Shrove Tuesday is all about pancakes and sausage

By LINDA M. LINONIS

linonis@vindy.com

north lima

Mount Olivet United Church of Christ follows German customs of observing Shrove Tuesday.

“It’s a traditional thing,” said Millie Stratton, coordinator of the 34th annual pancake and sausage supper.

Fat Tuesday, as the day is also called, is the time to use up butter, sugar and lard, said the Rev. Melinda Quellhorst-Lacefield, pastor. “It’s to use up the fats before the Lenten season so they are not a temptation,” she said.

The pastor said Lent is a Christian season that begins today, Ash Wednesday, and continues to Holy Week. “It’s a time of self-examination before God,” said the pastor. “Its a quiet time of meditation.”

People gathered Tuesday at the church at 410 W. South Range Road to partake in homemade pancakes and sausage. In recent years, the church has generally served some 200 people and Stratton said the number has stayed fairly constant. “A lot of help goes into it,” she said.

Stratton said a handbook, started at the first pancake and sausage supper in 1979, keeps track of recipes, number of volunteers and lists of necessities.

“It’s a real keepsake,” she said of the material that keeps the events running smoothly and uniformly. The handbook noted that the first supper attracted 100 people.

On Monday, about 30 members volunteered to prepare the homemade sausage. Stratton said the church had two pigs, weighing in at 800 pounds, prepared by a local butcher. Church volunteers put the cut-up pork through a grinder.

“We hand case the sausage with an antique sausage stuffer and use a sterile technique,” Stratton said. Seasonings are salt and pepper. “It’s an experience,” she said.

Last year, the church had orders for some 167 pounds of loose sausage, sold for $2 a pound. This year, customers ordered some 217 pounds for $2 a pound. “We get a lot of reaction about the homemade sausage,” Stratton said.

About 16 members of the youth group assisted in serving. Apples are offered on tables.

There is not a set price for the supper; donations are accepted. Proceeds benefit missions worldwide and the youth group.

During Lent, the church will have soup suppers at 6 p.m. followed at 7 with activities for children and adults sharing their faith journeys.