By T. Waldman-Williams
For The Catholic Messenger
Noodling is not for the faint of heart as Father Jake Greiner learned from about 15 of his parishioners at Sacred Heart in Melcher-Dallas earlier this month. This wasn’t Father Greiner’s first time at making noodles, but it was the first time he got flour thrown at him, which at first he thought might be part of an initiation. Fr. Greiner chuckled while relaying the story, “After asking (chief noodle-maker) Phyllis Ditmer why flour was thrown at me, I heard, ‘Your noodles are too sticky, you need more flour.’ I believe my parishioners have my back, but they also have my front … and they understand who they are serving. I am glad the noodles had to be right, because it is part of Sacred Heart’s reputation.”
Father Jake Greiner, pastor of parishes in Knoxville and Dallas-Melcher, makes homemade noodles with Sacred Heart-Dallas-Melcher parishioners Pat Schneider, Jean Gass and Bonnie Colwell earlier this month.
Many parishes have seasonal dinners and each has its own specialty. Sacred Heart Parish is known for its homemade noodles and if you missed their Fall Dinner Oct. 25, put a reminder on your calendar for next year’s dinner on Oct. 30, 2016. “We start about 5 days before the last Sunday in October and Fr. Jake wanted to share in the noodle-making operation. It made our task more fun … but don’t get me wrong, no one is exempt from doing it right, no matter who he is,” said Martha Reed.
Bonnie Colwell, president of the parish’s Altar and Rosary Society, said, “Our Fall Dinner starts at 11 a.m. and lasts until 1:30 p.m. We serve about 325 dinners with many being takeouts. This year we laughingly said that everyone will be more blessed for eating because Fr. Jake was part of creating the noodles.”
St. Anthony’s in Knoxville, another of Fr. Greiner’s parishes, is having its Fall Dinner on Nov. 1 from noon to 2 p.m.
