The morning sun caught on bright blue shirts as nearly 200 people streamed out of Father Andrew White, S.J. School in Leonardtown, Maryland, on Oct. 4 for the 18th annual Friends of the Poor Walk, sponsored by the St. Vincent de Paul Society at St. Aloysius Parish there.
Inside the school gym, a festive buzz filled the air with live music, laughter, and greetings exchanged among neighbors before the walk began.
Standing near the entrance, Father David Beaubien, pastor of St. Aloysius Church, said the event reflects both the faith and the heart of the local community.
“It really brings the community together,” Father Beaubien said. “We’re kind of central here in St. Mary’s County, so it’s an ideal place to gather, and it’s such a beautiful setting, going down to the wharf and around town.”
As he prepared to bless the crowd, Father Beaubien reflected on the saints whose lives inspired the event.
“Both St. Vincent de Paul and St. Francis of Assisi were friends of the poor,” he said. “And that makes them friends of God.”
Walkers soon made their way through the tree-lined streets of historic Leonardtown. Babies rode in strollers, teens laughed and talked with friends, children’s sneakers lit up as they tried to keep pace with their parents, and a few dogs trotted alongside as the community came together to support neighbors in need across St. Mary’s County.
The Friends of the Poor Walk has become a parish tradition, growing each year under the leadership of organizer Patty Belanger, who has coordinated the event since it began.
“The need never goes away,” Belanger said. “Every dollar we raise helps a neighbor keep the lights on or put food on the table.”
Funds raised from the walk support the St. Vincent de Paul Society’s outreach programs, which include emergency assistance with rent and utilities, a monthly food pantry, and holiday initiatives such as the Christmas Angel Tree. Volunteers also make home visits, a hallmark of the society’s mission to bring Christ’s compassion directly to others.
“The work we do is person-to-person,” Belanger said. “It’s not just about money or donations. It’s about seeing Christ in each other.”
Students from St. Mary’s Ryken High School in Leonardtown joined the walk, including members of the field hockey team who participated with their coach, Tara Everly, as a team-building and service project.
“It’s good for the girls to do something together that helps others,” Everly said. “Service doesn’t have to be complicated. It can be something simple like coming out on a beautiful morning and walking for a good cause.”
Freshman Caroline Tiralla said participating made her feel part of something bigger.
“It makes me feel better about myself, knowing I can help others,” she said.
St. Mary’s Ryken senior Marshall Flick said she enjoyed the experience, even though she had not known much about the Society of St. Vincent de Paul before attending.
“It’s fun being around everyone and doing something good together,” she said. “If someone’s thinking about joining next year, I’d tell them to just come out and do it. It’s worth it.”
Before and after the walk, live music from local musicians John “Mickey” Ramos, Dennis Logan and Frank Taylor, performing as Summer Breeze, filled the school courtyard. The trio have volunteered their time and talent for several years.
“It’s so important to give to others,” Ramos said. “That’s the whole message here. Whether it’s through music or walking, we’re all doing something that helps someone else.”
Logan added, “When you do things for other people, it makes you feel better, and you get it back a hundred times over.”
Father Beaubien said the walk helps reveal a truth that can easily go unseen.
“A lot of the poor, we don’t really see on a day-to-day basis,” he said. “There are people living in the woods or nearby, people who are very much in our midst but largely invisible. This event raises our consciousness that they are there, that they’re part of our community even if we don’t always see them.”
For longtime parishioner Karen O’Connor, who has served with the parish’s St. Vincent de Paul Society for more than a decade including previously as its president, the walk is both a ministry and a reminder of faith in action.
“Volunteering with the St. Vincent de Paul keeps my faith grounded in action,” she said. “It’s one thing to pray for people in need; it’s another to stand beside them.”
