St. Mary’s has long had a commitment to justice and peace
A great many of us are quick to say that it is the St. Mary’s community, or the style of worship, or the welcoming nature of our church is the primary reason we come to St. Mary’s. But folks often note as well that they are drawn by all we do in the name of Outreach – that we have an intentional connection to the community in which we reside and beyond.
We are welcoming our third refugee family to St. Paul. Our latest family is from Afghanistan, and is a 
single mom with ten children. We work with Lutheran Social Services and help support a family financially as well as becoming friends. For where we are in that process, click here.
We are also walking alongside the Omar family as they adjust to life with Guled in prison. For more information about this family, reach out to Leah or Matthew Palumbo at matthew.palumbo@gmail.com.
Lately we have taken an interest in the Sex Trafficking trade in our city, and are working with the Guardian Project to educate ourselves and discern what we and other communities of faith might do to end it.
We were among the first to include women in all levels of leadership, including ordination. We’ve had a few special days and programs related to women’s equality, including the Women’s March, (click here for a video), an intergenerational conversation on How To Respect Women, gathered for a day of program and conversation at the Day Without Women, e
We’ve been consistently welcoming of gay and lesbian and transgender people for decades,
We have never cut back on our financial contributions to local and global charities, even when times have been finanially tough. And so much more. It’s in our Baptismal Covenant to work for justice and peace, and respect the dignity of every human being, and we try hard to do just that.
Along with Minnesota Interfaith Power and Light, we have been standing in solidarity with the Standing Rock tribe to stop 
production of the Dakota Access Pipeline. Click here to learn about our trip to Standing Rock. Since then we have joined water protectors at the capital and St. Cloud, and encouraged people to write decision makers. And most recently we are planning a trip to visit the First Nations people in Northern Minnesota to learn from them more about wild rice bed, treaty rights, and the proposed Line 3 pipeline.
Current Justice activities we are involved in include working for Gun Safety and Violence Prevention, for Climate Justice, and our work as tutors at Galtier Elementary School.
Current charitable activities we are involved in include our support of the Food Drives, Feed My Starving Children,
and the Angel Tree at Christmastime.
We have our own Little Free Pantry, which is like the Little Free Libraries you may have heard of, but this one is stocked with food, household goods, and toiletries. People take what they need when they need it, and leave what they think others might need.
Partnerships we happily participate in include First Nations Kitchen in Minneapolis, Interfaith Power and Light, and Interfaith Action of Greater St. Paul, and Neighborhood Network for Seniors.