Local outreach
St. Michael’s supports the following organizations through financial contributions and active involvement.
Links to most of these ministries can be accessed by clicking on the header at the top of the paragraph
Faith In Action
Laurel Area Interfaith Volunteer Caregivers. Faith In Action is a faith-based community outreach program designed to assist senior citizens in maintaining their independence, quality of life, and dignity.
Our team of trained volunteers give 2 + hours of their time each week by providing appointment escorts, caregiver relief, errands/shopping, friendly visits, transportation, and telephone reassurance.
VYN is a non-denominational organization that reaches out to high school students in the Ligonier Valley. It shares the Gospel of Jesus Christ with the youth, and it offers opportunities for fellowship, community service, and Christian action.
The Neighborhood Academy
This academy is a faith-based, independent, college-prep high school for low-income youth in Pittsburgh. As a prt of it’s mission, it strives to break the cycle of poverty through preparing its students for higher education. The Academy also “provides counseling, transportation, three meals a day, and assistance with emergency needs like medical care.”
The parish sponsors a backpack project providing each student with a pack filled with school supplies.
St. Michael’s college scholarship program makes a four-year scholarship available to a graduating senior of The Neighborhood Academy. The candidates for the scholarship must complete an application process; if selected, the student must meet the guidelines of the scholarship each of his/her four years in college.
St. Michael’s of the Valley Cemetery
A non-profit corporation located adjacent to the church. It was founded in 1958 for the reverent and Christian burial of members of the parish and others in the community with the intent of retaining the simplicity and natural beauty of the countryside. The cemetery is under the direction and control of a Board of Directors consisting of seven directors, one of which being the rector of St. Michael’s. There have been nearly 400 internments in the cemetery since its establishment. Interestingly, most of the existing graves in the cemetery have been catalogued on the Find a Grave website (www.findagrave.com). This site provides users with a virtual cemetery experience, with images and information of grave markers from around the world. The individual cemetery records are created by volunteers who have submitted information to Find a Grave. The website is a place where people can search for the graves of friends or relatives or pursue interests in genealogy.
If you have any questions regarding the cemetery, either its history, operation, or how to purchase a burial site, please contact Mick Pompelia at mpompelia@gmail.com