Canoe, Camp, Cook, Fish and Travel: A Ministry of Service

     On a daily basis living ones call of ordination to the ministry of service (diakonia) goes something like this, using the previous week as an example; beginning Saturday the 13th and Sunday 14th, one preached at 4 masses. Tuesday was RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults), Thursday was spent as day duty chaplain at the Houston International Seafarer Center, Thursday evening was presiding at a Funeral Vigil, Friday morning with regular daily mass and then a funeral mass. This of course does not include attending the other daily masses, presiding at a communion service on Tuesday because of the absence of a priest or visits to the sick or homebound.
       From time to time the call to live ones ordained ministry takes a bit of a different form or deviates from the ordinary; Such was the case today and the days leading up to today. The parish, Saint Christopher's Parish in Houston, Texas, http://www.stchristopherhouston.org/  began planning, about a month ago, an appreciation lunch for the more mature parishioners, i.e., those over 65 (by the way I am in that group, but since I am clergy I suppose one is disqualified).
      In a moment of what have been extreme weakness I said that I would do the cooking, if I had help, for this gathering. I had expected about 25 or so people to sign up. Surprise, surprise, was I in for a surprise.
     The total number signing up to partake in this lunch turned out to be 72. Help, HELP, suddenly I found myself in serious need of sous chefs. Several of the parish staff volunteered to help as did a number of parishioners.
     Now it was time to make the menu. Since we are a multi-cultural parish, and based on my personal estimates we break down as follows; 60-65 % of North European descend with about 50 % of that group claiming to be Hispanic, which is a misnomer, an invention of the turmoil of the 60's, then about 30 % of Vietnamese origin or descend, and the remaining 5 or so % of West African, mostly Nigerian, descend, with a few Filipinos sprinkled in together with a few East Indians, it was decided that the menu should originate in Southern Europe, and what better place to start than Italy.
      Last night a number of parishioners got together and set up tables and chairs and decorations in our big meeting room. A great Thank You go to Paula Beyers for providing the table cloths, the vases and the flowers. We should also mention that Deacon Benito Tristan and his wife Viviana did a splendid job of steam cleaning all the upholstered chairs, chairs which were in serious need of cleaning.

The meeting room set up and ready.

     Thus the appetizer was bruschetta with a tomato, garlic, onion, basil mix with olive oil, and a touch of lemon juice. Following the appetizer was a vegetable consomme, then the pasta, which was penne in a creamy home made lemon sauce with fresh picked parsley from my garden. Following the pasta we grilled shrimp with hint of ginger and a touch of heat in the form of crushed red pepper flakes. This was followed by a dessert of Japanese Plum puree with rum, topped with whipped cream and a bit of nutmeg.
      Yesterday afternoon Fr. Thu Le and I went shopping for all the ingredients. We made stops at Sam's and at our local HEB grocery store and got all we needed. Note that I have never had to shop on that scale before and was a bit concerned about too much of one thing and not enough of another.
     This morning at 8 AM the kitchen was opened and the preparations began with amble help from many good people.

Cutting and slicing and dicing.
On the left Amanda Lopez, Esther Aguirre, Lam Hoang,
at the end Ann Stranahan, and on the right Amelia Banda and Mary Avila.

The two pots on the right are filled with

fresh cut vegetables for the vegetable consomme.

Still slicing and dicing. See the finely sliced, on a mandolin, red onion in front.

Celia Puente, Ann Stranahan, Amelia Banda and Maria Fernandez.

The topping for the bruschetta is being prepared.

Celia Puente and Ann Stranahan.

These ladies look like they enjoy what they are doing.

The spent vegetables are being taken out of the consomme.

The sous chefs are Joe Puente and Ronald Cohoon.

The pot in front at left is for "ice" tea.

We are ahead of schedule so Ann Stranahan, Maria Fernandes, Mary Davila

and Esther Aguirre are taking a well deserved break.

Actually, it looks like they are holding a union meeting,

as if they are contemplating organizing into a union.

Twelve noon, the serving hour, is fast approaching and

the bruschetta is being plated by Amelia Banda and Maria Fernandez.

In the meantime the creamy lemon sauce for the pasta is

being prepared from scratch. The pot to right of Amanda Lopez

contains the first batch of penne pasta cooking.

Father Joseph Thu Le leading those assembled in prayer before the meal.

Somewhere along the way we hit a small hick-up, and I take the blame. We served the bruschetta, then the vegetable consomme and next was supposed to have been the paste. For reasons unknown I in the heat of battle forgot about the pasta and we started serving the shrimp dish.

The shrimp plates being prepared.

The ladies are busy plating the shrimp dish.

The photos below speak for themselves. Everyone is having a great time and enjoying the meal.

One parishioner commented today (Sunday April 21, 2013) that it was so good that people were "eating their fingers." A metaphor for finger licking good. I should be noted that yours truly is well past the minimum age for being a "senior" in this parish and so were a number of other helpers. Next year we may just sit and eat.