As the fall air continues to cool and sweater weather invites folks to open windows and cozy up with a warm cup of coffee, St. Mary Magdalene Parish in Gilbert, Ariz., is set to open Magdala Coffee shop on Oct. 22, a space they hope brews both tasty drinks and a fostered sense of community.
The Church’s canonized saints — St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Mary Magdalene, St. Bernadette, St. Bernard of Clairvaux, and Our Lady of Joy, to name a few — already help shape the identity of parishes that bear their name. Now their holiness and affiliations are also gracing gathering spaces and menus that form full-fledged cafes on church grounds.
With the opening of Magdala Coffee, this brings the tally of parish-based cafes in the Diocese of Phoenix to at least six. All of which aim to increase hospitality across parish life while gently evangelizing every customer that walks through the door, faithful and wanderers alike.
The Dumb Ox
About 50 volunteers of all ages keep St. Thomas Aquinas’s Avondale, Ariz., cafe — named after the distinct nickname that belonged to the patron saint of their parish — in constant motion. The cafe is part of a trio of outreaches comprising the parish welcome center.
The Dumb Ox Cafe’s (DOC) small indoor, yet fully-stocked prep area sits at the end of the gift shop, which also houses the parish’s office reception window. The DOC is just across the way from the sanctuary, with an open and welcoming courtyard in between.
Audibly, The DOC or “dock,” also inspires the image of a loading dock. Then-Pastor Fr. John Muir said the connected cafe, office and gift shop concept perfectly reflects the faithful’s comings and goings on their journey to Christ.
Cafe patrons have exclusive outdoor seating and a pergola above to add a steady blend of shade and light.
“The scope of people that come aren’t looking for anything in particular, but it’s been a great tool and hub of evangelization for people,” explained Manager Stephanie Chorkav. “Some people look forward to their [favorites] drink coming back every season.”
The spiced vanilla chai, better known as the Land Flowing with Milk and Honey, and Lazarus’s Uplifting Lemonade featuring desert pears are among the favorites. Others like the frozen Snicker-flavored drink for St. Carlo Acutis, the first millennial “Saint in Sneakers,” who loved the chocolate hazelnut combo.
“We try to make it memorable, but also tied to our faith,” Chorkavy said.
Patrons are by no means limited to the parish community, either. Two young men visited The DOC this month after simply finding it among Google results for area coffee shops.
The Dumb Ox Cafe, which turned seven this month, is open Monday-Thursday from 8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. with reduced hours Friday – Sunday.
The Grotto Grounds
The Grotto Grounds coffee shop at St. Bernadette Parish in Scottsdale, Ariz., sits behind a sizable outdoor replica of the grotto where Our Lady appeared to St. Bernadette in Lourdes, France in the 1800s.
Statues of Our Lady greet customers entering the full-service cafe to the right of the gift shop and to the left of the school uniform shop.
Among the cafe’s nearly 30 drinks are The Cleric, fittingly a white and dark latte, and the St. Crispin, a raspberry tiramisu latte that Fr. Chris Gossen, parochial vicar, created. The café has cottage-quality snacks that parishioners make, including three named after key Grotto Grounds staff members.
Patrons will find a question or quote of the day on a framed chalkboard. Sometimes it’s a mini mission, like telling the barista something you learned today. The messages engage patrons of all ages, including neighboring St. John XXIII students who visit after school. A fairly new refrigerated display case expanded the menu to feature kids’ yogurt smoothies, frittatas and more.
A box on the counter also encourages visitors to drop in a prayer intention or take one with them. The parish’s Legion of Mary ensures all of the intentions receive devout prayer time.
“Everything we do is to draw people into that spirit of prayer and draw people into the parish to make it feel like home,” said Ashley Kaschl, whose trio of parish hats include assistant manager of the cafe and gift shop.
Her third hat is young adult coordinator. A First Friday Candlelit Mass is among their regular activities, then the young adults pour into the cafe afterwards. Daily Massgoers do the same, sometimes getting lost in conversation that they might accidentally stay until lunchtime.
The Grotto Grounds opened three years ago this summer. It is 100-percent a cafe, but key staff and volunteers quip that it mirrors the long-running fictional “Cheers” bar because so much of parish life happens there.
“We talk about how we are like the first encounter … People come in here and they tell you what they’re burdened with. It’s a beautiful encounter,” Kaschl said during a Masstime lull in the cafe.
