Catholic high schoolers serve, support Cardinal Glennon families through Glennon Guild Junior Board
In the not-too-distant future, Claire Burks hopes to spend her days as a speech pathologist in a children’s hospital.
But for now, the senior at Duchesne High School serves kids at SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital through her involvement in the Glennon Guild Junior Board.
The Glennon Guild Junior Board was established in 2023 to give high school students an opportunity to serve, promote and support the needs of Cardinal Glennon families. It’s a program of the Glennon Guild, a longtime women’s auxiliary that supports Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital through fundraising and volunteering.
On a chilly day before Thanksgiving break, Claire and her father pulled up to the Cardinal Glennon Foundation with boxes filled with the 275 toys she collected at Duchesne. They’d be back in a few weeks with the haul from a collection at her parish, Sacred Heart in Troy.
The best part was “seeing how much people care about the community and want to give back. I just think it’s really cool to be a part of that,” she said. “I’m able to see God in clear ways, through service.”
Claire is among more than 200 students from 17 high schools in Missouri and Illinois serving on the Junior Board this year. Members gather for meetings throughout the year and organize service projects within their school communities. This fall, many coordinated coat drives for Cardinal Glennon, while others, like Claire, collected toys or other items.
Junior board members also volunteer with the Deck the Halls Holiday Home Tour, selling gift tags and other Glennon Guild fundraisers.
Ava Fritz, a senior at Cor Jesu Academy, received the Junior Board’s inaugural Young Philanthropist Award in June 2024. She raised more than $2,000 for Cardinal Glennon by selling “cross pockets,” a small cross sewn between two pieces of fabric that can easily be slipped into a pocket.
Ava was inspired to get involved with the Junior Board after a friend’s diagnosis with cancer. While talking with her grandmother about possible fundraisers for Cardinal Glennon, her grandmother suggested finding a way to incorporate faith.
“Without realizing it, I had begun to blame God for why (my friend) was sick … even though I knew it wasn’t God’s fault, I needed a scapegoat for why this terrible thing was happening to my best friend,” Ava said. “Having this realization inspired me to reroute my thinking and remember that God isn’t at fault for the bad things that happen to us, and to create cross pockets as a symbol of God always being with you, even through the tough times.”
Maeve McMullen, a junior at Visitation Academy, is in her second year on the Junior Board. She’s been especially inspired by the personal stories of young people who have been Glennon patients, including Jimmy Williams, who had a heart transplant at the hospital and shared his story at a Junior Board meeting.
Maeve’s involvement motivated her to start a club at Visitation with classmate Gabby McCormick called Pen Pals with Patients, through which students send e-cards, stuffed animals and books to children at Cardinal Glennon.
“When you do something good for someone, you can definitely feel Jesus; it’s not just from yourself,” she said. “I think that has really deepened my faith and I’ve been more connected to Him.”
Ryan Corry, a senior at Chaminade College Preparatory High School, is also in his second year on the Junior Board. He’d been involved in a variety of service opportunities throughout high school but found a true passion for serving Cardinal Glennon families through the board. He has invited others from Chaminade to get involved and helped coordinate a fall toy drive for the past two years.
“I’ve had some health issues in my life, and I’ve actually been to Glennon before for health issues,” he said. “So to be able to give back to a community like that, I think, has allowed me to experience the Catholic community in a new light, as one of service.”
The board has also fostered friendships and a sense of community with other teens from Catholic high schools around the St. Louis area, he said. “It’s a great way to branch out and to grow connections with people that I wouldn’t have otherwise,” he said. “The connections I’ve made on the board have been pretty indispensable in my high school experience.”
Blues ticket fundraiser
The Glennon Guild Junior Board is partnering with the St. Louis Blues to offer discounted tickets to the Blues home game at 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 25.
A portion of the ticket proceeds will benefit SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital. To purchase tickets, visit fevo-enterprise.com/event/Cardinalglennon2.
