As our parish Mission Statement reminds us, we are called to proclaim and live the Gospel by celebrating scripture and sacraments, fostering spiritual development, serving the poor, and promoting justice. The role of Social Mission is to integrate the inward and outward elements of this call.
Guided by Catholic Social Teaching, the Jesuits’ Universal Apostolic Preferences to walk with the excluded and care for our common home, and the Corporal Works of Mercy, St. Xavier Church engages in a variety of service ministries, particularly focused on the downtown Cincinnati community.
The former St. Xavier rectory was repurposed in 2023 to serve as a transitional home for refugee families. In partnership with Catholic Charities Refugee Resettlement Services, the parish offers support to these families by welcoming and accompanying them, tutoring and practicing English, organizing recreational activities, providing transportation, and much more.
The core of the St. Vincent de Paul Society is the person-to-person home visit, where “Vincentians” (church-based volunteers) meet with those seeking assistance to find ways to support them and meet their needs. St. Xavier Church volunteers join with members from the Cathedral to meet, pray, and visit on Saturday mornings, 9 AM to 12 PM.
Tender Mercies transforms the lives of homeless adults with mental illness by providing security, dignity, and community in a place they can call home. St. Xavier parishioners provide hot meals once a month. Volunteers and donations are always needed the last Sunday of the month.
The Ignatian Spirituality Project (ISP) offers retreat programs to men and women recovering from homelessness and addiction, inviting them to experience God’s unconditional love by taking time away to reflect on and deepen their relationship with the God of their understanding, to gently name the places inside that need healing, and to bond with others on the journey. Volunteers provide transportation for retreat attendees and serve on the retreat teams.
Romero Academy at Resurrection is located in West Price Hill (PK-8). A CISE school, Romero partners with families to form future saints by developing the intellect, forming the character, and engaging the faith of children so that they can thrive in selective college preparatory high schools, college, and beyond. Volunteers serve as tutors, after school support, and facilities help.
The newly formed Xavier Jesuit Academy (XJA) in Bond Hill provides a scholarship-funded, faith-based education for boys in grades 3 through 8. Service opportunities beginning in the 2024-25 school year include: tutoring and homework help, extracurricular activities, office assistance, event set-up and support, lunchtime and/or recess assistance, and campus clean-up.
St. Xavier Church collaborates with the other Cincinnati Jesuit Works on this ongoing series, which includes prayer experiences, presentations, and immersive service opportunities grounded in caring for our common home.
For more information about any of these service ministries, including how to get involved, please contact us.
The St. X News Flash is a weekly email newsletter with news and announcements about the parish.
