News

Fathers, Sons Partner in Service

St. Ignatius of Loyola once said: “Teach us to give and not count the cost.” Today, SLUH fathers and sons are teaming up in a quest to hold true to the ideals of St. Ignatius through ongoing service to the community, locally and abroad. Most recently, they provided much-needed support to help spruce up the facilities at St. Cecilia’s Parish.

“Our boys and families have been very blessed to have been brought together as members of the SLUH family,” says Fathers’ Club member Bob Schenk ’81. “Helping at St. Cecilia’s is an opportunity for us as fathers to reinforce to our sons the importance of serving others in need and to truly be ‘Men for Others.’”

Some of the projects fathers and sons have undertaken in the past at St. Cecilia’s include painting the school gymnasium, refurbishing an office, painting a small chapel and other various jobs. Service projects typically occur in the spring and fall.

“What's been amazing is how quickly you can tackle a big job like the gym – and get it done in one day,” says Schenk.

St. Cecilia’s has been serving the needs of the Latino population in south St. Louis for more than 100 years. Mass is offered at the church in both English and Spanish. In a city full of magnificent churches, St. Cecilia’s is regarded as one of the finest, featuring stunning architecture and a brilliant interior. The parish school is steeped in the Nativity/Miguel School model, which aims to break the cycle of poverty in underserved communities across America.

“Father Vatterott and the school principal Jim Ford are dedicated heroes carrying out the mission of the church, school and community,” says Jeff Pitts, Fathers’ Club President. “They are great to work with, are very appreciative of their relationship with SLUH, and are very thankful for the service devoted to their church and school, and ultimately the families there.”

“St. Cecilia’s is a special place,” says Dr. Randy Odem, member of the Fathers’ Club. “Participating in the service projects has allowed me to get to know some of the people in the parish and to develop a sense of the St. Cecilia’s community. Father Vatterott and Jim Ford have welcomed us and been great at setting an example for all of us from SLUH what service projects are all about.”

In addition to serving at St. Cecilia’s, SLUH fathers and sons participate in service activities at St. Matthew’s Parish and Loyola Academy. For the past few years during spring break, they have traveled to Central America in support of the Jesuit ministry in Belize.

“We are developing a service project relationship with Our Little Haven this year,” says Pitts. “The response from the dads is requiring us to find more service work to fill the demand – that's a good thing.”

Originally known as the "St. Louis U. High Club," the Fathers' Club at SLUH began in 1938 to support school activities. The organization played a large role in construction of the basement recreation room and the first major addition to the school plant. It also helped bring about parking lots, locker room renovation and the library.

Today, the Fathers' Club offers [many opportunities](http://www.sluh.org/parents/fathersclub/calendar/) for fathers and sons to spend time together in recreation, service, liturgy and supporting the school’s many needs.

To view photos from the service work at St. Cecilia’s, visit [Media Galleries]( http://www.sluh.org/gallery/1/photos/parents/).