St. Mary's Marathon of Service

Submitted by JEN SWANSON

For many years, St. Mary’s School in Owatonna has participated in the annual Marathon for Non-public Education sponsored by the Knights of Columbus. Most years, our students asked for donations and then, on our Marathon day, walked around the fairgrounds in Owatonna. In 2018, Owatonna was hit by a small tornado. This happened the evening before our annual Marathon. School was canceled that day, but many students showed up to help clean up fallen branches and trees on our school campus and in our community. Our Marathon was rescheduled for the following Friday. Inspired by the students who volunteered, and with the community still in need of help, we decided to have each grade level perform service during the Marathon instead of just walking. We had such a great experience that we changed our Marathon to be a Marathon of Service. Each year on our Marathon day, our students perform acts of service in our community.

This year, Bishop Barron challenged all Catholic schools to participate in Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy. Our junior high teachers felt that we could incorporate this challenge in our Marathon of Service. Junior high students had two options this year for service: they could participate in a Corporal Work of Mercy by helping at It’s All Good Farms, or they could participate in a Spiritual Work of Mercy by visiting Sacred Heart Catholic Cemetery.

It’s All Good Farms is a local non-profit that donates fresh produce to Community Pathways and other organizations in Owatonna (and is run by the husband of a St. Mary’s teacher). Students helped with harvesting, grinding corn, and cleaning the chicken coop and gardens at the farm.

Before leaving for the cemetery, Msgr. Cook spoke with students about the Spiritual Work of Mercy of praying for the living and dead. At the cemetery, the students participated in a prayer service near Fr. Mountain’s grave site. Students took a tour of other graves with special connections to our school family. At each stop, students prayed for the soul of the departed. Then students continued in small groups praying and cleaning grave sites as they went.

Service is a part of who we are at St. Mary’s School, allowing us to live our core values of Love, Learn, Lead, Give, and Pray. Our Marathon of Service is a fun-filled, empowering day where our students become active members of our community. Our different grade levels participated in service by doing the following activities:

• Preschool: Made thank-you cards for people who care for animals

• Kindergarten: Decorated the sidewalks in downtown Owatonna with positive messages with their fifth-grade buddies

• First grade: Made positivity posters to hang around the school

• Second grade: Made Halloween decorations for the local nursing home

• Third grade: Cleaned up the fairgrounds

• Fourth grade: Sang and played Bingo with residents at a senior living center

• Fifth grade: Decorated the sidewalks in downtown Owatonna with positive messages with their Kindergarten buddies

• Sixth grade: Cleaned at Sacred Heart and St. Joseph’s parishes

• Seventh-Eighth grade: Sacred Heart Cemetery and It’s All Good Farms

Our Marathon of Service is a rewarding experience not only for the recipients of the service, but also for our students who felt they made a difference - and had some fun doing so. The event also allows our students to contribute to our annual fundraising goal by collecting donations from friends and relatives for the service we perform. At St. Mary’s, we are proud to follow Mother Teresa’s advice: “Give your hands to serve and your hearts to love.” Thank you to Bishop Barron for challenging us to actively participate in the Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy.

Jen Swanson is the principal of St. Mary's School in Owatonna.