Iona College Students Serve Others Around the World
Instead of resting and relaxing over the winter break, dozens of Iona College students will be traveling domestically and internationally to serve communities in need.
The Iona community gathered for Mass and a special blessing of the Iona in Mission students.
NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. - Instead of resting and relaxing over the winter break, dozens of Iona College students will be traveling domestically and internationally to serve communities in need.
Iona in Mission trips give students the opportunity to engage in service with the poor and marginalized while being immersed in different cultures. Through service, students are also learning valuable skills that will last a lifetime.
In January, Iona students will be serving in Kolkata, India; Dublin, Ireland; Lima, Peru; Bridgeport, Conn.; Camden, N.J.; and Washington, D.C. Projects will include:
- Joining with community organizations to help eradicate hunger, homelessness and poverty;
- Visiting the imprisoned and those suffering from addiction;
- Serving in soup kitchens;
- Building homes for families and veterans;
- Working with children and people with disabilities;
- Running a day camp.
On Sunday, December 8, the Iona community gathered at Holy Family Church in New Rochelle for Mass and a special blessing of the Iona in Mission students.
“Going to another country or another part of the U.S. and being immersed in another culture and environment can help broaden the students’ worldview and challenge them to think and act globally,” said Fr. Gerard Mulvey, Iona’s chaplain, who presided over the Mass. “Part of our work in the Office of Mission & Ministry is to help students grow in faith and to see the strong connection between faith, mission and service. Faith is not just something we keep to ourselves on a personal level. Faith has to be lived in relationship to other people, and to show that especially in service to others who are in need.”
Iona students will be serving in Kolkata, India; Dublin, Ireland; Lima, Peru; Bridgeport, Conn.; Camden, N.J.; and Washington, D.C.
ABOUT IONA
Founded in 1940, Iona University is a master's-granting private, Catholic, coeducational institution of learning in the tradition of the Edmund Rice Christian Brothers. Iona's 45-acre New Rochelle campus and 28-acre Bronxville campus are just 20 miles north of Midtown Manhattan. With a total enrollment of nearly 4,000 students and an alumni base of more than 50,000 around the world, Iona is a diverse community of learners and scholars dedicated to academic excellence and the values of justice, peace and service. Iona is highly accredited, offering undergraduate degrees in liberal arts, science and business administration, as well as Master of Arts, Master of Science and Master of Business Administration degrees and numerous advanced certificate programs. Iona students enjoy small class sizes, engaged professors and a wide array of academic programs across the School of Arts & Science; LaPenta School of Business; NewYork-Presbyterian Iona School of Health Sciences; and Hynes Institute for Entrepreneurship & Innovation. Iona is widely recognized in prestigious rankings, including The Princeton Review’s 2025 national list of “The Best 390 Colleges” and The Wall Street Journal/College Pulse’s “2024 Best Colleges in America,” which ranked Iona at #66 in the nation overall and #8 in the nation among Catholic schools. Iona’s LaPenta School of Business is also accredited by AACSB International, a recognition awarded to just six percent of business schools worldwide. In addition, The Princeton Review recognized Iona’s on-campus MBA program as a “Best Business School for 2023.” Iona also offers a fully online MBA program for even greater flexibility. In July 2021, Iona announced the establishment of the NewYork-Presbyterian Iona School of Health Sciences, which is now principally located on Iona’s Bronxville campus in collaboration with NewYork-Presbyterian. Connecting to its Irish heritage, the University also recently announced it is expanding abroad with a new campus in County Mayo, Ireland. A school on the rise, Iona officially changed its status from College to University on July 1, 2022, reflecting the growth of its academic programs and the prestige of an Iona education.