Written by Donna Grahl, executive director of advancement, St. Francis Borgia High School, Washington, MO, donna.grahl@borgia.com
Every spring, on the Wednesday before Easter, St. Francis Borgia High School in Washington, MO, steps away from its usual routine of classes, tests, and schedules to participate in one of the most visible expressions of its faith—Borgia Gives Back Day.
On this day, our entire school community—comprising more than 450 students, faculty, and staff—spends the day serving in our local area. Instead of the usual sounds of bells ringing between classes, you’ll hear the laughter of students raking leaves, the hum of paint rollers on parish walls, and the chatter of conversations with nursing home residents.
You won’t find our students in classrooms or cafeterias that day. Instead, they’re outside planting flowers at local parks, cleaning up parish grounds, assisting organizations that serve adults with developmental disabilities, or simply sharing time and joy with the elderly. It’s a day filled with energy, gratitude, and genuine encounters with others—a living example of what it means to be the hands and feet of Christ.
We always hold this event on the Wednesday before Easter, right in the middle of Holy Week. That timing is intentional. It connects our service directly to the Paschal Mystery and to Christ’s example of humility and self-giving love. As we prepare to celebrate His resurrection, this day of service reminds us that faith is not just something we believe—it’s something we live.
Faith in Every Corner of School Life
At St. Francis Borgia High School, faith isn’t confined to religion class or weekly Mass—it’s the foundation of everything we do. We strive to form students who see the world through a lens of compassion and integrity.
One way we live out our mission is through our service requirement, which asks every student to complete 25 service hours each year, totaling 100 hours by graduation. These hours stem from a variety of experiences, including helping at parish events, mentoring younger students, assisting with school activities, and volunteering with local organizations that serve those in need.
Still, for many students, Borgia Gives Back Day is the most memorable and meaningful of them all. It’s a day when the entire school, from freshmen to seniors, serves side by side. There’s something powerful about watching hundreds of students load onto buses early in the morning—laughing, talking, and carrying work gloves, rakes, and paintbrushes—as they’re ready to spend the day giving back.
Each year, faculty and staff organize dozens of service sites to meet genuine needs in our community. Some groups landscape or clean parish grounds. Others assist at schools and centers that serve adults with developmental disabilities. Still others visit nursing homes to play games, sing songs, or simply offer companionship. Each task, no matter how small, reflects Christ’s love in action.
We begin the day with prayer and a short commissioning service, asking God to guide our hands and hearts as we serve. It’s a simple but powerful moment—one that unites us in purpose before we head out to serve others.
When everyone returns to campus that afternoon, they’re tired but happy—hands dirty, hearts full. The halls buzz with stories about new friendships, funny moments, and the people they met along the way. The conversations are filled with gratitude and perspective. Many students say that what they gained from the experience far outweighs what they gave.
A Schoolwide Effort
Borgia Gives Back Day truly reflects our school’s mission and values. It takes months of coordination and teamwork from our faculty and staff to make it happen—arranging transportation, securing service sites, collecting permission forms, and communicating with community partners. It’s a big undertaking, but one we look forward to every year.
Faculty members volunteer as site leaders, accompanying students throughout the day. Many return year after year to the same locations, forming lasting relationships with the people and organizations they serve alongside. That continuity has helped build strong ties between our school and the greater Washington community.
For our teachers, this day is an extension of what they do every day—form hearts and minds. It gives them a chance to witness their students’ compassion in action, outside the classroom walls. For students, it’s a reminder that their teachers live out the same faith and service they encourage in others.
Over time, this tradition has become part of what defines the Borgia experience. When alumni return for visits, they often reminisce about their favorite service sites or the friends they made on that day. Many mention that it shaped their understanding of what it truly means to live their faith.
The Spiritual Meaning of Holy Week
Holding Borgia Gives Back Day during Holy Week gives it special significance. The timing invites us to slow down and reflect on what it means to serve as Jesus did. It’s a lived expression of the gospel story—especially the moment when Jesus knelt to wash the feet of His disciples.
At the end of the day, our chaplain leads the school in a closing reflection and prayer. He reminds students that their service mirrors Christ’s example of humility and love. Just as Jesus showed us how to love through action, our students have spent the day doing the same.
Many share afterward that this experience helps them enter the Triduum with a deeper sense of gratitude. Holy Thursday and Good Friday take on new meaning when you’ve just spent a day serving others. It’s as if the gospel comes to life in real time—faith in motion, leading to the joy of Easter.
The Lasting Impact
Borgia Gives Back Day has evolved into much more than a one-day event—it’s an integral part of who we are as a Catholic school. It reminds us that service isn’t just a requirement to fulfill; it’s a way of living.
When we talk about forming young people of faith, we mean more than preparing them for college or careers; we also aim to nurture their spiritual growth. We aim to prepare them to lead lives grounded in compassion, empathy, and gratitude. This annual tradition helps bring that vision to life.
The impact extends beyond the students as well. Each year, we receive notes and messages from the organizations and individuals our students have served. They thank us not just for the work that was done, but for the joy and spirit our students bring with them. It’s a beautiful affirmation that the day makes a real difference, both in our community and in the hearts of our young people.
When the buses roll back into the parking lot at the end of the day, students climb off covered in dirt, paint, or mulch, but they’re smiling from ear to ear. They’ve learned something that no textbook can teach—the joy that comes from serving others.
As one teacher summed it up perfectly, “Borgia Gives Back Day isn’t time away from learning—it’s learning at its very best.”
