Historic Kitchen Restoration

Cooking It Up with Sister Mary Arnoldine ⏤
One Last Time

Sister Mary Arnoldine O'Connell, OSF was born in 1903 in Kilbrin, County Cork, Ireland. In 1925, she entered the order of the Sisters of Saint Francis of Philadelphia. In 1939, she began a ministry in education that would span 43 years with 42 years at Catholic High as teacher and Minister of Food Services, providing healthy meals for Catholic High young women for many decades. The original kitchen still remains as Sister Arnoldine would have remembered it in 1939. The outer cafeteria was renovated and named in Sister Arnoldine's memory (The Sister Arnoldine O'Connell, OSF Dining Hall) in 2008. The rear kitchen was never refurbished and is now in need of a complete restoration.

Sister Mary Arnoldine was the first supervisor of the kitchen and managed the operations of the kitchen and the cafeteria for four decades. She was renowned for planning and cooking hearty meals, many of them Irish, and creating wholesome drinks and shakes for our young women of Catholic High. 

In honor and in memory of Sister Mary Arnoldine who spent over 42 years in the Ministry of Food Services at Catholic High, we would like to completely restore and renovate Catholic High's kitchen into a modern state-of-the-art facility. The estimated cost to restore our 1939 timeworn kitchen into a commercial kitchen is $300,000. As of May 30, 2023, we have officially raised $91,000.

We would like to devote the next year to raising funds to restore Sister Arnoldine's Kitchen. Together, we will be Cooking It Up With Sister Arnoldine ⏤ One Last Time. Our giving levels are lovingly proclaimed in her memory.

Giving Levels

Shepherd's Pie: $100,000 - $249,999
Beef Stew: $25,000 - $99,999
Corned Beef & Cabbage: $10,000 - $24,999
Fish & Chips: $5,000 - $9,999
Chicken Soup: $2,500 - $4,999
Potato Pancakes: $1,000 - $2,499
Seafood Chowder: $500 - $999
Irish Cream Milk Shake: $250 - $499
Mashed Potatoes & Gravy: $100 - $249
Bread Pudding: up to $99

DONATE TODAY!

All donor names will be displayed in the Dining Hall.