Center for Catholic Education at UD

By Corrie Sheshull, Lalanne Teacher

“The greatest leader is not necessarily the one who does the greatest things.  He is the one that gets the people to do the greatest things.”  ~Ronald Reagan

Mission of Mary Cooperative is a non-profit organization that works in the East end of Dayton, Ohio.  As part of our service through the University of Dayton Lalanne program, I had the opportunity to work on their farm this summer.  When we arrived, our group leader explained that Mission of Mary was created in 2010 by a group of men graduating from the University of Dayton who wanted to form a lay Marianist community similar to the one they were leaving at UD.  By exploring different ways to reach out to their community they decided to create a garden to bring people together in a unique way.  Almost 10 years later, Mission of Mary has expanded to 5 urban gardens in the Twin Towers area of Dayton.  According to their website, their mission focuses on the "issues of food and economic social justice, especially the issues of healthy food access and environmental stewardship."  Mission of Mary reaches out to the community by promoting a healthy and sustainable lifestyle in a variety of ways such as selling fresh subsidized food at local farmers markets, offering programs to teach adults and children about quality food, providing community garden beds, and helping neighbors create their own backyard gardens. 

 I was extremely excited to work on the farm because a friend of mine from UD had worked with them and loved it.  Now it was time to get to work!  We loaded up wheelbarrows with shovels, gloves, tree clippers, and the most important thing, water. My job was to clear a garden bed from weeds, trees and overgrown plants as well as preparing a compost bed for the new season.  It was very rewarding to see what we were able to accomplish.  Towards the end of our time the rest of the cohort, who had completed their jobs, came and helped us finish up. It was a really cool moment to be able to work with everyone on something so special.  Working for a few hours one day on the farm was honestly exhausting, so it gifted me with appreciation for the people who work on these farms each and every day to continue with their amazing mission.

What I found most compelling about the story of Mission of Mary is that these were just ordinary people with a good idea.  They had no idea the kind of impact they would create so many years later.  As a teacher at a local school, I find their education mission extremely motivating. The lack of access to healthy, quality food in the area really gave me a fresh perspective because I now realize that some of my own students could be struggling with these food issues.  Working on the farm gave me a new outlook on another type of social justice.  It allowed me to work with my own Lalanne community towards something greater than ourselves, and gave me a new idea for a field trip with my students!  Mission of Mary Cooperative is an inspiring Marianist organization that is carrying out the work that God is calling them to do. I hope to bring some of their vision of community with me, in both Lalanne and in my classroom. 

You can learn more about Mission of Mary by visiting their website at http://www.missionofmary.org/.