by Marc and Julie Anderson
mjanderson@theleaven.org
SENECA — They call it “Father’s Dream.”
“They” are the volunteers at the Mission Center, a ministry of Sts. Peter and Paul Parish in Seneca, and what they call “Father’s Dream” refers to the center’s new location in a former Thriftway grocery store.
It’s called Father’s Dream because the parish’s beloved pastor, the late Father Arul Carasala, who served for 14 years until his murder in April, saw potential in the former grocery store, a building in desperate need of repair.
On May 18 and before anything was moved into the new location, the Mission Center held an open house; it reopened to the public in June.
“It was [originally] founded with the . . . intention of sending rosaries to mission countries,” said the late Father Carasala.
The aim, he explained while leading a tour of the new building in March, was to support mission countries such as India, China and Japan. That was in the 1940s, and while historical documentation is limited, parishioners recall it starting in a garage, moving to an unused mobile classroom and finally to a building blessed and dedicated by Archbishop Ignatius J. Strecker in December 1990.
Somewhere along the line, the Mission Center morphed into a secondhand store for donated goods, including furniture, shoes, clothing, toys, dishes, greeting cards, bedroom linens, home décor items, etc. Prices are kept low, many items costing only $2. Approximately 40 volunteers sort donations, display goods neatly on clothes racks, walls and shelves, staff the Mission Center during its open hours and keep sales records.
Prices are kept low intentionally. That way, people can come in and get what they need. For example, if a family decides to foster a child, the family might come in and purchase some clothes, toys and shoes, all for just a few dollars. All proceeds are then used to support local needs, as well as an orphanage in India.
Rita Robke, coordinator for the past 11 years and a volunteer for 21, said she writes at least $60,000 worth of checks throughout a year for local needs, whether to a family that has experienced a house fire and is trying to rebuild or to an individual who just needs a little help with food and gas money after low-yielding crops leave them short. Money is also donated to the Baileyville Benefit, an organization that raises thousands of dollars to support families in the Nemaha County area with medical expenses.
“This is our parish commitment to justice and mercy, fully run by volunteers. No one is paid here,” Father Carasala said on the March tour. The Mission Center also gives parishioners an easy way to get involved in the parish, whether they are recently retired, confirmation students in need of service hours or teachers with extra hours to volunteer during the summer.
Over time, the number of donations had grown along with the number of people served by the center. The old building, about 3,000 square feet in size, was cramped. Aisles were tiny, and it was nearly impossible to display much inventory.
When the grocery store became available for purchase, Robke said Father Carasala saw potential in it, although she didn’t at first see it. But that didn’t stop her from throwing her support behind it.
“I said, ‘Father, I don’t understand all of the stuff you have to do, but whatever it is, I’ll stand by you.’ Then, he called it ‘our decision,’” Robke said.
Purchased last year, the building, at 9,500 square feet, tripled the Mission Center’s space and has wide shopping aisles, a garage for donations to await sorting and a kitchen for volunteers.
After purchasing the building, volunteers, along with a few paid contractors, repaired the roof, gutted the building, removed the ceiling, redid some wiring, removed the refrigeration coolers, fixed drainage problems and installed a new epoxy floor. One of the men involved was Tom Stallbaumer, who said he encouraged Father Carasala to buy the building.
“I kept telling Father, ‘You need to buy that. It would make a great Mission Center. It’s right on the highway. It’s got a lot more room,” he said.
Sitting on Highway 36, which runs across northern Kansas, people come from miles, Robke said, oftentimes simply because they need items but don’t have much money.
Cyril Steinlage, another volunteer, agreed.
“Some days I go home,” he said, “and I’m almost in tears that you could help somebody out that . . . have nothing. You go home and you’re tired.
“But it’s very rewarding.”
It’s amazing what people can do when they open their eyes and hearts! And what a beautiful tribute to the volunteers and Father Carasala🙏❤️🙏