A crowd was building in the Aula off the main entrance of the Center for Pastoral Leadership the evening of Feb. 21 as visitors scoped out the raffle baskets and purchased tickets for the drawings.
One of the big attractions was a handmade, wooden rocking “motorcycle” – complete with the Harley Davidson name, wheels, handlebars and an “engine.” The creation was one of the raffle prizes available at the annual Saint Mary Seminary Winter Festival. Other raffle items included specialized baskets filled with a variety of religious items, trinkets, jewelry, coffee, fair trade goods, kitchen gadgets, food, gift cards, bath and body items, toys, candy and more. There also were 50/50 raffle tickets for sale.
While visitors perused the raffle items, they were entertained by seminarians who played the piano and sang.
In the lobby, festival-goers could purchase tickets for one of the homemade, Eastern European dinner options: pork schnitzel, potato pierogi, stuffed cabbage or a Polish platter featuring a bit of each meal option. There also was a children’s meal deal.
Guests headed to the Founders Room for dinner. It was easy to find the way – just follow the aroma of the food – and the winter decorations hanging from the ceiling. There were snowflakes, inflatable winter ornaments and more lining the hallway ceiling. Inflatable snowmen decorated the lobby, hallway and dining area. Seminarian Will Wainio, first year theology, was in charge of decorations this year. Wainio is from the Diocese of Youngstown, which sends its seminarians to Cleveland to study and for formation.
Cameron Popik, a fourth-year theology student at Saint Mary’s and a St. Adalbert (Berea) parishioner, chaired this year’s Winter Fest. He grew into the role after working for the past five years on the festival, which benefits the student activity fund for Saint Mary Seminary.
About 350 people attended the 2019 festival and Popik said attendance this year was estimated at 350-400 – which could be a record number. The event raises about $8,000, he said.
The menu last year also featured Eastern European fare -- chicken paprikash, sausage and sauerkraut and stuffed cabbage. “We decided to mix it up a bit this year,” Popik said.
Father Mark Latcovich, president-rector of Borromeo and Saint Mary seminaries, donated his culinary skills to help the seminarians prepare the food. Father Latcovich said about 10 seminarians joined him in the kitchen after dinner one night to prepare and bread the pork and to make the stuffed cabbage – both of which got rave reviews from attendees.
“It was Father’s idea to make the pork,” Popik said.
Seminarians helped serve food and bus tables, with assistance from Father Latcovich, Father Joseph Koopman, Father Patrick Anderson and others.
Broccoli salad, carrots with dill and nut roll rounded out the dinner. Food also could be taken home. As the 8 p.m. closing time drew near, the pierogi supply ran out, but guests didn’t seem to mind.
The seminarians will start planning for next year’s festival soon and they will reap the benefits of this year’s event throughout the coming year.
Popik said proceeds are deposited in the student activity fund which allows the seminarians to experience the cultural and entertainment life in Greater Cleveland, including Playhouse Square, concerts, entertainment at the seminary and even bus tours of various churches. He said sometimes religious sisters who attend classes at Saint Mary’s are invited to Mass and a social, another of the events supported by the activities fund. They’ve also had musicians and artists come to the seminary for programs.
“We are very thankful and grateful for all those who care for us,” Popik said. “There are so many people in the diocese who care for us and it fills us with gratitude.”