Faith & Service

The Campus Ministry and Service leadership team supports the mission of St. Mary's Academy and the core values of the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary. All ministry works at St. Mary’s Academy augment and support our school’s mission of "nurturing spirituality...promoting justice, and inspiring a sense of global interdependence to prepare students for service and leadership."

St. Mary’s Academy is the first school founded by the Sisters of the Holy Name of Jesus and Mary in the United States. The CMS team, in conjunction with St. Mary’s administration and staff, works to ensure that the core values of the SNJM community are at the heart of all that we do.

CMS offers a variety of service opportunities on and off campus, including a for-credit course where students commit to a semester of ministry. This allows students to deepen their own spirituality while engaging the larger St. Mary’s community. Students can also support CMS through a number of service projects, annual retreats, weekly masses and other coordinated events.

Service

By leaning on the example of the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary and using their core values as a guide, St. Mary's Academy students actively participate in service throughout their SMA experience and are prepared for a life of leadership and service. A commitment to service plays a vital role in the profile of SMA students and alumnae.

At St. Mary's Academy, we emphasize the need to serve with our community members rather than for them. Our students and staff recognize that it is only thorough a collaborative effort with all community members that we can be positive agents of change for social justice.

Service takes on many forms at SMA, including the twice-a-year class-wide Hands Full of Heart day of service, Mississippi Service Immersion Trip, Mexico Border Immersion Trip, Justice and Peace Network service learning, Campus Ministry Service team projects, club-organized service opportunities and more!

Beyond the regularly scheduled programs, service opportunities are often woven into our school-wide programs, including retreats, social justice week, Immersion experiences and other large-group events.