Service Is Strong at St. Mark Church

When it comes to community service and volunteerism, the attitude of the leaders and congregation of St. Mark Catholic Church is best summed up by the motto of its school: “Enter to learn and go forth to serve.”

The church’s pastor, Patrick Hambrough, said generosity and giving are important parts of the Christian life. They are ideas that can serve as a “jumping off” point for prayer, he explained.

“The first thing we think about when we pray is how much God has blessed us,” Hambrough said. “When you have so many blessings, we are taught to share them.”

In this spirit,the churhc is involved in a variety of outreach programs, everything from donating to local food pantries to providing rent assistance. Parishioners also coordinate closely with other St. Louis charitable organizations, such as the St. Peter and Paul Soup Kitchen and the South County Senior Ministry. The church is also involved with the Affton Christian Food Pantry.

The biggest impact comes from the church's chapter of the St. Vincent de Paul Society. Through donations, the organization is able to aid residents in the area in several ways.

"They spend thousands every year in groceries, utilities and rent assistance," Hambrough said.

Much of the service provided by the church members is organized through different clubs. The St. Mark's Ladies Guild raises money that is given to the parish's schools, and the Men's Club adopts a family every year at Christmas, purchasing them presents and groceries.

Hambrough said he is particularly impressed with the St. Mark's quilter's group, which meets every week to piece together its namesake product. Proceeds from the quilt sales allow the group to donate $5,000 per year in tuition assistance.

"They are great," Hambrough said. "They are all in their 70s and 80s... They don't miss much."

A big part of the parish is its schools, where Hambrough said the mission of service is also emphasized. For example, students are collecting money right now to aid those in Japan affected by the earthquake and tsunami. In addition, the school has an active service club and Boy Scout troop.

"We can start them very young with the idea of serving other people," Hambrough said.

Often students and adults will volunteer side-by-side. A group with mixed membership helps serve food at the St. Peter and Paul Food Kitchen every month. Hambrough said the idea of getting everyone involved is especially important for the community’s younger population

“It’s a good example for the kids to see the adults chipping in and helping out other people,” Hambrough said. “The more they see that in the adults, it just passes on down the line.”