Sacred luncheon

Donna and Dorothy Harguth get to relax at the luncheon nowadays.

The Harguth cousins by marriage - Donna and Dorothy - remember the days when 60 or so salads were made scratch from various members' homes for the Sacred Heart Catholic Church annual luncheon. They likened it to organized chaos trying to make sure salads stayed cold in the limited refrigeration space, finding a temporary resting spot for all the food plus keeping track whose bowls and spoons belonged to who.

Nowadays, they get to sit and enjoy eating portions of 13 salads if they want, as Deb Perrault and Pat Foley utilize Marya Eustice culinary schooling to feed the throngs of a hungry lunch crowd on Friday, June 8. Due to the state food safety law and the Catholic School's use of the church basement kitchen the Waseca Catholic Daughters group had to get schooled and get the appropriate permit to continue holding their yearly meal. The law, dubbed the "Church Lady Bill", was passed in 2011 and exempts faith-based groups from routine state health inspections at events where food is served to large groups. But it requires at least one volunteer who prepares food at that event to attend training and share what is learned with other church cooks.

An annual fall videoconference is held each year, courtesy of the University of Minnesota Extension and Minnesota Department of Health. It covers foodborne illness, personal hygience and hand-washing, storing and preparing foods safely and other health issues that may come up.

Although all church events must do so, the Waseca bunch took it a step further: they now purchase all the groceries to make 13 salads each year, and then prepare them in the basement kitchen the day before. Most churches still have volunteers bring a dish from home.

Waseca Sacred Heart Church ladies and leader:

 Melissa Gerdtz, Arlys Fell, Jenifer  Dvorak, Geri Kassel, Deb Wobschall, 

Bea O'Brien, Kris Butterfield, Carole Schumacher, Deb Perreult, 

Kit Haag, Caroline Condon, SueHarguth, Father Marty Schaefer.

"Honestly, I think it works better this way," said Deb. "Not that the old way was bad, but we just find it more organized and easier to handle less salads, and just make more of each." Each year they pick new recipes, gathered from their own church cookbook (published a few years ago), guaranteeing great food each year. Like the past, the food never runs out - just enough left over to take home.

This year, they had more people attend than ever, close to 200. The event has been held over 35 years - there's just something about church history ledgers that never keep track of their fundraisers, but each year they run without a hitch and raise valuable money for the congregation projects or charities!

Eileen Muler pays Pat Foley at the door.

When you first see Sacred Heart, it's spectacular block and brick edifice looks intimidating, but it's beauty brings you peace and contentment. It's first church building was built close to today's, back in 1874 facing south - the current one faces east. The parish was officially established in 1869 and in 1886 the Sisters of the Holy Child of Jesus of Philadelphia built a school across the street. Today's current building went up in 1899 for a cost of $20,000.

Although the school once held K-12, today it has preschool through fourth grade. A $1.2 million renovation took a year but was finished in 1999.

This year the luncheon fell on Sacred Heart of Jesus mass, a sacrament of anounting was held. Many left the 11 a.m. service and quickly got in line for lunch right afterwards.

"This was the first year doing this licensed," said Deb. "Pat, Geri (Kassel) and I spent about $300 in groceries, shopping carefully for the best deals to save as much as we can. Yesterday (Thursday) was had 10 women making salads and about 12 today (Friday) helping serve."

Pat has worked with the luncheon the past five years. Adorned with a hilarious t-shirt that says " You don't scare me I work at the School Cafeteria", she works the front table and greets people. "This group of ladies are a lot of fun to work with. I really enjoy working with them." Deb, on the other hand, has worked the luncheon 25 years.

Gloria Pommerenke has attended many a luncheon at Sacred. She and several friends find it a way to meet up, enjoy a meal and help out local causes. "They do a really good job," she said. "It's hard to pick which salad you want!"

Catholic Daughters at Sacred Heart have 176 members, and it's a group you must ask to join. The congregation has about 1,000 families, so only a select few decide that journey is very important in their lives. According to their website, the group is one of the oldest and largest organizations of Catholic women in the Americas. They donate to charities, administer scholarship programs and strive "to be helping hands where there is pain, poverty, sorrow or sickness. The motto is 'unity and charity'. It was formed over 100 years ago and numbers 75,000 members in 45 states.

Aside from this luncheon the local group is toying with the idea of bringing back the fall hotdish luncheon. For now they hand out gummi bears at church to raise money for Habitat for Humanity, have a soup luncheon and bake sale in December. Funds raised to to a variety of charities, local and nationwide.

The Harguth cousins remember telling the women of their group to bring a salad that would feed 10-12 people. "Well, some would bring different size bowls, and would we have enough room, it got to be quite a ordeal," said Donna. "It looks like they made it a lot easier now with the training." I'm sure they are modest in how well they ran the event in yesteryear!

The food still is as good as it's always been!

Yummy Recipes:

Taco Salad
1 head of lettuce, cut up
1 onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 lb. hamburger, browned and cooled
8 oz of cheddar cheese
1 bag of taco chips, crushed
1 bottle of Catalina dressing, mix with 1 cup salsa

A bag of taco seasoning is used in meat. Mix dressing just before eating. Add dressing and taco chips just before eating.

Popcorn Salad
2 cups mayonnaise
1 cup sugar
1 can water chestnuts
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 lb. bacon, fried crisp
Popped popcorn, 2 bags microwave popcorn

Mix all ingredients together except popcorn. Add popcorn just before serving.

Broccoli Salad
5 cups broccoli
10 strips bacon (cooked until crisp)
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup chopped red onion
1 cup mayonnaise
2 TBSP sugar
2 TBSP vinegar

Combine in large bowl. Chill 2 hours.

Upcoming Events:

-Tuesday, June 11 - Red Oak Grove Lutheran Church, Blooming Prairie, Strawberry 
   Festival, 4-7
     -Delano United Methodist Church, Delano, Salad Luncheon, 11-1

-Wednesday, June 12  - Faith Lutheran Church, Dodge Center, Salad Luncheon, 11-1
     -Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Salad Luncheon, Fergus Falls, 11-1

-Thursday, June 13 - Farmington Lutheran Church, Farmington, Salad Luncheon, 11-1

-Wednesday, June 19, Salem Lutheran Church, Montevideo, Ice Cream Social

-Thursday, June 20 -  Luverne ARC, Salad Luncheon, 11-1
     -Appleton Methodist Church, Appleton, Ice Cream Social, 3-7

-Friday, June 21, Vista Lutheran Church, rural New Richland, Ice Cream Social, 4:30-
   6:30

-Sunday, July 20 - St. Paul Lutheran Church Salad Luncheon, Green Isle, 10:30-1