Grace Before Meals With Father Leo, Saturday, January 26, 2008

Between his other speaking engagements, Fr. Leo Patalinghug from Mount Saint Mary's will be gracing us with his presence on Saturday evening, January 26, 2008. The ever popular priest, TV star, speaker, blogger and cookbook author will be saying the 5:00 PM Mass on Saturday. After Mass, Fr. Leo will be speaking to the women of the parish about devotion to Mary.

Then we will all be served dinner by the men of the parish. The evening will be a great chance to hear a very entertaining speaker. As Father Dan has said, this will be a wonderful opportunity to meet some of your fellow parishioners. We have a lot of new parishioners, so this is a good time to mix and mingle whether you have been in our parish for a long time or you are new to the area.

The Sodality is in the process of putting together some exciting door prizes. As the list becomes available, more information will be posted on the blog. The theme will be somewhat of a Mardi Gras theme.

The cost for the evening will be $10.00 per person. Please call Sharon Stallings at 410-414-7543 or the parish office at 410-414-8304. Please register as soon as possible so the men know how much food to order.



YOU WILL NOT WANT TO MISS OUT ON THIS NIGHT OF FUN!!!!

Here is a recent article written by Gail Bradshaw in "The Frederick News-Post"

"Grace Before Meals; Recipes for Family Life," written by Father Leo Patalinghug with Stella Snyder is more than just a cookbook. It is also a book that includes spiritual guidance as well as recipes.


Father Leo, 37, is the Director of Pastoral Field Education at Mount St. Mary's Seminary in Emmitsburg. He works with men in the internship program there to find them placements to do service as priests.


Each chapter of "Grace Before Meals" begins with a Bible verse and discussion, followed by a "Let's Talk" section with suggested questions for family discussion, a "Let's Listen" section with suggested related Bible verses, and a "Let's Cook" section with meal suggestions and recipes. The book starts with New Year's Day and continues throughout the calendar year. Although it follows the holidays most of us are familiar with, there is room for families to create their own holidays or celebrations.


Father Leo has always enjoyed cooking. "I started cooking as a young child, because it was a way to keep me occupied." He confesses to being a very busy child. Whenever friends and/or family get together, he tries out new recipes.


He began "to realize a Godly purpose for food: that the simple act of creating and sharing a meal could strengthen all kinds of relationships. After all, Jesus used the meal to teach His most powerful lessons and invites each of us to share in His feast."


"With a few simple ingredients and a few hours of time, your kitchen can become the perfect setting for honest, engaging and memorable conversations." "Grace Before Meals can help strengthen your relationships with your family and with God's family. Research shows that frequent family dinners can reduce risks facing teens like teen pregnancy, smoking, drug use and depression. And you don't have to be a traditional family nor have kids to reap these benefits."


Father Leo was born in the Philippines and raised in the Baltimore area. He developed his love for cooking while attending the seminary at the North American College in Rome. While there he traded cooking secrets with several Italian restaurant owners in the student kitchen. He "loves the process of making a meal as much as sharing it at a table full of friends."
His style of cooking is "cooking fusion."


He is not trained in any particular style. His cooking is a "blend of different styles." He was home trained and studied at culinary institutes in Europe.


He was ordained in 1999 and served as a parish priest for five years at St. John's Church in Westminster. There he was often invited to dinner at the homes of parishioners. When he arrived he would cook for them instead of them cooking for him. He used these opportunities to build friendships and engage in relaxed conversations in the kitchen. "These unstructured times spent making a meal together provided the inspiration for Grace Before Meals."


Before becoming a priest, Father Leo pursued degrees in writing and political science. He taught high school speech, debate, and drama. With his brother, he founded a martial arts school in 1988. He holds a black belt in Tae Kwon Do and won a national competition in Arniz, a form of full-contact stick fighting. He uses martial arts when working and speaking to youth groups and on college campuses. His hobbies include writing, singing, jogging, and traveling.


"Grace Before Meals" has also been made into a PBS pilot with Father Leo cooking. With financing from corporate sponsors, the pilot can become a regular PBS series. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of his book will go to help fund the PBS show.


For more information, go to www.gracebeforemeals.com. Father Leo has a free on-line newsletter. His book "Grace Before Meals" is available through the website, upon request at bookstores, and through amazon.com. It is also available at Mount St. Mary's bookstore.

AFTER READING THE ABOVE ARTICLE, I am wondering, does this mean that Fr. Leo will be teaching Fr. Dan how to cook when he goes out to visit his parishioners for dinner???????