THE SOUNDS AND smells of Italy pervaded Conlon Hall at St. John Neumann Catholic Church in Irvine during La Festa Italiana.
ST. JOHN NEUMANN’S PASTOR, FR. QUYEN VAN TRUONG, WELCOMES GUESTS TO THE PARISH’S BENEFIT DINNER. PHOTOS BY STEVEN GEORGES/DIOCESE OF ORANGE
The Oct. 17 festival included live music, dancing, a small auction and raffles sponsored by Knights of Columbus Centennial Council 7985 and the St. John Neumann Women’s Ministry. The highlight of La Festa Italiana was, of course, the Italian dinner prepared by Brother Knights, featuring penne pasta with meat sauce (a meatless sauce was also available), Italian sausage with bell peppers, authentic Italian meatballs,
vegetables, rustic bread and salad. Dessert was a special treat of cannoli with tiramisu.
La Festa Italiana is the annual fall fundraiser for the Knights of Columbus Centennial Council.
“Originally, our big event in the fall used to be Oktoberfest,” Grand Knight Adrian Marrujo explained. “However, after many years, tastes changed and we stopped doing a fall event for some time.”
But the Knights decided to start a new tradition and hold an Italian dinner. The event is made possible by the work and dedication of teams of volunteers from the Knights of Columbus and Women’s Ministry. Tickets were sold after Masses for three weekends before the festival.
FROM LEFT, MARY HELEN FRAKE-MINAR, JOHN MINAR, RAY ROSCHMANN AND JANE ROSCHMANN ENJOY A KNIGHT OF COLUMBUS BENEFIT DINNER BENEFITING CHARITIES AT ST. JOHN NEUMANN CATHOLIC CHURCH IN IRVINE.
One of the Knights and the Grand Knight solicit local businesses for donations of food items, including Prego Restaurant in Tustin which donated sauces for the pasta; Ingardia Bros. Produce Inc. which sourced authentic Italian sausage and vegetables; Alessa Restaurant in Laguna Beach which provided authentic Italian meatballs; Barolo Café in Tustin for donating garlic bread and tiramisu; and Sole Toscano Italian Café in Irvine for its contribution of the cannoli dessert.
According to Grand Knight Marrujo, “The cannoli with tiramisu was a hit! People couldn’t stop talking about how much they enjoyed this treat!”
Volunteers decorated and worked to transform the hall into an elegant and inviting Italian dining room. Then there’s the food preparation and a team of about a dozen people to serve dinner.
“We were blessed that teens from the Youth Group joined us this year to help out with this task,” Marrujo said.
“The night included live music by the Dan Olivo Quartet, specializing in music by Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and other classics of that era,” he added. St. John Neumann’s pastor, Fr. Quyen Van Truong, noted the significance of the event.
“La Festa Italiana was more than just a celebration of rich cultural heritage and culinary artistry,” he said. “It was a vibrant bridge connecting our entire community. Seeing parishioners, neighbors, Catholics and non-Catholics gather around the same table reminded us that fellowship and hospitality are at the very heart of who we are.”
He added, “Our Brother Knights are truly the backbone of so many aspects of our parish life. Their unwavering dedication and selfless spirit of service shine through everything they do. La Festa Italiana was just one more reflection of how deeply committed they are to nourishing both the faith and the fellowship of our parish family.”
Grand Knight Marrujo shared that proceeds from the event benefit various Knights of Columbus charities including programs supporting parish life, youth programs and scholarships for seminarians in the Diocese of Orange.
According to U.S. Census estimates, the Italian-ancestry population in Orange County totals approximately 115,000 residents, with most living in Huntington Beach, Anaheim and Irvine.
For more information, visit sjnirvine.org