Margy Froelich got up at Masses the weekend of Jan. 5 to make a brief announcement to the parishioners at Christ the King Church in Mandan.

Most of the appliances in the rectory kitchen used by their parish priest, the Rev. Ken Phillips, were relics from 50 years ago. The oven and burners didn't work, the refrigerator's noise levels approached the Mack-truck range, and in general, the whole room was in major need of a modernization.

Could the parish pull together a remodel in just two weeks and keep it a secret as a surprise for Phillips, who had left that morning for a two-week vacation in Arizona?

Turns out, they could and they did.

When Phillips returned two weeks later, Deacon Dennis Rohr helped him carry his suitcases in after his late-night arrival, which in retrospect, Phillips said he thought was odd.

"The light is on in your kitchen," Rohr remarked to Phillips. When the priest went to turn it off, what he found was pretty much a new kitchen full of the parish volunteers who had put in 400 hours of work over 10 days to bring the room up to a new, clean contemporary look, complete with a new floor, countertops, sink, stove, refrigerator and microwave.

Old wallpaper had been removed and the walls painted a soft green. Cupboards were cleaned out and refurbished; a new wood laminate floor was installed. The old island had been moved and attractive new countertop installed. New framed art depicting the Last Supper was hung on the wall and a chef's hat with Phillips' name embroidered on it provided the finishing touch.

Members of the choir even sang for Phillips, a sendup of "The 12 Days of Christmas" with new lyrics by Esther Helvig.

It was the first time, Froelich said, that she had ever seen a man speechless.

"I was stunned," he said.

In his thank-you to the congregation at the next Masses, Phillips briefly put on the chef's hat, first warning the congregation that he had not been elevated to the role of bishop and the hat they were seeing was not a miter.

Froelich paid tribute to Christ the King members who came forward and offered money, time and supplies and appliances for the kitchen. Within four days of her appeal, people had pledged $4,000, she said. When the final total was added up, $12,000 was given, enough so that another important project can be contemplated - providing some much-needed insulation for the ceiling and walls of the concrete-built rectory.

The whole experience of working from morning to night, from 8 a.m. the day Phillips left to 1:30 p.m. the day he returned, was a bonding one for the volunteers, Froelich said.

"Working that many hours, we became friends," she said.

Besides making a lovely and functional kitchen, this project was a way to express to their priest, "we love you and we love the spiritual direction you're going in," Froelich said.

An open house is set for 2 to 4 p.m. Feb. 3.