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Happening ... in the Local Church
 Maxine
Smith, Jeanie Stewart and Jan Adams help prepare for the next “Father
Bob’s Famous Chicken and Noodle Dinner.” (Photos by Caroline Mooney) |
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 Father
Bob Williams makes all the noodles for the dinners, held three times
annually. (Photo provided) |
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 Mary
Ann Nivens organizes the dinners, which are held at the Knights of
Columbus Hall in Anderson. |
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| Troy Carpenter and Mary Ann Nivens peel potatoes for the April 29 dinner. | Jan Adams
cooks potatoes in the kitchen at the Knights of Columbus Hall. |
“It’s a good place to hobnob,” volunteer Debbie Settlemire says of the dinners. | |
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| Maxine Smith
scoops mashed potatoes from a pot. About 160 pounds of potatoes are prepared for a dinner. |
Michael Litton, Bev Castor and Matt Maier prepare green beans. Food for the dinners is donated by St. Mary parishioners. | ||
By Caroline B.
Mooney
The
Catholic Moment
ANDERSON — “Father Bob’s Famous Chicken and Noodle Dinners” have really taken on a life of their own, said Father Bob Williams, pastor of St. Mary Church.
This is the third year for the dinners, held three times annually to raise money for the scholarship fund of St. Mary School.
All the noodles are made from scratch by Father Williams.
“I make a three-egg batch of noodles every day when I get up before 7:30 a.m. morning prayer,” he said, “and they just build up until each dinner. I just picked it up naturally — my mother was a noodle maker. I learned how to make noodles as an adult. I just use eggs, flour, water and salt — I don’t do any measuring.
“The dinners are a real community builder,” he said.
“The whole thing is volunteer, and it has really grown,” Father Williams said. “A wonderful group of people get together to peel potatoes before each dinner — it’s free entertainment with lots of local chatter.”
“We raised $3,700 at the last dinner, and about $3,100 at the first one this year,” said Mary Ann Nivens, RCIA director at St. Mary, who organizes the dinners. The parish hoped to raise $4,000 at the last dinner of the year on April 29.
“This really helps out with the school funding,” Father Williams said. “The money gets spread out and is dispersed as needed. It reduces tuition costs across the board.”
Approximately 27 volunteers get together to prepare the potatoes and chop bacon for the green beans at what has become known as the “PP” or, potato peeling, party. People bring in lunch and make an afternoon of the work.
“All the food is donated by parishioners,” said volunteer Matt Maier. “We use 160 pounds of potatoes, which are peeled in less than one hour. We work hard; it’s a lot of food.”
The potatoes are cooked and then mashed, to be served alongside green beans with bacon, cole slaw and homemade stuffing, rolls and desserts. Parishioners help out by buying chicken and cooking it.
Nivens calls on about 20 to 30 people to donate homemade desserts.
“Two of our parishioners make such good pies that people seek those out at the dessert table,” she said.
“I’ve worked on all the meals,” said Bev Castor, a St. Mary parishioner. “My husband, who isn’t even Catholic, loves to come and help serve the mashed potatoes.”
Nivens estimated that between 300 and 350 people are served at each dinner, held at the Knights of Columbus Hall in downtown Anderson. Besides St. Mary parishioners, members of the local community have started attending the dinners.
“It’s a good place to hobnob,” said volunteer Debbie Settlemire.