Coffee And Donuts Ministry Offers Chance To Share In Fellowship With Parish Family

With the busy lives we lead, there often isn’t an opportunity to visit with our fellow parishioners. It’s all too easy to leave the church after Mass and head right home to continue our Sunday activities. And given that we haven’t been able to gather for the past year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we’ve missed even more time with each other.

But there is a ministry at our parish that allows us to meet new friends and visit with old friends. Coffee and Donuts after Mass is a great opportunity to get caught up with one another, and this ministry started up again over Memorial Day weekend. Sometimes, a treat is all it takes to get us to slow down and enjoy each other’s company. Each Sunday, attendees eat through about 12 to 16 dozen donuts, and occasionally a surprise treat.

Karen Franco has been running this ministry for about three years. Along with about eight volunteers, Karen takes care of preparing the coffee and having the donuts ready after Mass. Karen’s mother, Pat Gray, used to help coordinate this ministry at the parish — she still helps when she can, as a volunteer.

“This gives parishioners and guests the time to have coffee and a donut and socialize with other parishioners,” Karen says. “That’s really important in the church.”

Folks gather after Mass for coffee and donuts.

Karen and her husband, Joe, are very involved here at our parish, serving in several ministries. For her, St. John’s is home, as she has been a member her entire life.

“I want to be part of the church community,” Karen says. “My faith and this community are important to me.”

The Coffee and Donuts Ministry is back in service now that the COVID-19 pandemic threat is waning.

Karen is so thankful to see things returning to more normalcy, as the threat of the pandemic wanes. She describes the time when churches were closed in March 2020 as “awful.”

“This is my church family, and I missed that,” she says. “It just wasn’t the same online. Then, when we did come back, we couldn’t stay after to visit. I didn’t like that either.”

Be sure to stick around after Mass to socialize and enjoy a treat. Like Karen says, “donuts just make you happy!”

If you are interested in volunteering with the Coffee and Donuts Ministry, please contact Karen Franco at 918-914-2916 or KMFranco@cableone.net.

Families enjoy coffee and donuts after Sunday Mass.