the challenge of St. John Paul II: “Be not afraid!” We are unshaken because it is Christ—the Rock—who calls us, forms us, reveals his burning love to us, and sends us out to transform the world.