GARY – For more than three decades, the Ss. Monica and Luke Soup Kitchen, located on Gary’s north side, has provided hot meals to the local community each Friday. When the church merged and stopped being used as a worship site, volunteers continued to provide hot meals to go. While their mission can continue through hot meals offered at St. Joseph the Worker, the volunteers will welcome neighbors for one final hot meal on Sept. 25 before operations at Ss. Monica and Luke close.
Father Jayababu “Jay” Nuthulapati explained that as the congregation at Ss. Monica and Luke has gradually diminished, and parish activities have concluded, the infrastructure and support necessary to sustain the soup kitchen are no longer available. Over time, volunteer participation declined, making it increasingly difficult to maintain regular ministry operations. In addition, financial resources have steadily decreased, creating significant challenges in covering utilities, maintenance, supplies and other operational expenses.
Father Nuthulapati is the rector of the Cathedral of the Holy Angels and in solidum moderator with priest in solidum Rev. Charles Mosley. Together they minister to the Gary Catholic community. Father Nuthulapati and Father Mosley have been attending the weekly hot meal distribution at Ss. Monica and Luke on Fridays and at St. Joseph the Worker on Saturdays. They understand that this decision is difficult and emotional for many. Working with volunteers to serve the local community has given them insight into what might help with transitioning the ministry services.
“One of the greatest blessings I have witnessed in Gary is the generosity and resilience of its people,” he said. “Through the years, the soup kitchen has been a powerful sign of faith in action, bringing together volunteers, donors, and community members who cared deeply for their neighbors.”
As Father Mosley greeted neighbors coming to Ss. Monica and Luke to pick up a hot meal, he was keenly interested in how to keep serving their needs as the hot meal service moved to St. Joseph the Worker. One thing to explore is meal delivery or offering a ride share.
“We want to make sure that we keep providing this ministry to everyone in this neighborhood. I’m encouraged that many will be able to drive themselves to St. Joseph the Worker, but want to have a way of helping those few who do not have transportation.”
Father Nuthulapati added that he hopes that this spirit of service and compassion will continue to flourish in new ways and new places. The faithful community of Gary has repeatedly demonstrated that even in challenging circumstances, people come together to support those in need. The legacy of the soup kitchen is not simply the meals served, but the relationships built, the dignity offered, and the love of Christ shared with countless individuals.
“I am deeply grateful to all the volunteers, benefactors, and community partners who have supported this ministry throughout its history,” he said. “Their dedication has made a lasting impact on many lives, and that legacy will continue to inspire future acts of service.”
Verlie Suggs, who served as director of the ministry, has been involved with the soup kitchen for over 33 years. What kept her involved over those years was seeing the great need and experiencing the fellowship among both those who come to the soup kitchen and those who volunteer.
“We are a great community, and we all serve a purpose,” Suggs said. “I have to always look around and ask, ‘If not me, then who?’”
One of the things Suggs has enjoyed most about the soup kitchen is knowing that on that particular day, the people who come and get a meal will not go to bed hungry that night. She feels the need “in that area, in that community, in that neighborhood is extremely great.”
Suggs still recalls that the first day the soup kitchen opened over 33 years ago, volunteers served only one person. They prepared for 100, but it was new, and people just didn’t come. Over the years, its numbers increased to serving 150 to 200 meals every Friday. Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, the soup kitchen never closed.
“We knew that the need for a meal still existed,” Suggs explained.
The volunteers at the soup kitchen have come from all over the region: Gary, Valparaiso, Merrillville, Hobart, Portage, Dyer and Crown Point. There were also groups from other churches that volunteered not only to serve, but to provide the food throughout the year. Students from Andrean High School volunteered on the first Friday of each month during the school year. Donations came from all over the state and country.
“People who support our mission are many,” Suggs said. “Donors to our mission have been extremely generous.”
Suggs pointed out that Gary is a city of over 57 square miles, consisting of many neighborhoods and communities. The majority of the individuals who came to the Ss. Monica & Luke Soup Kitchen, she said, lived in that neighborhood and community and often walked there every Friday for lunch. She continued explaining that the St. Joseph the Worker Soup Kitchen is in the Glenn Park neighborhood and serves lunch every Saturday, which they have done since it moved from the former St. Mark Church location in the same community.
“As we have let everyone know, the soup kitchen over there is an available resource; however, we at Ss. Monica and Luke Soup Kitchen will serve our final meal on Sept. 25, 2026,” Suggs said.
Sister Mary Ellen Goeller said she remains busy with various responsibilities as a woman religious but has enjoyed assisting at the soup kitchen when time allows. She has been helping for about the past six years and enjoys working alongside the other volunteers, whom she described as “wonderful.”
Providing an example of the group’s dedication, Sister Mary Ellen shared, “Verlie’s mom had to quit, but she was probably 92 and worked harder than I did.”
Diana Moreno has been helping with the soup kitchen for 37 years. She started volunteering during a period of unemployment but continued to help after finding a job, volunteering during vacations and summer breaks.
Moreno noted that those at the soup kitchen are “the kinds of people I really love.”
“Everybody that's here is wonderful, and it's just the camaraderie,” she said. “And it's the fulfillment you get from volunteering, helping people that are less fortunate than you are. I really like that, so that's why I've been here this long.”
Another volunteer, Kathy Matthews, recalled there were times when they would run low on food, and the volunteers would do what they could to quickly cook more. She commented that most guests have told her that of all the soup kitchens in the area, they like the one at Ss. Monica and Luke the best because of the food.
“They can tell that we care what we feed the people,” Matthews said. “I’ve had people tell me that time and time again.”
