SAN ANTONIO – More than 500 St. Mary’s University volunteers spread across San Antonio on Saturday to complete 2,000 hours of community service, kicking off the school year with a long-running tradition of giving back.
The annual event, called Continuing the Heritage Day of Service, has been part of the university for 30 years.
Students, staff and alums spent the day helping four local organizations: Towne Twin Village, Family Service-Presa Community Center, Sleep in Heavenly Peace and St. Stephen’s CARE Center.
At Towne Twin Village, volunteers worked to beautify the community’s meditation garden.
“It makes a big difference,” said Mark Wittig, Towne Twin Village president.
For many students, the event was also a chance to connect with the community and with one another.
“I feel like there is no other thing that you can do on a Saturday than provide for your community,” said Magdalena Loza, a St. Mary’s University sophomore.
“It brings a lot of people together at the university, and it’s just a great opportunity for people to meet each other and to maybe learn about different nonprofits that they didn’t know about before,” said sophomore Anthony McMorrough.
Saturday’s service day is part of a larger goal for the university. St. Mary’s University President Winston Erevelles said the school is working toward 10,000 community service hours by the end of the academic year in honor of Pope Leo XIV.
“You can see our shirts. They say 10,000 hours for Pope Leo XIV,” Erevelles said. “We’re giving of our talent, our hearts, our hands, and this is all giving to Pope Leo.”
Erevelles said the idea came after he met Pope Leo XIV in Rome this summer.
“This is just when we’re going to go all out,” Erevelles said. “Saying, let’s stretch ourselves, let’s do more. There’s so much need in the community.”
By the end of Saturday’s volunteer effort, St. Mary’s is expected to have reached 20% of its 10,000-hour goal for the school year.
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