Sliders, tacos and gelato were among the dishes served at the 15th annual Clergy Who Cook event at the Pontifical College Josephinum on Friday, Jan. 31.
The annual fundraiser is organized by the Friends of the Josephinum, a group of lay men and women founded in 1984 who raise money for men in formation for the priesthood.
This year’s Clergy Who Cook fundraiser was the most successful to date. The event raised more than $112,000.
All proceeds from the event will benefit seminarians at the college, funding the cost of tuition, school books, technology and medical and living expenses. It will also help with unforeseen expenses such as money for transportation home in the event of an emergency.
The money raised “helps fill in the gaps” for seminarians, explained Rick Jeric, vice president of advancement at the Josephinum. “They have a lot of needs, as you can imagine.”
The Josephinum’s advancement office works closely with the Friends of the Josephinum to provide support when needed.
“This is a great event,” Jeric said. “It keeps growing. Every year it gets bigger.”
This year’s sold-out event with more than 200 guests featured food samples prepared by 11 clergy members. Each chef was permitted two assistants. Their culinary creations included a range of Indian, Italian and Latin delights.
Former food editor at The Columbus Dispatch Robin Davis served as culinary judge.
Davis, who is also author of Recipe for Joy, presented four awards: People’s Choice, Most Creative, Most Complex and Grand Chef.
Father David Arroyo, the diocesan vicar for Hispanic ministry, received the Most Complex award for his Miniature Tacos. Father Arroyo also serves as chaplain at Cristo Rey Columbus High School and is an adjunct professor at the Josephinum.
Davis awarded Deacon Christopher Walsh’s Coney Dogs the Most Creative. Deacon Walsh serves at Gahanna St. Matthew the Apostle Church.
The guests could sample each clergy member’s creation. Attendees were given a wooden star to vote for their favorite cuisine.
Participants chose Father Jacques Kik, pastor at Columbus Our Lady of Victory Church, for the People’s Choice award. Father Kik’s Sausages: Soujouk (spicy) & Makanek (mild) with Grilled Veggies & Hummus were a fan favorite.
Guests could also purchase “Clergy Cash” to donate to a chef of choice. The clergy member who brought in the most money overall – from both in and outside of the event – won Grand Chef.
The award went to a team of five clergy from Dublin St. Brigid of Kildare Church – Fathers Jim Black and Tim Lynch and Deacons Frank Iannarino, Steve Petrill and Paul Zemanek – for their Moo Shu Sloppy Joe Sliders.
“I think people are very generous with this,” Father Black said. “We raise a lot of money – and not so much raise a lot of money, we do a lot of good for seminarians who need some help.”
As a first this year, the event included a live auction with local auctioneer Chris Davis. Using paddles with images of the seminarians’ faces, attendees bid on an array of baskets donated by individuals, businesses and organizations.
The event’s first live auction garnered thousands of dollars, all of which will benefit seminarians.
“We’re just as happy as can be,” Clergy Who Cook co-chairman Marci Maynard said. “We went into this thinking, ‘Well, if it doesn’t work at least we tried,’ and it was a huge, huge success – beyond huge – and I can’t be happier with the outcome.”
Maynard and her co-chair, Jen Bennett, headed the evening’s event.
Other clergy who cooked included Father Daniel Colby, parochial vicar at Marion St. Mary and Cardington Sacred Hearts churches. He prepared Sweet Potato and Black Bean Salad, and Father Tom Gardner, pastor at Coshocton Sacred Heart Church, fashioned “Guadalupe Bites” with three homemade salsas.
Father Patrick Toner, administrator at Delaware St. Mary Church, baked Irish coffee cupcakes, and Deacon Anthony Bonacci, who serves at Plain City St. Joseph Church, made Pizzelles & Gelato.
Father Peter Gideon, administrator at Columbus Our Lady of Peace Church, was chef of the Lobster Newburg. His two sous-chefs, from New Lexington St. Rose Church, prepared a complimentary Raspberry Streusel dessert.
Also from Our Lady of Peace, Deacon Lou Griffith and the Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary had their own station featuring Kerala Chicken Cutlets. The religious sisters, who are serving in the Columbus diocese, are natives of Kerala, India.
Father Brian O’Connor, pastor at Canal Winchester Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary parish, prepared “Monsignor Funk’s Chocolate Walnut Cookies.” The dessert, a French Christmas cookie, was made in honor of a diocesan priest.
Msgr. David Funk, the recipe’s author, died a few weeks before the event. Msgr. Funk served at several diocesan parishes, including as pastor at Reynoldsburg St. Pius X Church, where he also resided after retirement until his death.
“Last summer, my mom tells me that she was going through a recipe book and found a recipe that Msgr. Funk had submitted 10 years ago to The Columbus Dispatch,” Father O’Connor explained. “I said, ‘Well, gosh, maybe I’ll do those for Clergy Who Cook this year,’ because Monsignor just celebrated his 50th anniversary of priesthood.
“Of course, he passed away here at the beginning of the month, and so, a little different to honor him but certainly very much in his memory.”
Father O’Connor expressed gratitude to the Friends of the Josephinum. As a graduate of the college, he benefited from their generosity.
“When I was in seminary, they helped me to go on a mission trip to El Salvador, financially, and so, that was a great gift,” he said. “They’re a great organization for all the seminarians here at the Josephinum.”
Attendees also heard remarks from Father Steven Beseau, rector and president of the Josephinum. He joked that, while it might be a surprise, clergy can be as talented in feeding people physically as they are in feeding souls.
Seminarians John Paul Stepnowski of the Diocese of Birmingham, Alabama, and Omar Lara of the Diocese of Oakland, California, served as masters of ceremonies.
Just under a year away from the next Clergy Who Cook event, some chefs are gearing up. Deacon Bonacci and his sous-chef, John Ciuca, a member of the Knights of Columbus council at St. Joseph Church, start making plans early, Ciuca said.
“As soon as we’re done, we’re like, ‘What do you want to do next year?’”
For more information or to become a Friends of the Josephinum member, go online to www.pcj.edu/friends.