Sr. Barbara Mullen Mission & Ministry Fund

It was 11:00 am on a weekday, a few days before Thanksgiving, and three Mayfield students—Jackie Sanchez ’24, Fran Villarruel ’24 and Neci Dunn ’25–were hard at work off-campus. They would return to school in the early afternoon for classes but they all had the same free period, so they joined Mayfield’s Service Coordinator and loaded a van full of food and delivered it to South Central Los Angeles Ministry Project–South Central LAMP for short. Off the Vernon exit from the 110 freeway, South Central LAMP sits on the grounds of a former Baptist school. It is a gated one-story building situated between houses, two parking lots, and the ruins of a burnt church. Upon arrival, the Mayfield students coordinated with South Central LAMP staff and volunteers, as they expertly sorted food donations into categories, to create an efficient assembly line for the “Thanksgiving box,” which would be given to families before the holiday. In past years, South Central LAMP often provided these boxes to roughly 45 families. But by day’s end—and between donations from Mayfield, Cantwell Sacred Heart of Mary High School, Notre Dame Academy and USC—there were boxes to feed 100 families.

This September morning, Father Dorian Llywelyn S.J. stands before the entire student body in their formal uniforms, alongside the Mayfield faculty and staff all sitting attentively inside the Sister Mary Wilfrid Gymnasium for the first liturgical celebration of the 2022-23 school year—the Mass of the Holy Spirit. This is not Fr. Dorian’s first time on campus, nor his first time presiding over a liturgy at Mayfield, but he recently joined the Mayfield Board of Trustees, as well. He is not a guest speaker, offering general bromides to our community at arms-length, he is offering insight as a deeply committed member of this community. 

Adjusting his wire-rim spectacles, Fr. Dorian begins his homily with a bit of context, “For over 500 years, Catholic schools and colleges have begun the school year with the Mass of the Holy Spirit. So today we are taking part in a long tradition, which unites us with people in Lima, Malawi, Philippines, in Sweden, and all over the world.” He adjusts his glasses and gently asks, “Why do this?” He then answers his own question with a warm smile. “Well, one of the struggles when you get a bunch of smart people together…students, faculty, staff, parents and trustees…one of the problems is that everybody has their own opinion and their own ways of doing things and the way that things should be. And we can easily fragment a community. Like a marriage or a family—or indeed a school—a community is hard work, and we need help to be united.”