Students at St. Mary School in Riverside celebrated Pope Leo XIV’s 70th birthday Sept. 14 with cake and frosting, but it wasn’t for them.
The school held a food drive in the week leading up to the pope’s birthday specifically for cake mix and frosting to be distributed through local food pantries.
The collection brought in 460 items, which were to be delivered to food pantries at St. Francis Xavier Parish in La Grange and Holy Guardian Angels Parish food pantry at St. Louise de Marillac Church in La Grange Park.
Students at St. Mary watched the announcement of Pope Leo’s election May 8, and they were very excited when they found out he was born in Chicago, school leaders said.
“I think the students are feeling a huge connection to Pope Leo,” said Janice Walsen, a faculty member and a member of the school’s Catholic identity committee. “He’s celebrating his birthday, and we can celebrate with him by doing this particular project and know we’re joining with him and helping our neighbors.”
Students often participate in food drives, explained assistant principal Lisa Garza, but most often, they are asked to bring in the basics.
“It’s always the staples,” she said. “The vegetables, the soup, the noodles. It’s not often you think about the extras, like the cake and frosting, so that people can celebrate the birthdays or the birthdays of the people in their families.”
Students also made birthday cards to be distributed with the cake mix and frosting, Garza said.
Helping people is something that all Christians are called to do, and therefore something that Catholic schools must teach, Walsen said.
“We are called to be Jesus’ hands here on earth,” she said. “One thing we are called to do is feed the hungry. It’s one of the corporal works of mercy.”
Mike Kuharchuk, pastoral care director for Holy Guardian Angels Parish, said the pantry already supplies clients with special items for holidays.
“For the holidays, we would always add extra items for baking and things like that,” Kuharchuk said. “We get donations of turkeys for Thanksgiving and hams for Christmas.”
The cake mix and frosting will make it easier for families to celebrate birthdays as well, he said.
“Everybody else is celebrating, and we should provide them the opportunity to celebrate as well,” he said.
Mary Freeman, director of community outreach at St. Francis Xavier Parish, said the food pantry usually has a table of “special items” each week for the 120 families it serves.
“Every family wants to celebrate personal milestones in their household, and sometimes that $10 for cake mix and frosting is just beyond what they can do,” Freeman said, adding that the pantry has also welcomed donations of birthday candles and plates. “They are families just like you and I. Whenever people ask what to donate, I always say, whatever your family would enjoy.”