Reverend Joseph E. Kurtz, D.D. Bishop | Archdiocese of Louisville

The Mustard Seed Pantry, a new partnership between St. John Paul II Church and Dare to Care, will open to the public on July 13. A core team of parishioners organized the outreach effort in just a few months.

“We only started this project in March,” said Pattie Filley, the social services director at St. John Paul II, in a recent interview. It’s been “an exciting labor of love. Father Casey (Sanders) has been phenomenal with his support. … I am sure it could not have happened without him.”

Father Sanders, appointed administrator of the parish in January, said the opportunity to open a food pantry presented itself during his first month at St. John Paul II. The team leading the ministry, he said, is “all-in” and “dedicated.”

“Our Lord has had his hand in this,” said Father Sanders in a recent interview. He noted that service to people in poverty has been particularly important to him since he encountered the homeless population in downtown Louisville before he started seminary. The encounter was “pivotal” in his discernment, he said.

Volunteers from the parish began the food pantry project by cleaning out a storage room formerly used by the parish and school. Volunteers built shelves and bins to hold donated items.

“It’s been a collaborative effort,” said Filley. She added, “Everyone seems to be coming together for this cause.… I’ve never seen something like this before in our parish, and I’ve been here many years.”

Father Sanders said, “The parish response has exceeded my expectations,” noting that on one weekend when volunteers from the parish were requested, more than 50 showed up.

“Everybody wanted to help,” Filley said.

“Everything fell into place,” said Sally Ernst, a core team member.

The church has collaborated with other parishes in the area, such as St. Martha and St. Raphael, to gather additional volunteers and donations. Father Sanders hopes they can increase collaboration with other Catholic churches in the area to more efficiently serve people in need. He envisions “collectively assisting” people with other needs as well, such as housing and clothing.

For Father Sanders, this ministry will “give the people of this community the opportunity to do as Jesus said,…to feed the hungry, to serve the poor” and serve “with a Catholic heart.” He consecrated the pantry to the Sacred Heart of Jesus on June 7.

He also hopes the parish can “use this as an opportunity to gently give witness to Jesus Christ,” adding that separating ministry from Jesus Christ “would be to impoverish the poor further which would be an injustice.”

The pantry will also offer free rosaries, miraculous medals and holy cards for those who wish to take them. The ministry will "provide for both spiritual and material" needs of those who come "providing for their earthly banquet as we lead them to their heavenly banquet."

The food pantry will be open on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., Those interested can email Pattie Filley at pfilley@stjpiiparish.com or call 459-4251.

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