This story is part of the Register’s special issue on coffee. Read more articles here.
Zelie Beans
Sugar Land, Texas
The Catholic part
The company was started by former seminarian Joseph Mastrangelo, who named the business after St. Zélie Martin, the wife of St. Louis Martin and the mother of St. Thérèse of Lisieux and Servant of God Léonie Martin.
Good to know
“We source our coffees from family farms and co-ops. We partner with importers that work directly with the growers to ensure that they are receiving fair prices for their coffees.”
Catholic Coffee
Ecommerce
The Catholic part
Catholic Coffee is a specialized roasting company that marries premium organic coffee with a fitting Catholic saint to match. From the “St. Michael Dark Roast” that boasts a distinct bold flavor to the new “St. Sebastian Cold Brew Blend” with subtle hints of cherry, Catholic coffee bags all feature custom artwork depicting a saint or devotion to inspire prayer with every cup. Catholic Coffee was founded by James and Whitney Hetzel, a devoted Catholic couple with nine children, who set out with a mission to “craft coffee that honors the beauty and depth of Catholic tradition — grounded in prayer, service and the Eucharist.”
Good to know
“Specialty Coffee”-certified by the Specialty Coffee Association, sourcing follows Catholic social teaching: ethical labor, care for creation, and human dignity.
The beans are 100% American-roasted — and every purchase supports the Archdiocese for the Military Services and St. Isidore Corps (which supports rural areas).
Knights Coffee
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
The Catholic part
The specialty end-to-end Catholic coffees are sourced from Catholic family farms and roasted in small batches by Catholics.
When sold to the consumer, the profits are donated to seminarians in need across the country. Coffee drinkers can designate their diocese upon purchase. Every part of the supply chain supports Catholic missions. This commitment separates Knights Coffee from the rest.
Good to know
There are whole-bean and ground options in decaf, light, medium and dark roast profiles. The newly structured lineup features roasts named after classical virtues: Hope, Faith, Charity, Fortitude, Justice, Peace, Joy, and Wisdom. Each roast profile is carefully calibrated to match its namesake.
Guadalupe Roastery
Ecommerce
The Catholic part
Committed to the Church’s social teaching, the Catholic founder and Catholic farmers have teamed up to offer subscription-based, ethically supplied coffee. The company provides fresh roasts to consumers, as well as companies, churches, stores and coffee shops.
Good to know
Customers can give directly to Guadalupe’s charitable endeavors. Parishes can receive a portion of the proceeds from customers that use a parish’s unique referral code.
Seven Weeks Coffee
Washington, D.C.
The Catholic part
The company’s name refers to the size of an unborn child at seven weeks’ gestation — roughly the size of a coffee bean. The founder is a Christian, and the company donates 10% of every sale to U.S. pregnancy centers.
Good to know
From pods to whole beans, the gourmet blends that are available by subscription are ethically sourced from farmers all over the world and are 100% organically farmed, pesticide-free and mold-free.
Mystic Monk Coffee
Meeteetse, Wyoming
mysticmonkcoffee.com; also available at ewtnrc.com
The Catholic Part
The proceeds from the coffee roasted by a group of Wyoming Carmelite monks in their Rocky Mountain monastery go toward funding the construction of a new cathedral as well as the upkeep of the monastery.
Good to know
The monks sell a variety of blends roasted in-house, as well as teas and chocolates. They also have a “Coffee of the Month” subscription service, which delivers a new blend every month.
Saint Frank Coffee
San Francisco
The Catholic Part
Named for St. Francis, the company champions building relationships with their farmers across the world.
Good to Know
Offers single-origin coffee, meaning they know exactly when, where and how each batch was produced. Also sells brewing equipment.
Twin Pikes Roastery
Louisiana, Missouri
The Catholic Part
Catholic-owned and operated, this family business names their blends after different saints.
Good to Know
The shop offers beans, pods and coffee gear. They also have several brick-and-mortar locations in Missouri.
Coffee of the Cross
Slinger, Wisconsin
The Catholic part
Coffee of the Cross exists to connect the daily ritual of coffee with the life of faith, with ethically sourced specialty coffee rooted in prayer, beauty and the tradition of the Church. Coffee of the Cross supports Catholic parishes and ministries by providing no-risk fundraising and wholesale coffee programs that allow them to generate income without any upfront investment.
Good to know
The coffee is grown and roasted in Nicaragua, where Catholic family-owned farms and local communities are part of the supply chain.
Karol Coffee Co.
St. Paul, Minnesota
The Catholic part
The shop was named after Karol Wojtyla, otherwise known as Pope John Paul II. The website states that the family-owned business was inspired by JPII’s “spirit of adventure, creativity, and deep appreciation for beauty and human connection.”
Good to know
Karol Coffee has a brick-and-mortar location in St. Paul and also sells its brews online. They have a subscription service available where people can get their favorite brews delivered right to them. The store also sells coffee equipment, prints (one of JPII himself), and other merchandise.
Fiat Coffee Co.
Roasted in America’s heartland
The Catholic part
Each cup supports life, with 20% of all proceeds going to pro-life causes: “Fiat Coffee Co. was founded with hopes of helping to fund pro-life organizations, allowing more time together as a family, and by spreading the Good News to all, one delicious cup of coffee at a time.”
Good to know
The ethically sourced coffees with Marian names are available by subscription.
Lifeboat Coffee
Phoenix, Arizona
This full-service coffee roastery and destination has some of the finest espressos and coffee drinks.
If you’re looking for fresh coffees, roasted six days per week from more than a dozen countries, plus exciting blends, shop in person or online (choose from 25 coffees from Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia, Brazil, Colombia, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Peru, Mexico, Nicaragua, Hawaii, Papua New Guinea and Sumatra).
The Catholic part
The founder and president, John Lillis (known affectionately as: “The Skipper”), is married, and he and his wife have been blessed with seven children. John’s biological mother was raped at the age of 16; and though abortion was legal in California at the time, she put him up for adoption, and his adoptive mother ended up being the Respect Life Commission director for the Archdiocese of San Francisco for many years, and so, it is obvious that the pro-life mission is personal for John. After high school, The Skipper served honorably in the U.S. Coast Guard and then went to Franciscan University of Steubenville, where he majored in broadcast arts; after graduating, he spent more than 20 years as a broadcast engineer, writer, editor, producer and talk-show host, everywhere from FOX News in Phoenix to small Catholic non-commercial radio stations throughout the country. For most of his 20 years, John helped Mother Angelica and her nonprofit allies erect new stations and create content, from San Francisco to Buffalo and San Antonio to Grand Forks, and loads of places in between. For 10 years, John also served as the PAC chairman for Nebraskans United for Life, representing 65,000 members from Washington, D.C., throughout the state of Nebraska on important pro-life issues. Then, in 2013, The Skipper decided to take a chance and go out on his own doing something completely different and converted his passion for creating media content into creating delicious coffees with the same passion and enthusiasm that had propelled him through the more than two decades of his professional career. (Ask him that story, a total God pro-life story, but it is too much to share here.)
Good to know
“We are the original and finest pro-life coffee company.”
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