One Year of St. Mary's Mission and Outreach

June 1st, marked the one year anniversary of St. Mary’s Mission & Outreach Ministry.   Unbelievable how quickly a year flew by!!

One year ago, this ministry began with a simple mission:

to encounter Christ in the poor, the vulnerable, the forgotten, the lonely, and all those in need — and to respond with love.

What has happened in this first year has been more than we could have imagined. It has been busy, emotional, challenging, grace-filled, fruitful, and truly life changing.

Together, we have built an essential ministry from the ground up.

This past year, we have gone out into the streets and to our parish doors with food, blankets, clothing, hygiene items, winter gear, water, and essential supplies. We have created blessing bags, care packages, and hygiene kits. We have responded to people needing food, clothing, prayer, support, referrals or simply someone willing to listen.

This winter, through our partnership with The Salvation Army in Saskatoon, our parish hall became an overnight warm-up location for men experiencing homelessness for the third consecutive year. Night after night, St. Mary’s became a place of warmth, food, safety, dignity, shelter, and presence.

Some nights, more than 130 men came through our doors. Over the winter, more than 1,000 unique individuals came to St. Mary’s, with over 15,000 check ins. Thanks to Saskatoon Friendship Inn  supper and breakfast were served.

But these were never just numbers to us.

They were names. Faces. Stories. Sons. Brothers. Fathers. Friends.

This year, we recruited, trained, and supported volunteers. We built teams, created systems, organized donations, fundraised, spoke at schools, parishes, businesses, Catholic organizations, government meetings, and community gatherings. We built partnerships, advocated for those we serve, raised awareness, and watched schools, parishes, councils, businesses, families, and individuals throughout Saskatoon and beyond respond with incredible generosity.

Our volunteers brought snacks, juice, winter gear, clothing, blankets, treats, art supplies, kindness, and open hearts into the hall. Again and again, the men told us their favourite nights were when the volunteers were there.

That tells us something important.

Food, clothing, and shelter matter deeply — but people are also starving for relationship. To be noticed. To be called by name. To be treated with dignity. To know someone came because they cared.

This ministry has taught us to see differently, listen more deeply, love more courageously, and recognize Christ in places many people do not want to look. It has reminded us that the poor are not a problem to solve — they are people to love.

There have been incredibly difficult days. This is not work you simply go home and unplug from. When you know people by name, when you have sat with them, prayed with them, laughed with them, heard their pain, and watched them suffer, their struggles stay with you.

But so does their dignity.

So does their gratitude.

So does our friendship.

So does Christ.

We have built something beautiful — but we are still only beginning. We will do more.

As we move into this next year, we will continue growing through street outreach, food and essential item distribution, community meals and BBQs, support for those in crisis, volunteer opportunities, school and parish engagement, advocacy, relationship-building, and continued service to those who are poor, homeless, lonely, vulnerable, and in need of hope.

But we cannot do this alone.

This ministry relies on donations, volunteers, prayer, and the generosity of people who believe in this mission.

To every volunteer, donor, parish, school, council, business, organization, family, individual, and community partner who supported us this year — thank you.

And to the men and women we have had the privilege of serving and getting to know — thank you for trusting us, teaching us, and allowing us to encounter Christ through you.

This first year has shown us how much can happen when people say yes to God.

Love can look like a blanket, a sandwich, a pair of socks, a warm hall on a cold night, a bottle of water on a hot day, or sitting beside someone on the steps and listening.

Please continue to pray for St. Mary’s Mission & Outreach — for the people we serve, our volunteers, donors, partners, and all those helping to build this ministry.

And please consider supporting this work in whatever way you can: by volunteering, donating essential items, giving financially, organizing a drive, sponsoring a meal, inviting us to speak, sharing our posts, or praying for us.

The need is great.

The work is holy.

And the mission continues.

Our hearts are full!!  

There are soo many parishes across the Roman Catholic Diocese of Saskatoon and Eparchy of Saskatoon, numerous CWL and Knights councils, Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools, Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools Foundation Inc. , community partners, other faith communities, multicultural groups, volunteer organizations, many local businesses, youth groups, individuals and families etc to thank... please know that we are sincerely so grateful to everyone for their support!!! This is a group effort, and you have made a difference!