Two Catholic Church leaders have been running a soup kitchen in Detroit's oldest neighborhood for decades, and they have decided it's time to retire.

The kitchen, known as Manna Meal, is located in the lower level of St. Peter's Episcopal Church in Detroit's Corktown neighborhood. It's been operating since 1976.

"There had been none for some years, 10, 12, but there was that motive to have a second Catholic Worker house, soup kitchen, shelter in this area, because there had been one previously," Father Tom Lumpkin said.

Lumpkin and Marianne Arbogast have been comanagers of Manna Meal for nearly 50 years.

"There's a scene at The Last Judgment, where Jesus says to people, 'I was hungry, and you fed me naked, and you clothed me as a stranger, and you welcomed me.' And that, that, to me, is kind of the core of what faith is about," Arbogast said.

After years of serving soup and sandwiches to those who struggle with homelessness, Lumpkin and Arbogast have both decided it's time to retire.

"I would call Marianne my best friend over the years," Lumpkin said. "She keeps all the financial records. I did not want to get settled with keeping the financial records, so I began to think maybe it's time for me."

Arbogast says the thing she will miss most is the people.

"We really have amazing volunteers who are very much at the heart of what we do. We couldn't do it without them," she said.

Volunteer Brad McInnes says it's been inspiring watching Lumpkin and Arbogast work with the community. 

"You know, they come down here, it's, 'Yes, sir. Yes, ma'am. Would you like more?' We never let them leave hungry," McInnes said. "Father Tom, especially, I mean, he's going to be 87 and he still, he could work circles around me."

Lumpkin says the biggest thing he's learned through this experience is compassion.

"I'm trying to do a little bit to make life here on earth a little more like heaven and a little less like hell for people who aren't doing well," he said.

Even though Tom and Marianne may be leaving, Manna Meal will continue to exist for those who need it.