By: Elizabeth Bocock, writer
Photography: Elizabeth Bocock
As someone raised in a family that does not follow a religion, when I first started at McKendree, I was a little apprehensive about a flier I received in my school email inviting me to Saint Joseph for dinner after the first day of school. But with the promise of “MCKENDREE STUDENTS ALL ARE WELCOME” and precisely zero friends, I thought I would take my chances.
I was relieved to find that when Joseph House wrote “all are welcome” on their flier, they really meant it. Even though it was hosted by and within a church, the only mention of religion was when they asked my denomination when I signed in at the door. The entire event was purely about meeting people and having dinner together. They only do dinner on Monday nights, so I’ve only been three times, but I’ve already met way more of my peers than I would have if I had just stayed in my apartment that evening. I decided to help spread the word about this weekly event.
To help me accomplish this goal, I sat down with the two women involved in putting on the weekly meals and asked them a few questions. Mary Weil works with Saint Joseph, and Sharon Sullivan works with Corpus Christi in Shiloh to help provide the food. If you ever come to dinner, they’re the ones you’ll see in the kitchen serving food!
When I asked them to describe their mission, they explained that it is a community event and welcomes all religions – or lack thereof. “It’s a community event, all parts of the community. And we’re not here to preach. Everybody is welcome no matter what your denomination or your affiliation is. Everybody is welcome,” Sharon told me. And the “community” part doesn’t just include students and staff of the school. Sharon explained, “It’s the parishioners from each parish that donate the food. They are our team. You’ll see different people each week. I have a group of families who will take a meal once a month, and they help provide the meal for that month, and they’ll come out.”
Mary and Sharon shared similar feelings regarding their favorite part about Joseph House dinners: “Meeting all the students,” Mary told me. “It’s very heartwarming because they all say, ‘Thank you so much. Thank you, this is so nice.’ And it just means so much to us to be able to do that. And that it is appreciated.”
“It’s the smiles that you see when you come in,” Sharon continued. “And the hugs that you get from students because everybody is grateful for a meal. I haven’t seen anybody going out of here in disgust. And we haven’t either. We leave tired because, yes, it is work, but it’s something that we enjoy coming back and doing each week otherwise, we wouldn’t be here.”
And if you meet them, you can tell they love what they do!
If you’re like me and new to the area, looking for friends or just a way to spend your Monday evenings, know that you are welcome to walk down the street to Saint Joseph’s, and there will be a meal waiting there for you. And if nothing else, come for the food! It’s something different every week, and a smile is guaranteed.
We look forward to seeing you at the Joseph House, behind St. Joseph Catholic Church from 5pm-7pm every Monday evening. (901 N. Alton Street, Lebanon, IL, 62254)
