Mullens Spiritan Mission

We are a group of 20 Duquesne students and Spiritan campus ministers traveling down the country roads of West Virginia for a mission trip in the town of Mullens.  

Mullens, WV is a coal mining town that was hit by massive flooding in 2001. Since then, the town has fallen into poverty and is still recovering. The Duquesne community and their students have been working with the people of Mullens for almost 3 decades. This community partnership is uniquely Spiritan.   Duquesne staff and students get to work side by side with the people of Mullens on a project that is conceptualized by the locals.

Spiritan Campus Ministry is a catalyst in forming the mind and the heart of students to help them attain their bigger goals in life.  Spiritan mission experience gives the students participating on these trips a once in a lifetime experience of how missionaries live-out the gospel values of serving and caring for the needy.  Moreover, these trips allow students to walk humbly in the shoes of the people they encounter and work with on their mission trip.  From November 22-26, 2024, we will engage with the community in Mullens. Driven by the Spiritan pillars of forming authentic relationships, being open to the spirit, and walking with those on the margins, we will be serving in a local food bank, and helping clean and clear a community center/park in town. Duquesne students will work closely with the Mullens Opportunity Center and the Ittman Food Pantry managed by the local chapter of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul.  

With the decline of coal, community leaders have expressed a need for alternative economic initiatives and have begun to explore the agricultural industry.  Six years ago, Duquesne students and supporters helped finance and build a high-tunnel greenhouse at the MOC and have since helped with planting and maintenance. The greenhouse has been extremely successful and has resulted in a fresh produce market for the community throughout the summer months. 

Additionally, the community is beginning to look into more initiatives to increase tourism. These initiatives include the start of a railroad museum, rental cabins, and stream beautification. Mullens is on the rise, and we are very pleased to be a part of it! 

We appreciate anything and everything you will donate/give! Please donate today and help us spread the word on social media! Thank you! 

Why we need your help!

All donations will go directly to our students’ cleaning project and gardening supplies. The students are also doing a group project of assembling hygiene kits and baby blankets for the local St. Vincent de Paul chapter.  Extra funding will be used to assist defray the cost of the gas needed for the rental vehicles that will transport our students from Duquesne campus to the Mullens Opportunity Center and back.