SERVE
There are many ways to serve and participate at St. Mary's.
St. Mary's relies on the varied gifts and talents of our people so that we can thrive, and we hope that our people discover ministries and activities that give them joy as well. From liturgical ministries on Sunday mornings (greeters, readers, acolytes) to spending time with children and youth as guides and teachers or volunteering for activities that care for our neighbors, there is something for everyone. Our clergy are happy to talk with you about your interests and what activities might be fulfilling for you.
CCA Academy
CCA Academy is a small, private, non-denominational high school located in Chicago’s North Lawndale Community. CCA Academy provides non-traditional students, ages 16-21, who have completed eighth grade with a second chance to earn a high-school diploma through educational programs and supportive services.
CCA Academy was founded by Dr. Myra Sampson, who continues serving today as Principal and Chief Educational Officer.
St. Mary’s has helped support the students and staff of CCA in many different ways over the years. Parishioners ave volunteered their time to help with the urban gardens, paint classrooms, supply books, school supplies and resource materials for teachers, work in classrooms, donate equipment for classrooms, and tutoring students on a weekly basis.
St Mary’s also attends graduation every year as well as attending the annual benefit each year.
Students and staff are also invited to events at St. Mary’s as well.
To learn more about CCA Academy, visit ccaacademy.org
To connect with someone at St. Mary’s about participating in this ministry, please be in touch with Paula Risk at paula_gleason@sbcglobal.net or Dava Kondiles at dkondiles@yahoo.com
Exodus World Service
Since 2017, St. Mary’s has been engaged in care for Refugees through our partnership with Exodus World Service.
Exodus World Service mobilizes the Christian community to welcome and befriend refugees through education, connection, and service projects. At St. Mary’s, we engage in Refugee ministry in several ways. Most often, we put together Welcome Packs of essential household items that refugees will need upon arriving in the UnitedStates, and we deliver them to their homes and greet them as they arrive.
We have a space in our Church dedicated to the gathering and storage of those items so that they are ready when we need them.
Most recently, we have delivered Welcome Packs to refugees arriving from Afghanistan and other countries. Several St. Mary’s families have participated in something called the New Neighbor ministry, in which church families are paired with refugee families to create friendship, social connection, and to help guide them as they learn to navigate a new place and culture.
To learn more about Exodus World Service, visit www.exodusworldservice.org
To connect with us about how to get involved, please be in touch with Deacon Laurie Michaels at lauriemichaels@stmaryspr.org
United Power for Action and Justice
United Power for Action and Justice is a non-partisan community organization composed of 40 religious congregations, not-for-profit groups, hospitals, health centers and civic organizations from across Cook County who work together to address pressing social problems. Our member organizations represent over 250,000 people-families, people of a variety of faiths, participants in secular community organizations-who live and work in the City of Chicago and the Cook County Suburbs. We capitalize on the power of our diverse member organizations to address pressing social problems. St. Mary’s partners with United Power on several key issue campaigns, including Do Not Stand Idly By, which advocates for gun safety. Recently, we collaborated with United Power and other churches in a work called Greenlining, an effort to address redlining housing policies on the West and South sides of Chicago by raising seed money for the construction of affordable housing and the revitalization of city neighborhoods. To learn more about United Power, visit www.united-power.org. To learn about how you can partner with St. Mary’s in our work with United Power, please be in touch with Jay Risk (jay.risk3@gmail.com) or Bill Totsch (wttei@sbcglobal.net).