Greensburg priests, bishop pair food, fundraising in annual charity dinner

Five clergymen in the Diocese of Greensburg traded their vestments for aprons and chefs hats this month, cooking dishes for a fundraising dinner next week.

Prayer and Perfect Pairings will gather hundreds of parishioners across the three-county diocese to enjoy a five-course dinner, each paired with wine, at the Christ Our Shepherd Center in Unity on Thursday, Oct. 24.

Funds generated from the dinner will support Catholic Charities, a national nonprofit that provides basic needs services, counseling, free health care, job training, housing assistance, refugee programs and senior services.

An avid cook, Bishop Larry Kulick used vegetables grown in his own garden to prepare sausage-stuffed hot peppers for the Italian-inspired meal.

Italian roots

Rev. Daniel Carr, priest of St. Regis Parish in Trafford, drew upon his Italian roots to bake cannolis for the dessert course with the help of his mother, Linda.

“I come from an Italian, Sicilian family, and my mother is a great cook, so I kind of teamed up with her to share the family recipe,” said Carr, who also works in the diocese’s Office of Faith, Family and Discipleship.

Carr used a recipe that has been passed down through his family for generations. Each generation has made their own tweaks, he said.

Even the bamboo rollers they used to mold the cannolis into a cylindrical shape have ties to Italy, Carr said.

Newly-ordained Rev. John Torres enlisted the help of one of his parishioners, Rita Pratt, to cook manicotti — a baked pasta dish stuffed with cheese and topped with sauce.

Torres grew up in Brazil, traveling to the United States to complete seminary at Saint Vincent College. Pratt, of Connellsville, took Torres under her wing like an adoptive mother.

The church Torres serves, St. Rita’s in Connellsville, is one of the largest Italian parishes in the diocese. It is known for serving manicotti at its annual July festival, he said.

“People love it,” Torres said. “They come from every diocese just to try it.”

Connecting with parishioners

Rev. Christopher Pujol drew upon his years of cooking experience to prepare chicken saltimbocca — chicken cutlets prepared with prosciutto, sage, butter and white wine.

Parochial vicar at Blessed Sacrament Cathedral in Greensburg, Pujol got the recipe from a friend years ago.

“I grew up cooking with my grandparents and my parents,” he said. “I enjoy cooking here at the rectory for friends and for family.”

Pujol first cooked for the fundraiser two years ago. He enjoys gathering with parishioners in a more personal setting.

“When we sit down to eat together … we’re always able to connect in a different way than just a regular fundraiser,” he said. “We gather, we pray, we sit and enjoy a meal and, at the same time, we assist Catholic Charities.”

Charitable efforts

Almost 300 people attended the event last year. Rev. Andrew Hamilton hopes to see 400 parishioners turn out for the dinner on Thursday.

“It’s nice to see clergy in a different light — that there’s a lightness there,” said Hamilton, who prepared a grilled romaine salad with lemon, pickled red peppers, bacon bits, Parmesan cheese and homemade garlic dressing.

The dinner supports the Christian mission of treating people like they would treat Christ, said Hamilton, who serves the churches of southern Fayette County.

“Hospitality is a great way to show people the love of God,” he said.

Carr considers it an honor to promote the behind-the-scenes work of Catholic Charities.

“That’s why we’re doing this,” he said. “To bring it out into the spotlight a little bit more and give them the resources that they need.”