Community Service

DaVaughn Montgomery ‘03 recently encouraged students to embrace faith, service, and social justice as interconnected elements necessary for servant leadership.

Students gathered in the D’Amour Center for Faith, Service & Justice to create costumes and props for Only Make Believe, a non-profit that introduces children with chronic illnesses and disabilities to the magic of theater.

Every October, campus transforms into a blaze of autumnal gold, red, orange, and brown. But on October 10 in Pigott Arena, it was pink as far as the eye could see! Canterbury has no shortage of beloved traditions, but few are more spirited than the Varsity Volleyball team’s annual Pink Out game to promote breast cancer awareness. 

October 8 may have been a dreary day, but the rain did not dampen the spirits of the Third Formers during their first retreat at Canterbury. Students embraced the opportunity to reflect, connect, and grow—both spiritually and as a community—as the retreat centered on the Examen Prayer.

Safe Walk, an annual event hosted by Women of Canterbury (WoC), serves to shine light on a dark issue, and this year, students did so with compassion, determination, and a really great playlist, because serious work can still be fun!

While Canterbury is a community in and of itself, it is also part of the larger community of New Milford. And during the Fourth Form retreat on Sunday, September 21, students worked to give back to that community by participating in “Walk A Mile for a Meal.” 

We were delighted to learn that seven of our students were recognized by UNA-USA and InnerView in the eighth Annual Community Service Impact Awards: Joseph Pieksza ’27, Isabella Pilch ’27, Maeve Prendergast ’27, Catherine Zeng ’25, Miguel Garcia ’26, Allegra Linero ’27, and Grayson Mengold ’26.

Steadfast dedication to community service has earned Canterbury student Natalie H. ’28 the President's Volunteer Service Gold Award, the highest level of this prestigious national accolade. She became eligible for the award by completing nearly 140 volunteer hours in libraries near her home in New York’s Hudson Valley.

For one extraordinary weekend in February, our Saints Hockey teams not only came to play—they came to raise dollars and awareness for Hockey Fights Cancer. By the time both games concluded and gifts were tallied, Canterbury had raised more than $3,000 for Hockey Fights Cancer!

When you receive a letter on White House stationery acknowledging your volunteer service, you must be performing meaningful work for your community. That is exactly what Maeve Prendergast ’27 has been doing and why she received The President’s Volunteer Service Gold Award.

Safe Walk 2024 was another prime example of our Saints community stepping up in a big way to support The Center for Empowerment & Education (CEE). Hosted in Hamilton Stadium by Women of Canterbury, the annual fundraising event featured various creative ways for attendees to walk laps around the track—arm-in-arm, conga lines, and more—while wearing light-up glasses and glow sticks.

At Pink Out, the only thing more impressive than the enthusiastic sea of pink in the Pigott Arena stands was the significance of the cause it was supporting. The annual event run by the Girls’ Varsity Volleyball team was once again a smashing success. 

Our Saints were on a roll at their Fourth Form Retreat, preparing more than 150 sandwiches— each with a handwritten note attached—for delivery to the Dorothy Day Hospitality House in Danbury, Connecticut. They also took time to reflect on what it means to serve others.

Our Saints picked a great day to go for a walk—and a wonderful cause to walk for—when they participated in Walk a Mile for a Meal to benefit the New Milford Food Bank on September 22.

Alumni across class years join together for service and community

Student and Faculty Advisers participate in community walk to benefit New Milford Social Services

Four Diamonds Event Hosted at Canterbury

Nicaragua Service Trip