In Merrill, Wisconsin, the food pantry on South Center Avenue has become more than just a place to pick up groceries. For many, it’s a lifeline. For Sister Celine Goessl, who has been running it for the past five years, it’s the continuation of a mission that began decades ago — and one she shows no signs of slowing down, even at 90 years old.
The pantry, founded in 1983 by the Sisters of Mercy of the Holy Cross, has seen demand climb steeply in recent years. In just the first half of 2025, nearly 80 families have joined the pantry’s regular clients. That growth is striking when compared to its modest beginnings. “We began with maybe giving out to about 10 people a week and now we do much more than that in a day,” Sister Celine said.
Her story winds through Merrill’s history. She attended Our Lady of Holy Cross School in the early 1950s, in the very building where the pantry now operates. She once had no plans of joining the convent, she says, until “God spoke” to her heart. Seven decades later, she still carries that conviction.
The pantry itself runs on both grit and grace. Mr. Duginski, the inventory control specialist, calls Sister Celine the force that keeps everything moving. His job has grown tougher as prices rise. “If you’re looking for a family for a pork roast, we just can’t find them anymore,” he said.
Still, the pantry opens its doors faithfully: Monday through Thursday, with morning hours and an extra evening slot on Thursdays. Donations of food, money, or volunteer time are always needed. But just as important as the food, Sister Celine insists, is the welcome.
She remembers three recent visitors who told her that the kindness of being greeted, of being smiled at, meant as much as the groceries they carried home. “To see you smile and say hello to me is as important as the food I pick up,” one said.
That’s the quiet power of a place like this — and the quiet power of a woman who has spent her life committed to service. In Merrill, Sister Celine’s pantry is more than a distribution center. It’s proof that compassion, when sustained with discipline, can feed more than hunger.
