Mercy in Action Service Day at St. Mary
This year’s St. Mary’s 2025 Mercy in Action Service Day event brought together an inspiring group of volunteers — including an entire Girl Scout troop, several families, and caring individuals from the community — to live out their faith through hands-on service. The group worked throughout Mill Trail Park in the City of Wayne, along Michigan Avenue and Sims Street, and behind St. Mary’s Outreach, collecting nearly 20 bags of trash filled with bottles, plastics, and other debris. Through careful teamwork and a spirit of cooperation, the volunteers helped restore beauty to these natural and public areas, making them cleaner, safer, and more welcoming for all. Both children and adults worked side by side — boys, girls, and parents alike — showing that when people come together to care for God’s creation, they also care for one another. Some of the young volunteers cleaned along the riverbank and even caught sight of two deer near a spring — a gentle reminder of the harmony between human effort and the natural world we are called to protect. This simple act of cleaning and caring carried a profound spiritual meaning. By serving one another and the community, everyone was serving God. Their efforts embodied the Gospel call to stewardship, love, and respect for all of creation. Thanks to their hard work and faith, the wild and public spaces of Wayne are brighter, healthier, and more beautiful for every visitor, and for all the plants and animals that call Wayne home.