University of Mary’s 11th Annual Day of Service Sets New Records Across North Dakota and Beyond

Largest One-Day Volunteer Event in State History Happens Wednesday, October 8, 2025, During Homecoming Week

BISMARCK, N.D. - From pumpkin patches to homeless shelters, from zoos to monasteries, more University of Mary students, faculty, and staff than ever before are heading into the community for a day devoted entirely to serving others. The 11th Annual Day of Service takes place Wednesday, October 8, 2025, as part of the university's Homecoming Week festivities, and once again it is breaking records.

This year, 1,502 volunteers will spread out across 76 organizations, marking the largest one-day volunteer event in North Dakota. The reach of the event continues to extend far beyond the Bismarck-Mandan area, with service projects also taking place in Fort Yates, at Mary College at Arizona State University, in Rome, Italy, and even among the second-grade students at St. Mary's Grade School in Bismarck.

A Day of Prayer and Service

The event begins at 8 a.m. in the Starion Living Room of the Lumen Vitae University Center (LVUC) with a candlelight procession into the McDowell Activity Center (MAC) for an All-School Mass and commissioning. Breakfast follows in the Crow's Nest Restaurant before service projects commence from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. The day concludes with a Homecoming feast at 5:30 p.m. in the Crow's Nest and Coronation of the Homecoming King and Queen at 7 p.m. in Founders Hall.

Rooted in Mission, Growing in Service

The University of Mary canceled classes for the day so students, professors, and administrators could come together in fellowship, prayer, and action. The Day of Service is entirely organized and led by students, who dedicate months of preparation to ensure the day meets real needs within the community.

"This year's theme - 'Hope is the beacon that shines in the darkness,' taken from St. Bonaventure and the Jubilee Year of Hope - is guiding us as we go forth," said Ava Yurczyk, senior respiratory therapy major from Seattle, Washington, and the student coordinator of the Day of Service. "When I first said 'yes' to this position my freshman year, I never imagined this day would transform me as much as it has and convert my heart to be radically available. Each year, it is the candlelight Mass that strikes me most. There is something incredibly beautiful about walking into the auditorium to find six hundred students and staff singing before Mass in pure candlelight, the room only growing brighter as more individuals come together to serve as one. That is who the University of Mary is. We are united as one community determined to serve those around us."

For Yurczyk, who is serving her third year as student organizer before graduating, the Day of Service has become a defining part of her college experience. "It is one of the most important days on campus each year where our students experience the true meaning of our Benedictine heritage and live out our mission to generously give our lives away in love and service to our neighbors," she added.

Serving Across the Region

Volunteers will spend the day painting, cleaning, gardening, serving meals, and assisting organizations large and small. Service sites this year include Papa's Pumpkin Patch, Stepping Stone Ministry, the Duppong Family Farm, Standing Rock, the Salvation Army, United Way, Dakota Zoo, Diocese of Bismarck, Dakota Stage LTD, Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch, and Annunciation Monastery, among many others.

Serving others is a big part of the University of Mary's mission since being founded in 1959 by the Benedictine Sisters of Annunciation Monastery.

Living Out the University of Mary Vision

Since 2014, the Day of Service has embodied the University of Mary's Vision 2030 initiative, which calls students to become servant leaders of moral courage. Each year, students recommit to a culture of service that extends beyond campus, shaping their lives long after graduation.

The record-setting participation in this year's Day of Service illustrates the deepening commitment of the university community to give of themselves generously. What began 11 years ago has grown into a signature tradition that defines the University of Mary as a place where faith, learning, and service converge.

Anyone who wishes to learn more about the University of Mary can do so at https://www.umary.edu or online.umary.edu, or by contacting an admissions representative at [email protected], or by calling (701) 355-8030. The University of Mary is one of only 23 Recommended Cardinal Newman Society Residential Colleges and universities in the US.

About the University of Mary: True to its motto "lumen vitae"-The Light of Life-the University of Mary offers education for the whole of life through cutting-edge professional programs and graduate programs animated by moral courage and leadership in chosen professions and service to the community. A private, co-educational Catholic institution, the University of Mary welcomes students of all faiths and backgrounds.

A Christian, Catholic, Benedictine institution founded in 1959 by the Benedictine Sisters of Annunciation Monastery, Mary offers nearly 60 bachelor's, 15 master's, and five doctoral programs-in Business Administration, Education, Nursing Practice, Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy. The 19-sport Athletic Department adheres to its Greatness Through Virtue mission under the governance of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) conferences. With more than 3,900 students, Mary has locations in North Dakota, Montana, Arizona, Rome, Italy, as well as vibrant online offerings.