The smell of freshly brewed coffee fills the air and you’re greeted by a warm smile as you walk through the door of the Upper Room coffee shop at Holy Spirit Parish in Tempe—except it feels less like a coffee shop and more like a home, where the smooth granite countertops display a variety of homemade baked goods and the face of the person across the counter lights up with genuine delight that you are here.
The fireplace, gallery wall of sacred art oil paintings, soft color scheme and cozy steel-blue leather couch only enhance the feeling of welcome.
It’s a Wednesday morning, and as coffee is poured and warm treats are served, a momma sits with her three children who enjoy hot chocolate, a weekly book study group gathers for a time of community and a young professional taps away at his computer.
Like coffee shops at other parishes around the diocese, including St. Thomas Aquinas in Avondale, among others, the Upper Room is being used exactly as it was intended: to foster fellowship, hospitality and a sense of belonging.
A long-time dream
The Upper Room, which has adopted the tagline “where fellowship brews,” opened in October 2024 and has generated new life into the little corner of the vibrant Tempe parish. It sits adjacent to the parish hall, and displays a wall made entirely of windows that look onto the beautiful rose garden.
Fr. John Clote, pastor of Holy Spirit Parish, has long dreamed of fostering such a gathering space. As a Franciscan Friar for 13 years before becoming a diocesan priest, he knows the valuable role hospitality, the caring for every person who walks through your door with generosity, plays in communal life. In two of his previous roles, he sought to open a cafe for his parishioners, and the seed of this dream finally took root last Fall.
And it has borne abundant fruit in the lives of parishioners.
This can be witnessed after every 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. Sunday Mass, as the courtyard is filled with laughing children running around and clusters of adults lingering in fellowship, some holding cups of coffee in hand. The human connections being fostered on Sunday mornings point to the bigger vision Fr. Clote has for Holy Spirit Parish.
“We try to foster a vibrant feel here,” said Fr. Clote. “One of the things I pray for all the time is that when people come to Holy Spirit Parish, they will encounter Jesus Christ in a real way, through myself or the parish staff or parishioners.
“And that’s really important because it’s that personal and concrete encounter that they take with them into the real world when their relationships aren’t going well, when their finances aren’t going well, when they are caring for a loved one who is sick,” he continued.
“I hope they’re able to be revitalized, rejuvenated and recharged just by coming here.”
As these impactful moments of encounter are taking place daily in the celebration of the Mass and a variety of parish ministries, the genius of the Upper Room is that they are also happening over lattes, americanos and freshly baked brownies.
“This idea of hospitality and making this a very comfortable place for people to worship is important because our Lord can touch someone in the pews,” shared Fr. Clote, “but He can touch them just as easily having a cup of coffee out in the garden with a friend who is sharing their life and struggles.”
Everyone has a gift to share
In addition to sparking moments of encounter, the Upper Room has also fostered a rich culture among the countless parishioners who have played a role in the coffee shop.
“We got a committee together of people who all had different things they brought to the table,” said Fr. Clote. “Some were visionary types, one person was a caterer who knew details of food services and there was a young parishioner who used to work at his mom and dad’s coffee shop.”
Fr. Clote reflected on the hand of the Holy Spirit, the patron and namesake of the parish, who brought all the right people together at just the right time.
“It’s all about having things where people can use their talents,” added Bill Price, the director of parish operations, who has been actively involved at Holy Spirit Parish for the past 17 years. Formerly working in the hospitality industry at a major resort in the Valley, Price brings a unique insight to the community.
“You know, everyone does something different,” Price continued. “When we all come together as one, we can do great things. So, we let those volunteers come in and let them put their expertise to what they do best, and then we can all benefit.”
It was obvious that parishioners had a desire to share their unique gifts when the Upper Room—which is almost entirely volunteer run—called its first training session, hoping that a few people would attend. Thirty volunteers showed up. High school students, young adults, retired professionals and seniors alike.
Each individual, whether by brewing coffee, decorating welcoming chalk boards, choosing the art on the coffee shop walls or welcoming folks as they walk into the Upper Room, adds something irreplicable to this place of fellowship.
The impact of a cup of coffee
When it came time to select the manager of the Upper Room, recent convert Lynsey Longo, who knows firsthand the life-changing impact an invitation for a cup of coffee can have, was the perfect fit.
Only two years ago she was searching for the fullness of truth, and it was around that time that her sister-in-law, and soon-to-be Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA) sponsor, began to regularly invite Longo to Mass, followed by conversations over a cup of coffee and a time of Eucharistic adoration.
“When we went to grab coffee, we sat down and we talked to one another about life,” shared Longo. “My sister-in-law has been instrumental in showing me hospitality. These moments are not even about coffee really, but about coming together at the table, listening, talking, dialoguing, sharing and being open.”
Longo, who naturally exudes hospitality with her warm and welcoming smile, desires to pour forth what she has received, helping the Upper Room become a place where folks of all ages can experience belonging.
“This should be a meeting place, a gathering place,” Longo continued. “I like to ask, ‘When they come in here, what is going to make them feel at home?’ When anyone walks in the door, I want them to see that they are known and loved, genuinely.”
The Upper Room coffee shop, named after the space where Pentecost—an outpouring of the Holy Spirit—took place, reminds us that impactful encounters can happen anywhere, even over a cup of coffee.
