“The Near Eastside of Indianapolis was once a dynamic network of neighborhoods and shops that lined New York, Michigan, and 10th Streets. Sometimes called Indianapolis’ first suburb, the area experienced a decline in the mid-1900s, which was accelerated by the construction of I-65 when the neighborhoods lost their close connection to downtown. Far from simply an economic downturn, the decline of the Near Eastside has left many families feeling trapped in hopelessness. Many young people in our neighborhood experience poverty, hunger, drug, and/or domestic abuse, and they can’t see a way out. Interest in the development of the Near Eastside has brought the appearance of a neighborhood renaissance, but it often involves simply replacing struggling families with wealthy new residents. Accordingly, youth facing poverty and hopelessness are being left behind as their neighborhood transforms around them.

“St. Philip Neri Parish is excited to welcome Vagabond Missions to the Near Eastside to seek out our young neighbors who desperately need the hope of Christ. Like many Catholic parishes, we battle insularity and insecurity about embracing our missionary call to proclaim the power of the Gospel. I hope that Vagabond Missions’ proven methods for discipleship and outreach will ultimately help the forgotten youth of the Near Eastside plug into the Eucharist, which has always been the beating heart of Indy’s first suburb.”

– Fr. Jeff Dufresne, Pastor, St. Philip Neri Catholic Church