MCU is an interfaith and diverse community organization where religious congregations (Catholic, Protestant, Judaic, and Islamic) in the St. Louis metropolitan region act on their faith and work for a common purpose by putting our values in action in the center of the political process. MCU operates on the belief that all people should have access to a living wage, quality education, adequate housing, affordable health care, and a safe place to raise children. Systemic change is needed to give citizens a greater voice in how public policy decisions are made and how resources are allocated in the region. A solution to this problem is community organizing: creating coordinated efforts that help individuals become informed about issues affecting themselves and the region and encouraging them to take an active role in influencing public policy. To this end, MCU was formed to educate and train citizens on how to do these things.

For more information, contact:
Mary Factor
[email protected]

Since our parish's founding by the Redemptorists in 1971, we have had a relationship with fellow Redemptorist parish, St Alphonsus Liguori "Rock" Church on North Grand Blvd.

Each month, we collect non-perishable food and hygiene/cleaning products for the "Rock".   A Parishioner-volunteer takes the donations to their Wilhelmina Hardin Food Pantry, which serves the needy of their parish and neighborhood.

In June, we hold a LARGE food drive, which garners several truck loads of foodstuffs and hygiend/cleaning products.  Parishioners volunteer to sort the food, and a large check is issued to the Food Pantry to purchase fresh meat for distribution to the Wilhelmina Hardin Food Pantry clients.

Each December, in addition, to holding another large food drive, parishioners donate gift cards for  distribution to the Food Pantry client families in anticipation of Christmas. 
Parishioners are invited to volunteer at the Rock Church, to help sort and setup "Christmas Bags" which contain food items, cleaning and hygiene products, as well as those donated gifts cards (one per family member), which are then distributed on "food pantry" days leading up to Christmas!

Occasionally, groups from each parish will gather with the other for an picnic, and event or speaker-presentation.  All to help grow our relationship with each other!

In 1990, the Redemptorists stopped staffing our parish, and Archdiocesan priests began serving the people of Mary, Mother of the Church.  Even though our parish is no longer staffed by Redemptorist priests, we are blessed to continue this relationship with our sister parish!

The Sandwich Shoppe
The Sandwich Shoppe meets weekly, Friday mornings from 8:30 till 9:30 at St Anthony Food Pantry.  300-350 sandwiches are made each week and donated to local food pantries and homeless missions.

If you are unable to make it to the Sandwich Shoppe but would still like to help, you can make sandwiches at home and we will get them to those in need.  Donations of sandwich meat, peanut butter, jellly, sliced cheese, and bread are always appreciated.

The primary goal of the Mary, Mother of the Church Tithing Program is to offer financial assistance to agencies that serve, or are based, within the boundaries of the  St. Louis  Archdiocese and who directly contribute to the poor in the form of food, clothing, shelter and/or medical care. In keeping with the Church’s teaching that we work for justice and give a preferential option to the poor and vulnerable, our secondary goal is to offer  financial assistance to agencies that work to break the cycle of poverty.
 

Mary Mother is proud to tithe 10% of all donations received each month.  A list of organizations supported is provided in the Update each month.  To nominate a new organization, please complete an application.  Preference is afforded to organizations with active Mary Mother parishioner involvement.