By Lois Rogers | Correspondent

As members of the hospitality committee in Holy Innocents Parish, Neptune, see it, celebrating the diverse nature of the Church by breaking bread together with a global menu is a great opportunity for the community to connect and re-connect.

And so, once a year, the committee organizes an internationally flavored pot luck of amazing proportions which follows the annual International Mass where intentions are offered in the heritage languages of the community.

At this year's Mass – April 18 – prayers for government officials were requested in Polish while in Tagalog, the primary language of the Philippines, the hope was expressed that all races and cultures would live in harmony. Service men and women were prayed for in English and Spanish and the sick and injured commended to God in Italian.

As the Mass concluded, Father Michael Wallack, pastor, added to the universal spirit by proclaiming the final blessing in Latin – “the language of the Church” – before inviting all present to the cafeteria in Holy Innocents School for fellowship and food.

This year's timing of the events was a happy coincidence in that in the Gospel reading for the Third Sunday of Easter, Jesus becomes known to the two disciples he meets on the road to Emmaus in the breaking of the bread.

Though the International Night hadn't been deliberately timed to coincide with the Scripture, it was appropriate for the “wonderful event” which celebrates the cultures of the community, said Father Wallack, who praised the committee and the volunteers who created the food that everyone was about to enjoy.

“Imagine so many dinners in the Father's House – with Jesus bringing everyone to the table,” he said.

The generous buffet reflected the many cultures of parishioners. From stuffed shells, sausages, scampi and pasta with lentils, to kielbasa and knackwurst with kraut, to Haitian fried pork and beans and oxtail with okra, Philippine spring rolls and Portuguese pork Bifana.

There was zucchini pie, stuffed cabbage, spiral ham and, with the kids in mind, mac 'n cheese and chicken fingers.

“It's a good variety from a very diverse parish,” said Mary Chabala. “Between 30 and 35 people brought in cultural favorites to share. We were sure to have offerings for the children like the macaroni and cheese and the chicken fingers, because we wanted the kids to enjoy being here.”

“It's one of our most important traditional activities at the parish and we have been testing the waters with the timing. Last year it was held on Pentecost weekend,” which, as the “Birthday of the Church,” was very appropriate.

This year, the intention was to have International Night between the two Saturday Masses so that those attending either could come.”

Among those attending was Mary Beth Sheehan who came with family and friends. Mary Beth contributed zucchini pie, made from her grandmother's treasured recipe. She was pleased to hear that it was widely appreciated by those sampling it. “We wanted to taste food from other cultures and traditions,” she said. “And we wanted to share grandmother's recipe.”

Parishioner Maria Samson, of Filipino heritage, said she traditionally attends the social. She enjoyed sampling a variety of specialties including her favorite spring rolls which, she said, met her criteria of being crisp and tasty.

She smiled as she talked about what brings her to the event each year.

“You get to know people, you get the sense of the community when you sit down with them,” she said. “When you go to church, you pray and you go home. With this, you have time to socialize and enjoy each other and get to know each other.”

Look for Mary Beth Sheehan's grandmother's recipe for zucchini pie and Tiffany Fisher's Bifana soon on Keeping the Feast