A Legacy of Serving by Meredith Turner

The Building our Future Series: Part Two of Six

By Meredith Turner, Director of Communications

From its very beginning, Saint Michael and All Angels has been marked by a deep spirit of generosity. Embedded in our DNA is a belief that discipleship must extend beyond our walls and into the wider community—through meaningful action, bold vision, and faithful service.

One of the earliest and most impactful expressions of this generosity began more than 60 years ago. A small group of visionary women from Saint Michael saw potential in a local endeavor, the Woman’s Exchange, then a modest secondhand store operated by the Dallas Junior League. When the League sought to sell the Exchange, this group of women from Saint Michael stepped in—not simply to preserve it, but to transform it. The store has evolved into a beloved fine gift boutique, housed in Highland Park Village and run entirely by volunteers. Over the decades, the St. Michael Woman’s Exchange has donated tens of millions of dollars to nonprofits across Dallas. In just the past year alone, it awarded more than $700,000 in grants. That legacy of selfless service and generosity still flourishes today.

Fast forward to our 50th anniversary, which was more than 25 years ago, when Saint Michael once again asked a simple but powerful question: How can we do more to make a big impact in the community? The search began for a place that needed help and led us to Jubilee Park in southeast Dallas. What started as a vision to bring hope to a struggling neighborhood has grown into a vibrant community. Jubilee now supports more than 60 city blocks with tutoring, after-school care, a food pantry, and a new health clinic offering vital services to an area that had long been void of resources and underserved.

Through the stewardship of our resources, including the development of the North Land, we aim to do more like the Exchange and Jubilee Park—not just every 20 or 25 years, but possibly every two to five years. Efforts like the Exchange and Jubilee Park are a reflection of who we are and who we hope to be.

We strive to create a kind of well that our parishioners can go to again and again—one that allows our parishioners to dream big and act boldly.

This is who we are. And this is the kind of church we’re called to be.

This is the second article in a six-part series. The first article is published in the Summer 2025 issue of The Archangel. The third article is published in the Winter 2025-26 issue of The Archangel.

**This article was written by Meredith Turner, Director of Communications, and was featured in the 2025 Fall Archangel.