SEEKONK, Mass. — While rosaries and prayer books still make fantastic Christmas gifts, shopping Catholic during this time of year doesn’t have to be limited to retail. Maybe you’re still looking for that special place to take friends and family coming to visit.
As it happens, a large portion of Catholic small businesses in our area are in the hospitality industry. You may have heard of one in particular: Old Grist Mill.
Though this historic Seekonk tavern isn’t Catholic by name, they maintain a partnership with the Little Sisters of the Poor of Pawtucket, who serve the elderly poor of every race and religion. Both parties are helping to set an example of what the season of giving truly means all year round.
In many ways, the Grist Mill’s partnership with the sisters is an exchange of service to each other.
One of the tavern’s long-running traditions is to close on St. Patrick’s Day and fill every floor and room of the restaurant with the elderly residents whom the Little Sisters care for. Owner Karl Pelletier said they easily feed about 1,000 people every year, usually 200 at a time.
“We serve corned beef and cabbage dinners with soup and salad and dessert for all 1,000 people throughout the entire day,” Pelletier said. “The staff is all here. We all donate our time for the day. All the food is donated; it’s an amazing experience.”
Pelletier bought the Grist Mill in 2022 and took over for Greg Esmay, who first started the partnership with the sisters. Pelletier said that this relationship is one of the things he’s most proud to have inherited. He added that the sheer kindness and humility of the sisters has inspired him to reshape his thinking about just how far hospitality should reach. The very idea of service seems ingrained in them, he said.
“I think elder care is a huge problem in our society,” Pelletier said. “They give up their lives, basically, to provide for the elder population. And for me, it’s a very spiritual thing. “I think just having their presence here is very cool. To devote their entire lives to what they do, I think, is phenomenal.”
The sisters are technically guests when they come to Grist Mill. Even so, they never stop serving others, and Pelletier had several stories to prove it.
“Everyone was exhausted, and we had volunteers in the dish pit for the day,” Pelletier recalled. “A lot of the volunteers leave like 5, 6 o’clock but we’re still serving until 7, 8, 9 o’clock. And the little sisters were in the dish pit finishing the dishes at the end of the night.”
The Grist Mill partners with the sisters again in the summer; only this time, they come to their residence in Pawtucket, bringing food, drinks, and smiles to those who need it most.
“We do a lot of giving back throughout the year,” Pelletier said. “Hopefully it just shows someone that it’s not that challenging.”
If you’d like to learn more about the mission of the Little Sisters of the Poor, more information is available on their website at www.littlesistersofthepoor.org.
Old Grist Mill is open 7 days a week from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. You can make a reservation online at www.theoldgristmill.com or by calling (508) 336-8460.
