‘Grace Before Meals’

CHATHAM TOWNSHIP  Father Leo Patalinghug adds just a splash of vodka to a pan with the sauce of one of his signature dishes: penne vodka. He adds another splash of vodka and then another until — “whoosh!” — the contents of the pan, under heat, erupt into flame.

An audience of 200 people here in the hall at Corpus Christi Parish here gasp with surprise and laugh with delight, as the vodka in the sauce burns off and the flame dies out. Was Father Patalinghug, known as “The Cooking Priest,” “showing off” at his kitchen setup on a stage at the front of the hall? Perhaps — he did tell the audience that he did it “because it’s so cool!” But he was making a point — about the need to find out the concerns and interests of your family, while sitting down for dinner — on that March 9, the last night of his three-night mission, called “Plating Grace,” at Corpus Christi.

“Know just how much heat your family can take. Learn what makes them hunger and what satisfies them. Talk to your kids about the truth [of Christian values] or the internet will teach them other values,” said Father Patalinghug, founder of the “Grace Before Meals” apostolate, who is renowned for having defeated a world famous chef on the “Throw Down! with Bobby Flay” show on the Food Network.

Father Patalinghug served a main lesson at his cooking demonstration that can still resonate with the faithful into this Easter season: use the dinner table to strengthen relationships, faith and values of your families and communities. That point seems poignant today, when families have been blessed with more time together, while under shelter-in-place orders to help slow the Covid-19 pandemic.

That night at Corpus Christ, the priest used a few steps in the cooking process to illustrate his insights about faith and family. “Food is proven to bring people together. For younger people, eating as a family reduces instances of premarital sex and drug abuse and improves grades. It also brings God to the table, where life’s lessons are learned,” said Father Patalinghug, a conference speaker, author, host of “Savoring Our Faith” on EWTN and radio co-host of “Entertaining Truth” on Sirius XM.

From his kitchen set up, Father Patalinghug dished out laughs and lessons, while cooking a meatless vodka sauce for Lent, which the audience enjoyed with penne at their tables in the hall after his talk, along with a salad and also side dishes and desserts made by parishioners. The charismatic priest also nourished the souls of the audience, from young children to seniors, while darting around the stage and talking with an almost manic delivery. Early in his presentation, he cut up an onion and suggested that cooks “keep the root in place.”

“We [Catholics] are rooted in God — a God who loves us,” said Father Patalinghug, a priest from the Voluntas Dei community in Baltimore, who later added the onions, olive oil, red tomato sauce, red chili peppers and oregano to his pan that night. “St. Teresa of Avila once said that God is found among the pots and pans in hospitality. When you serve your family, you do what Jesus is asking you to do: feed them with what they are hungry for,” he said.

While adding in flat-leaf parsley, Father Patalinghug — on fire with the Holy Spirit — equated the dining table with the Eucharistic table at Mass, which satisfies our souls with the Body of Jesus. He added some whipping cream to the sauce, which Father Kevin Corcoran, Corpus Christi’s pastor, and Msgr. James Mahoney, pastor emeritus and diocesan vicar general, tasted on their visit to the stage. After dinner, the Filipino priest conducted a question-and-answer session with the audience, telling them that he utilizes “the powerful medium of food to deepen people’s faith.”

“I’m plating grace. My vocation is to serve and feed people, whether it’s with food or the Eucharist — and with vodka sauce,” Father Patalinghug said.

The “Plating Grace” mission attended by hundreds of people from Corpus Christi and beyond, kicked off on the night of March 7 with Father Patalinghug’s reflection in the church about “Celebrating Marriage and Committed Relationships.” During the next evening, he spoke on “How to Become a Saint in a Troubled World.” That weekend, the priest also participated in all Masses at the parish.

“Father Leo has a great sense of humor and is charismatic, which is very captivating. He challenged us to become saints and live a holy life. He talked about food as a way to get closer to God. He reminded us that faith is more than rules, which are necessary; it’s really about being fed by God,” said Father Corcoran, one of several people, who helped serve the meal at dinnertime.

The idea of bringing Father Patalinghug to Corpus Christi came from Dominic Ambrosio of the Morris County parish’s communications ministry. He saw the popular priest at a talk at a Catholic church outside the Diocese.

“I was impressed by Father Leo’s message of service, community and love — the kind of message that is needed in the Catholic community today. He has an exciting approach to building family and community,” said Ambrosio, noting that Corpus Christi posted about his visit on social media.

After Father Patalinghug’s presentation, Eileen Uy from St. Patrick Parish in Chatham told The Beacon that she owns one of the priest’s cookbooks and was inspired to try making his penne vodka sauce.

“Father Leo fed us with his humor, which really got people’s attention. I was impressed with his cooking skills. He fed our tummies and our souls. He has such a gift for bringing people together,” Uy said.