Patty Seeley, left, house manager and leader, and Carla Vollberg, far right, addiction counselor, hold the ribbon to be cut by Bishop John Doerfler of the Catholic Diocese of Marquette and Bishop Katherine Finegan of the Great Lakes Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America at the opening of the Women’s Recovery Home in Escanaba on Thursday. (John Fee photo)

ESCANABA — Catholics and Lutherans have joined forces to open the new Women’s Recovery Home in Escanaba.

The home is for women, especially mothers with addictions, to learn to live soberly and then return to their families.

The Rev. Terry Frankenstein, pastor of Bethany Lutheran Church of Escanaba, said she was tasked with finding a new use for the parsonage next to the church on South 11th Street. When approached by Catholic Deacon Terry Saunders concerning its possible use by Catholic Social Services of the U.P. for the recovery home, she knew it was the right fit.

However, it wasn’t that simple. The parishioners would have to meet and vote to allow the new use. She pointed out that her flock’s vote to open the parsonage to those in great need was passed unanimously. She also noted that Escanaba’s planning commission also voted unanimously in favor of the project.

The beautiful brick home housed pastors of the parish and their families from 1922 to 2019. Now it will provide a warm, nurturing atmosphere for up to six residents and one house manager.

Bishop Katherine Finegan, bishop of the Northern Great Lakes Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, said she was happy that the church could provide a “safe space for transformation” where the residents could be “held by a community of faith.”

Kyle Rambo, director of Catholic Social Services of the U.P., said, “This has been a great opportunity for Catholic Social Services and Bethany Lutheran to provide these services to the city of Escanaba. We could not have done this without the support of the city of Escanaba that clearly understood the need for recovery housing.”

He quoted Catholic Diocese of Marquette’s Bishop John Doerfler as calling the house a “home for healing.”

It is expected that the need for the home will be greater than the rooms available. Rambo said priority will go to pregnant women or those who are at risk of losing their children, which follows state of Michigan requirements.

During a short service in the church before the ribbon cutting, among the prayers were, “For the Women’s Recovery Home and its mission of serving women in need, that those dwelling within find an environment of peace and security in order to grow in strength and courage; that they might live life based on sobriety, truth, and love … For the efforts of Catholic Charities, that their guidance, support and skills equip women in recovery with what they need for the challenges ahead and that the Spirit of Christ work in and through the staff and the lives of these women, to bring transformation and new life. Merciful God, hear our prayer.”