Villanova University Hosts 16th Annual St. Thomas of Villanova Day of Service
More than 4,000 Villanovans will serve at more than 100 service sites throughout the community.
VILLANOVA, Pa.—Villanova University will celebrate the 16th annual St. Thomas of Villanova Day of Service on Saturday, October 2, with more than 4,000 students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends of the University serving alongside local organizations and neighborhood agencies. Villanovans will serve at more than 100 service sites throughout the Greater Philadelphia area, along with hundreds of alumni serving at sites across the United States.
“After a much scaled-down Day of Service in 2020, I am thrilled that this annual Villanova event returns to a more typical format this fall,” said University President the Rev. Peter M. Donohue, OSA, PhD. “Over the past 16 years, the Day of Service has brought together thousands of Villanovans from around the globe to address the needs of the communities, and it’s wonderful to introduce our first- and second-year students to this mission-centric, Villanova tradition.”
Aligning with Villanova’s Augustinian mission, this day of service exists to put ideals into action. Annually, Villanova students perform nearly 250,000 hours of service in communities locally, regionally and globally. St. Thomas Day of Service was started by Rev. Donohue in 2006 upon his inauguration. The day honors Villanova’s patron saint—the 16th century Augustinian bishop of Valencia, Spain—known for his great charity to the poor and marginalized.
One of the largest single-day service events in the region, the St. Thomas of Villanova Day of Service builds upon the service performed throughout the year by the Villanova community. In addition to participating in weekly outreach opportunities at Philadelphia-area social service and charitable organizations, Villanovans participate in a wide variety of long-term mentoring and service break experiences, as well as ongoing Habitat for Humanity home building projects. The event is organized by the Day of Service Committee, made up of 35 students and 10 staff and faculty members.
For more information regarding the 2021 St. Thomas of Villanova Celebration, visit www.villanova.edu/stvc.
About Villanova University: Since 1842, Villanova University’s Augustinian Catholic intellectual tradition has been the cornerstone of an academic community in which students learn to think critically, act compassionately and succeed while serving others. There are more than 10,000 undergraduate, graduate and law students in the University's six colleges—the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the Villanova School of Business, the College of Engineering, the M. Louise Fitzpatrick College of Nursing, the College of Professional Studies and the Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law. Ranked among the nation’s top universities, Villanova supports its students’ intellectual growth and prepares them to become ethical leaders who create positive change everywhere life takes them. For more, visit www.villanova.edu.