THELEAVEN.ORG | VOL. 37, NO. 26 | FEBRUARY 12, 2016
H CATHOLIC SCHOOLS WEEK SPECIAL
Catholic school teachers and principals are known for their dedication and sacrifice, but they aren’t alone. Staff members like Mary Lou Reyes, who has served as cafeteria director for 41 years at Holy Name School in Kansas City, Kansas, also go above and beyond. She has become a fixture of the community and the parish, literally feeding generations of Holy Name families. But she has not only served food, but also has dried tears and kept an eye out for the well-being of the students.
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ANSAS C I T Y, Kan. — After 41 years as cafeteria director at Holy N a m e School here, Mary Lou Reyes is more than a little protective of her turf. Early one morning many years ago, she arrived at the school to see shattered glass on the floor. Someone had broken in. So Reyes did what any sleuthing lunch lady would do when all alone in a dark building early in the morning. She grabbed a big kitchen knife and walked the school halls, investigating. “Of course, in hindsight, she shouldn’t have done that,” said Lori Petesch, a seventh- and eighthgrade teacher who has worked at Holy Name for 30 years. “But she knew the students would be showing up any time. “And she had to make sure the school was safe.” That’s how much Mary Lou Reyes loves this school.
LUNCH LADY SERVES UP A DAILY HELPING OF LOVE STORY AND PHOTOS BY JOE BOLLIG
A legend Reyes is legendary at Holy Name, woven into the fabric of this blue-collar community. She grew up in the Argentine neighborhood near here and is a parishioner at Holy Name Church.
Her husband Louis was a custodian at the school for 15 years and still volunteers to help her in the mornings. They raised four children and sent them to Holy Name. “She’s a huge part of the community,” said Amanda Vega-Mavec, principal of Holy Name. “She knows so many of the children because she
knows their parents and grandparents. They know she’s part of the community.” “She just doesn’t come in, do her job and leave,” the principal continued. “She’s aware of what they’re going through, not just what’s on their plate.” For many of the students, Reyes is more than the lunch lady. Sometimes, a child who is no relation at all will call her “Aunt Mary Lou” or “Grandma.” “A lot of times, I’ll see [the students] when I’m out shopping, and they’ll run up to me saying ‘Mary Lou, Mary Lou!’ and want a hug,” she said. “There’s a little girl who tells me every morning, ‘Mary Lou, I like your food.’ And I say ‘Thank you, honey.’ It shows by her tray,” she continued. “Usually when kids have a clean tray, I’ll tell them that they’ve done a good job. It makes me happy.”
A tight ship Reyes started here as a cafeteria volunteer until the serving director quit in the middle of the school year. >> See “NO ONE” on page 4