Schulenburg
The crowd is always huge at the annual Praha church picnic.
Life’s A Picnic
Photos by Andy Behlen
The Magic of Fayette County’s Country Church Feasts By ANDY BEHLEN
The Fayette County Record
T
here is no better way to experience the culture of Fayette County than to visit one of the annual picnics put on by the Catholic churches scattered throughout the countryside. The Czech and German settlers who came here in the mid- to late-1800s were predominantly Lutheran or Catholic. As soon as they got their fields plowed and their cabins build, they joined together to build churches. Every year during the summer, usually around the time of the feast day of the church’s patron saint, parishioners would gather together for a big feast. The tradition lives on in the small Catholic communities of High Hill, Praha, Ammannsville, St. John, Dubina, Cistern, Holman, Plum, Ellinger, Fayetteville, and Hostyn.
The practice came over from the Czech and German lands. In the old days, each family would bring a chicken from their coop, or a pot of potatoes or green beans picked from their garden, a jar of peaches or pickles, and maybe a loaf of bread. When the entire parish got together for the feast, there was enough food for everyone. And the meal was often free. If you come to one of the picnics for nothing else, come for the meal. The recipes often date back to the late 1800s when Czech and German settlers founded the churches. Traditional fare invariably consists of fried chicken, german potatoes, sauerkraut, green beans and pickles. The meal also includes either beef stew or sausage, depending on parish tradition. While the meals are no longer free like they were in the old days, they are still a deal –
Ladies cut chicken for frying at the annual St. John picnic every 4th of July.
usually $8 to $9 a plate. Each community puts their own spin on the meal. In Ammannsville, the cooks use cracker crumb breading for the fried chicken. The ladies of St. Wenceslaus Church in Holman save a few of the boiled potatoes and
mash them up with the potato water to create the all-important mashka, which they add to the sauerkraut. The men of Sts. Peter and Paul Church in Plum grind, stuff and smoke homemade sausage before the picnic and serve it Continued, next page