The core counter crew of three staff and five regular volunteers serves as a listening ear and then directs patrons to the appropriate office contact or ministry. In that sense, the cafe is building the exact culture and community life that Fr. Don Kline, pastor, envisioned.
“They find it to be very hospitable. We’re always getting feedback of how peaceful it is here,” Kaschl said.
The Grotto Grounds is open every day but Saturday.
Joyful Grounds Cafe
Similar in name and mission to Scottsdale’s Grotto Grounds, Our Lady of Joy Parish in Carefree, Ariz., launched Joyful Grounds Cafe. Its Instagram account went live 15 months ago and remains full of drink-inspired posts, feast day greetings, gift ideas and even gentle teachings like a quick guide to praying the rosary.
Patrons who come in person get the parish’s signature stained glass rose logo as a beverage label with “Joyful Grounds” printed on top.
Joyful Grounds Cafe is open Monday – Thursday from 8 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. with additional, reduced hours on Friday and Sunday.
Cafe Clairvaux
St. Bernard of Clairvaux’s Scottsdale, Ariz., Cafe Clairvaux has catered to the Sunday Mass crowd and religious education families for longer than most can remember. The website dates it to the 2011 opening of the Parish Event Center.
The cafe offers indoor seating at a bistro counter, two bistro tables and five cafe tables plus plenty of outdoor seating. Lattes and cappuccinos are popular at Cafe Clairvaux, and its core seven volunteers and leaders see 30-some parishioners on any given Sunday.
On a recent Friday night, 20 young adults easily filled the cafe for lively mingling following a candlelit Mass.
Cafe Clairvaux is open for full service on Sundays after Masses.
The Upper Room
The Upper Room is a coffee shop next to the parish hall at Holy Spirit Parish in Tempe, Ariz. It’s “where fellowship brews,” according to the tagline that accompanies the exactly two years of ministry. A birthday gift registry supports ingredients and cafe upkeep.
Beyond weekend patrons, it has become a staple gathering spot for teens in youth group, moms’ groups, home school gatherings, book club members and those attending events through the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA). There are also individual patrons who drop by out of curiosity after visiting the adjoining prayer garden.
The re-purposed parish space easily seats 30-some people. A busier day could see up to 40 guests. The cafe is strategically open during special events such as those put on by Fiat Productions or Holy Smokes Comedy.
Fr. John Clote, former pastor, drew on his 13 years as a Franciscan Friar to create a hospitable space through the cafe. A full planning committee brought the Upper Room to life and Nicky Carlson now manages it with the help of at least 10 regular volunteers whose one-to-two-hour commitments support cafe life.
Muffins, homemade snack bars and coffee cakes are part of the menu, as are monthly seasonal trail mixes. The creativity extends into cafe drinks, such as a Franciscan hazelnut and chocolate drink, plus others named after Padre Pio, the Little Flower and a caramel and cinnamon espresso in honor of the parish’s namesake, the Holy Spirit.
Carlson already wears the parish’s youth and young adult ministry and OCIA hats, but she was happy to manage the cafe, too. The front-facing role with patrons was a fitting opportunity.
“Someone who listens, to be Christ-like to them is what appealed to my heart,” Carlson said.
The Upper Room is open Sunday 8 a.m. – 1 p.m. (after all morning Masses) and Wednesday and Friday from 8:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
Magdala Coffee
Fr. Clote, who opened The Upper Room two years ago, is now pastor of St. Mary Magdalene Parish. On Oct. 22, he will open the doors of Magdala Coffee, which will receive a blessing from Auxiliary Bishop Peter Dai Bui on opening day.
Fr. Clote saw the gift that such a gathering space bestows upon parish life.
“It brings people together, builds friendships and creates a greater sense of belonging,” he said. “Something as simple as sharing a cup of coffee can have a remarkable impact on parish culture.”
He explained that it transforms the parish from a weekly, one-hour destination for Mass into a community where every member of the flock feels seen and genuinely cared for.
Magdala Coffee will stand in place of a renovated staff break room, kitchenette and repurposed office space that belonged to the pastor and his assistant.
“Essentially, we gave up some administrative space to give something wonderful back to our parish families. Things are a little tighter for us now, but it was absolutely worth it,” Fr. Clote said.
“The result is a beautiful, welcoming gathering place that has exceeded our expectations.”
