Parish Dinners Foster Community Stewardship, Serving More Than Just Good Food

It was 15 years ago that our pastor asked the Social Committee to reach out to our parishioners to see what they wanted — with the question, “What’s missing?” — from parish life.

“The people said, ‘getting together,’” says Joan Cotton, committee coordinator. “Sometimes we come to Mass, and just leave, the people said. It’s been really important to bring the parish together. So we do dinners, four a year, and periodically we’ll add one on. It has really helped the parish when we did this. You get to know the people you’d see at Mass — that is really the important part.”

There is no charge for the quarterly dinners, although a donation box is at hand.

“The point is not to make money, but to come together in friendship and love,” Joan says.

Bob Cesario serves as the chef for the dinners, while Pat Anderson leads the decorating group. The other committee members take on the required tasks to put the dinners together. Preparations begin two days before the dinner itself.

Besides Joan, Bob, and Pat, committee members include Don Cotton, Ryan Breault, Nancy Arndorfer, Maggie Schlesinger, Jane Mouton, Pat Debruyn-Laumer, Fran Rider, Fran Bogetich, and Dale and Peggy Stradford.

“It’s a good committee,” Joan says. “We all work well together.”

To celebrate the Aug. 15 Feast Day of Our Lady of the Assumption, a dinner is held in August; a Harvest Festival dinner takes place in late October-early November; the Pasta Dinner is held in January; the Lenten Fish Fry completes the cycle. The dinners are held in the church hall after the 5 p.m. Saturday Mass, with the exception of the Fish Fry that is held on a Friday.

“The Fish Fry is very popular,” Joan says. “At the end of the dinner, we go to the church and the Faith Formation students present a living Stations of the Cross. It really brings the parish together. They love to see the children doing things.”

For Bob Cesario, serving on the Social Committee holds personal significance.

“With my family, I’ve been a parishioner since 1953, and it’s very sentimental for me to get involved,” Bob says. “One thing I’ve learned is, food is a common denominator and brings everyone together. The camaraderie is priceless.”

Bob grew up in a family Italian restaurant, so cooking for the dinners comes naturally to him.

“I do the pasta and meatball dinner in honor of my mom’s meatball recipe,” he says. “That’s special, but I enjoy all of the dinners throughout the year.”

Bob agrees that the Social Committee’s work is certainly rooted in stewardship. When the dinners were added to the parish events, our parishioners have been brought together under the parish stewardship pillars of hospitality and service. The committee works to reach out to all in our parish community, and special care is given to include the parish elders in the dinners.

Anyone who is interested in joining the Social Committee may contact the parish office at 916-481-5115.

OLA Social Committee