She has told other chefs that it doesn't matter "if people are paying customers or they're sitting there smelling (badly), they deserve to eat well."
Talk to almost anyone at the Capuchin soup kitchen, and they'll tell you the reason they continue to come there, whether as a guest or as a volunteer, is because of the community atmosphere.
Frank Shorter, who was pouring water into vases on Friday, said he originally started volunteering at the soup kitchen as part of a probation program, but he stayed because he got "addicted to helping people" and enjoyed the friendly environment at the kitchen.
Margie Coleman is a longtime volunteer with the soup kitchen, whose husband is a parishioner at Sacred Heart parish in Dearborn, a suburb of Detroit.
"I love working with the people, it's always a good time, I'm having a blast," Coleman told CNA.
"You never know what you're going to run into here, and I keep learning new tips and tricks for cooking, and I'm just having a good time. It's all about service and giving back to the people," she added. "Fr. Solanus was all about helping his fellow man, and I feel the same way."
Margie's husband Mark often works right alongside her in the kitchen. He said Fr. Solanus' example teaches us that you don't have to be academically smart to make a difference in the world.
"I got the sense that he wasn't the brightest bulb in the closet," because he struggled with seminary classes, Mark said. "But he actually was a much more powerful light, once you kind of dug into him, which I think is a real testament to him as an individual. Just because you're not the brightest person in the world doesn't mean you can't have a wonderful impact on the world."
Today, the Capuchin soup kitchen not only serves food, it also provides showers to those who need them, as well as social services. It is connected to a Capuchin-run urban farm, which provides much of the produce for the kitchen.
"People should come experience it for themselves," Costello said, "and what a community this is and what a witness the friars are. I have enjoyed every day...that I've been here, the camaraderie, the family, we have our family here," she said, thinking of guests or volunteers that they've grown close to over the years.
Costello added that she was "honored" to follow in Fr. Solanus' footsteps at the kitchen. The quality she most admires in the friar's legacy is his humility.
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"I think Solanus would want people to know you can be an extraordinary person by doing ordinary things," she said.
Mary Farrow worked as a staff writer for Catholic News Agency until 2020. She has a degree in journalism and English education from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.