Service retreat invigorates J.C. St. Peter School faculty
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Fellowship and a shared mission.
That’s exactly what the teachers and administrators of St. Peter School in Jefferson City needed the Monday after Thanksgiving Day.
“We got a chance to laugh with each other and also serve the community together,” said Donna Stuckenschneider, music teacher at the school.
“And this spending time together was definitely a retreat,” she said. “The good that came out of it was very spiritual.”
Catholic school educators in the Jefferson City diocese are required to take part in at least one spiritual retreat each year. This helps them stay focused on the school’s highest priority: leading souls to Christ.
“Our theme for this year is service,” noted Mark Veit, St. Peter’s assistant principal. “We discussed that we could have someone come and talk to us about service, or we could actually do something that is of service.
“We decided to do service,” he said.
Specifically, they set about preparing a hot meal and inviting anyone in need to come and eat it in St. Peter Parish’s hospitality hall.
Many of the teachers also went out in groups of two and three to deliver meals to people at home or where they might go to eat.
They also gave away dozens of “blessing bags,” each containing personal care items.
“We delivered 65 meals to the Salvation Army (Center of Hope), because they serve lunch every day,” said Mr. Veit.
“We’re also taking about 75 to the Catholic Charities Food Pantry, because they’re open this evening, so they can hand them out as people come in,” he said.
Teachers delivered about 100 meals to residents of public housing in the city, 35 to a local senior living community and a handful to the homes of parishioners who are mostly homebound.
A handful of people came to the hall to be served in-person.
“And after we clean up, a few teachers and I are going to drive to a few places where people who are homeless are known to hang out,” said Mr. Veit.
At local newspaper photographer Julie Smith’s suggestion, they also delivered 25 meals to a local daycare center for families with low incomes.
“What better way to serve God’s people than to feed the hungry?” Mr. Veit proposed.
“The best time”
Mr. Veit and Principal Gayle Trachsel got an enthusiastic “yes!” when they pitched the retreat day of service to the teachers.
“They were all like, ‘I’m so excited! I can’t wait! What can we do to help get it going?’” Mr. Veit recalled.
He noted that the teachers already do “tons of service” but don’t always realize that they also serve each other.
“They don’t treat this as work,” he stated. “It’s what they view as their duty, their obligation as Catholics, not necessarily as teachers.”
When word got out about the project, students’ families started donating items for the blessing bags.
Students took part in a “dollar dress-down day,” receiving dress code leniency for a contribution to the cause.
“That paid for all the food,” said Mr. Veit.
The teachers wanted to serve something hot, nourishing and uncomplicated to prepare, dish out and deliver.
Debbie Schrimpf, the school’s head cook, suggested spaghetti and meat sauce, salad, beans and hot rolls.
Mrs. Schrimpf ordered the ingredients, Mr. Veit picked up salad at a wholesale club, and the teachers prepared desserts.
The first shift arrived at the hall at 7 a.m. to begin preparing the food. The next shift arrived midday to serve and deliver food and prepare some more of it.
“Working together as a team and having fun in the kitchen — it was the best time,” said Sara Garner, the school counselor.
“Very rewarding”
First-grade teacher Betsy Lauf said it was like encountering Jesus when people opened up their doors and welcomed strangers into their homes.
“Just the look in their eyes when you tell them you’re there to bring them a hot meal!” she said.
One woman who received a visit and a meal said that no one had ever done anything like this for her.
“She asked, ‘What do I owe you?’” Mrs. Lauf recalled. “We said, ‘Not a thing.” She said, ‘Thank you very much. Can I do anything for you?’ And I said, ‘Could you pray for us?’”
Jane Schneider, a special education teacher for the school’s Vogelweid Learning Center, recalled delivering a meal to a woman with severe disabilities, and her caregiver.
There were others who didn’t have caregivers but seemed to need them.
“They were all very appreciative,” said Mrs. Schneider. “We got to stay and visit with some of them.”
Some of the teachers got a list of parishioners who are mostly homebound, and called ahead.
“Some cordially said, ‘No, thank you,’ but others said, ‘Sure, come on by,’” Mrs. Stuckenschneider recalled. “Either way, I liked putting myself out there.”
Fourth-grade teacher Maddie Gramlich said everyone was welcoming and extremely appreciative for the visit and the meal.
“While I’m not super-comfortable going out and doing things like this,” she said, “it was nice to do it with my coworkers and friends and to be able to talk together about what we’ll say and how we can help people feel loved.”
She referred to her fellow faculty members as “my school family.”
“I didn’t expect today to feel so easygoing,” she said. “There was no stress. We were all just having fun together.”
“It’s teamwork!” said Mrs. Lauf. “Doing this by myself wouldn’t have been nearly as fun as working with three of my coworkers and riding around, talking and visiting.
“It’s been a very good day,” she stated. “Very rewarding in many ways.”
“A chance to laugh”
Mr. Veit commented on what seemed like providential timing for the service retreat.
People had been fed well by various organizations in the days leading up to and on Thanksgiving Day.
“But today, there wasn’t much else going on,” he said.
He noted that many of the teachers are still sad about fifth-grader Harper Hummel, who died on Nov. 5.
“She was an amazing kid,” Mr. Veit stated. “She was always smiling. So, we’re all kind of rebounding from that, and I think this has been a good help.”
The teachers said they’d be giving thanks to God for the people they got to meet and spend time with, and for the abundance of blessings in their own lives.
“We got a chance to laugh with each other and serve the community, too,” said Mrs. Stuckenschneider.
They all agreed that they’d like to do something like this again and hopefully see it grow.
“What we’re thinking is, this went really well, the people in this parish are very generous, and we’re setting an example,” said Mr. Veit.
“Anytime you can combine service and prayer and having a good time together, it’s a good thing,” he stated.
He likened the time the teachers spent with the people they visited to the interaction Jesus often initiated at meals and festive gatherings.
“I’m sure the food itself was very much appreciated, but the fact that someone came to their door and said, ‘I think you’re important enough for me to come and give you this’ — I think that meant even more,” he said.
