MUHLENBERG TOWNSHIP, Pa – The Cooks with Collars fundraiser is an event that calls for too many cooks in the kitchen.
“That’s what you get to see too, just the variety of what guys like to cook,” said Father Allen Hoffa with Holy Guardian Angels Parish.
“A lot of guys have an interest in cooking, so the diocese focused in on this gift and skill that a lot of guys have an interest in doing,” said Father Hoffa.
This fundraiser, which runs for the entire month of September, celebrates parishes and serves communities in the Diocese of Allentown through an online cooking competition.
“Some guys have more gourmet things all the way to making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich,” he said.
In addition to personal dishes from priests’ varied backgrounds, the Cooks with Collars fundraiser has brought in nearly a million dollars for parishes to help with repairs and community centers.
“For our parish, for instance, we need a little boost for our youth ministry room so all of the funds for our parish will go to our project to lift up some of the furniture and make it nice,” Hoffa said.
The priest at Holy Guardian Angels says Cooks with Collars is an ongoing effort to connect with more parishioners, especially young people.
“If I need to meet people through social media, if we have to meet people who love cooking to be able to use that as the first point of encounter to bring them closer to Jesus, that’s what we have to do,” he said.
This year’s effort is tied in with the 65th anniversary of the Allentown Catholic Diocese, with priests posting their cooking videos online. Now, they’re ready for your vote and support.
“It’s kicking off today, September 1st. It’s gonna go through the end of the month, so we’re gonna bring it all together. The diocese has a couple of prizes, plus they’re adding a couple of prizes,” Father Hoffa said.
To watch the videos and vote, head to the Cooks with Collars website.