Sacred Heart Church hosts 115th annual Original Italian Dinner
Even from the parking lot, the smell of garlic and oregano wafts from the kitchen of Sacred Heart Church.
The scents are mixed together with the laughter and happiness being brought on from inside by the power of good food and community. A recipe for ravioli is being cooked within that has simmered in the tiny kitchen for generations.
The Sacred Heart Original Italian Dinner, now in its 115th year, serves as a family reunion of sorts every year for volunteers and attendees. The ingredients of traditional Italian cooking are mixed together and served up with love.
For the dozens of people stirring 20-gallon pots in the kitchen, it's all about the comradery and the energy that makes this meal so special. Laughter also serves as a not-so-secret ingredient.
What's on the menu, you may ask?
바카라 게임 웹사이트We got frozen ravioli, we got frozen sauce, and we got handmade rolled meatballs," said one of the event's volunteers.
While the carry-out meals may be served frozen, the heart remains warm for the church's guests, who are never greeted as strangers.
The tradition first began in 1911 after Italian immigrants settled into Cincinnati's Camp Washington neighborhood. It has ever since served as a manner for the church to raise funds and bring the community together.
"It's a moneymaker for the church, which is special, and it's just a way to donate our time," said one volunteer at the ravioli sale.
The meal, which used to be served in person, was paused by COVID-19 for a few years before returning as a carry-out-only affair. Church organizers say attendance has still not returned to pre-pandemic levels, though they are attempting to do so once again through the warmth of both the food and their hospitality.
Still, there are signs that the ravioli sale is not entirely the same as it used to be. The Sons of Italy and the Sacred Heart community have hosted this meal for generations, and now the kitchen hosts some new, younger faces that are beginning to take the reins and recreate the traditional Italian recipes that have faded into the church's yellowed papers and cooking notes. But even still, one thing that remains are the heaping plates and full hearts in the crowded Sacred Heart kitchen.