A group of 14 students from St. Edward High School in Lakewood spent their annual spring community service day recently working in the area around St. Vitus Parish on Lausche Avenue in Cleveland.
The day began with a prayer service in St. Vitus Church that was conducted by St. Vitus pastor Father Joseph Boznar and Liam Haggerty, vice president of mission at St. Edward.
Afterward, students had a snack and were assigned a variety of tasks. Some worked in the parish rectory doing a general clean out, sorting, removing and bagged unneeded items. Others removed weeds and added mulch in the rectory courtyard and the parish’s new permeable paver parking lot, did mowing and edging work and other general clean-up tasks. The parish has added a variety of plants including rose bushes, lavender and rosemary around the new permeable paver parking lot and in the rectory courtyard.
They also worked in the St. Vitus Village garden area. St. Vitus Village, located across the street from the church, is an apartment building for senior citizens who can live independently.
Another group did some clean-up and other tasks at the nearby Joseph House, a partnership of St. Vitus, Immaculate Conception, St. Paul Croatian and Divine Word parishes. Joseph House offers support for resettling refugees including helping them locate affordable housing, household items and clothing.
After completing their tasks, the student volunteers were treated to a home-cooked lunch catered by Kelly Bencun in the lower church hall.
Parish personnel assisting with the event included Rudy Sterk, manager of St. Vitus Village, and Betty Svekric, parish secretary.
This is the seventh year St. Edward students volunteered at the parish. Previously, students also assisted at a benefit dinner, helped with Christmas decoration work inside and outside the church, assisted at the parish food pantry and helped with demolition, clean up and set-up at the new Joseph House facility.