Mission & Spirituality

Emmanuel College's mission is to promote a community spirit that lives and celebrates the messages of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur: a belief in the goodness of God and the goodness of God's people. Emmanuel welcomes students of all faiths into our community.

Through focused ministries, educational programs, volunteer service, prayer and Liturgies, Campus Ministry provides opportunities for you to deepen your spirituality, to act justly and live faithfully. Learn more about spiritual programs offered through Campus Ministry »

Community Service

Emmanuel students are involved with ongoing volunteer service at a number of agencies and institutions in the city of Boston. Students make individual arrangements depending on their class schedule. Some of the service projects the students are involved in include:

WEEKLY SERVICE PROGRAM
Provides weekly volunteer opportunities partnered with reflection.

SUNDAY SERVICE GROUP
The Sunday Service Group is a group of students who volunteer every week. The group is student-led and has a rotating service schedule that includes Pine Street Inn, St. Ambrose Family Shelter, St. Mary of the Angels Parish and Sunday's Bread. The group also participates in special annual events such as the Making Strides for Breast Cancer Walk.

EMMANUEL COLLEGE COMMUNITY OUTREACH
Emmanuel College Community Outreach (ECCO) promotes harmony and fights inequality, mainly through community service. Members of this club choose not to be passive bystanders, but to take an active role in amending social issues. ECCO volunteers bi-weekly at organizations like Community Servings, Rosie's Place and Boston Living Center. They volunteer monthly with organizations like Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless and the Greater Boston Food Bank. Annual traditions and events include: Fall Service Day, Halloween Party for the St. Katherine After School Program, National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week (and other nationally recognized weeks pertaining to service), gift-wrapping at Faneuil Hall, MS Walk, Light the Night Walk and a Toga Party for charity.

ESOL PROGRAM: TEACHING ENGLISH TO SPEAKERS OF OTHER LANGUAGES - BUILDING BRIDGES
Students, faculty and staff teach the English language to our support staff who are from several different countries. It is a wonderful way to reach out to those who are making their way in a new country. The "teachers" learn about various cultures and enjoy the opportunity to form friendships among themselves and with their "students."

NEW STUDENT DAY OF SERVICE
As part of Welcome Week activities, all incoming Emmanuel students learn about service opportunities in Boston by participating in the New Student Day of Service. Students serve at sites throughout Boston, including The Greater Boston Food Bank, Community Servings, Cradles to Crayons, Charles River Conservancy, Franklin Park Zoo and Mission Grammar.

VOLUNTEER FAIR
The Annual Volunteer Fair offers students the opportunity to make connections with various organizations located throughout the Greater Boston area. Some organizations that participate are: Big Sister Association of Greater Boston, Boston Medical Reserve Corps, Boston Rescue Mission, City Year Boston, Community Servings, Cradles to Crayons, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Notre Dame Mission Volunteers, OLPH Mission Grammar School, Peace Games, St. Mary of the Angels Parish, The Home for Little Wanderers, Zoo New England, plus many more.

EVENTS FOR CHARITY AND AWARENESS
Students are given many opportunities throughout the year to participate in events for awareness and charity. Students in past years have participated in the Breast Cancer Walk, Walk for Hunger, MS Walk for Life and Charles River Clean-Up on Earth Day. Many organizations on campus are also involved in these events, such as ECCO and Social Awareness Club. Campus Ministry also sponsors/co-sponsors several charitable drives throughout the year: one Blood Drive each semester, the Fall Food Drive, the Annual Toy Drive during December, and clothing drives.

ALTERNATIVE SPRING BREAK
During Spring Break, Emmanuel students can participate in a weeklong service project. Recently, students and staff traveled to Phoenix, AZ, New Orleans, LA, and Wheeling, WV. Watch videos from recent trips »

SPRING DAY OF SERVICE
Spring Day of Service is an annual program sponsored by various areas of the College including: Athletics, Campus Ministry, Residence Life, Student Activities and Multicultural Programs, Student Government Association, and the Jean Yawkey Center for Community Leadership. Groups of students come together one Saturday in April and provide service to our community partners throughout the city of Boston. In previous years, Emmanuel students provided service to St. Mary of the Angels Parish, St. Ambrose Family Shelter, OLPH Mission Grammar School, Franklin Park Zoo, and the Muddy River Clean Up.

Learn more about service opportunities »