Serving up ethnic treats

Holy Trinity Orthodox Church hosts annual food festival

POTTSTOWN >> For more than 15 years, parishioners of Holy Trinity Orthodox Church has been holding a Fall Bazaar to share their Slavic heritage with the local community.

Preparations for the Nov. 2 festival began in September.

“The entire parish participates in the event from beginning to end. We have sessions during the week, in the evenings and on weekends to ensure flexibility for all our parishioners to help with food prep. Almost every member of the parish comes to help the day of the event,” said Katherine Rigo and Barbara Hutzayluk, event co-chairpersons. “It began as a food sale and expanded to include raffle baskets and then, a flea market in the last few years.”

“We offer take-out food and hot eat-in food along with soups and a large variety of homemade baked goods. We have raffle baskets and an extensive flea market. The funds generated go to support the various ministries of our parish, including but not limited to our church school program, youth ministry, outreach and continuing education of our clergy,” Rigo and Hutzayluk added.

“Various parishioners have contributed to the recipes over the years, but each year we adjust recipes to improve for our

supporters,” said Rigo and Hutzayluk.

“We make things my grandmother made,” said Darlene Kershner, a church volunteer.

Hundreds of visitors come to the church every year for the fall festival.

Some of the traditional Slavic food made by church members:

• 500+ dozen pierogies — potato and cheese and sauerkraut potato and cheese-filled dumplings

• 50 pounds of potato pancakes

• 1,400 halupki — cabbage filled with beef and rice

• 120 quarts of halushki — fried cabbage and onion tossed with buttered noodles

• 50 pounds of kielbasa Parish volunteers also made 249 quarts of soup in 20 different varieties.

“I come every year. The soups are delicious and the tomato bisque is to die for,” said Sue DeLutis of Pottstown.

“We like craft shows and good food; pierogies are our favorite,” said Bobbie Kontra of Pottstown.

“We were worried for the future, but the people here (at Holy Trinity) are doing a good job. These pierogies are dense and delicious,” said Audra Ross of Pottstown.

“They have the best church pierogies,” agreed Marisa Swiderski of Pottstown

Volunteer Sandy Tretter said, “Everyone loves our pierogies because we use grandmothers’ recipes.”

Elisha Eickhoff of Spring City tried Halupki for the first time.

“We saw the event on Facebook. The pierogies are the reason we came. Then, my husband got the halupkis. I tried them and sent my husband to the counter to get another order,” said Eickhoff. “Depending on where you are from, Halupki are called different things.”

Halupki is also known as galumpkie (in Polish) or (in American) blind pigeons.

Sandra Wurster has been making potato pancakes since she was little growing up in Frackville, Schuylkill County.

“Where I grew up (in Frackville, PA - the Coal Regions), potato pancakes were called Bleenies. Here when I say Bleenies, people think of the filled pancakes — Blinis.”

Along with savory food, Holy Trinity offered a large variety of sweets, including baked goods of all kinds. The bazaar originally began offering just nut roll and poppy seed rolls. Over the years, they have expanded their offerings to also include: Lekvar (prune), apricot, cherry, and raspberry rolls. This year Holy Trinity had 150 nut rolls, and 150 in other flavors.

Holy Trinity Orthodox Church’s next fundraiser is its annual cookie sale scheduled for on Dec. 14 at 9 a.m.

JESI YOST — FOR MEDIANEWS GROUP Helena Swiderski, 14, Marisa Swiderski, and Audra Ross prepare to sample some of the homemade food at Holy Trinity Orthodox Church.

JESI YOST — FOR MEDIANEWS GROUP Along with savory food, Holy Trinity offered a large variety of sweets, including baked goods of all kinds. The bazaar originally began offering just Nut Roll and Poppy Seed Rolls. Over the years, the church has expanded its offerings to also include: Lekvar (prune), apricot, cherry, and raspberry rolls.

Debby Dobrischkin, Allen Dobrischkin, 13, Rhonda Maxwell and Al Dobrischkin enjoy a meal. “We drove here for the food. Halushki (fried cabbage and onion tossed with buttered noodles) is our favorite,” said Debby Dobrischkin of East Coventry.

Father John Edward, rector of Holy Trinity Orthodox Church, was on hand to inform visitors about the history of the church.”The Eastern Orthodox Church can be traced all the way back to Jesus and the Apostles,” he explained.

The golden domes are the first things people usually see as they approach Holy Trinity Orthodox Church at 1236 Juniper St. in Pottstown. Holy Trinity was founded in 1928 by a small group of Slavic immigrants.

The full menu of delicious ethnic delicacies on display at Holy Trinity Orthodox Church.

The Kershner family: Darlene, Zachary, Mila, 6, and Matthew, 4. “We make things my grandmother made,” said Darlene Kershner, a church volunteer.

Gloria Prout and Bobbie Kontra of Pottstown enjoy pierogies and potato pancakes at Holy Trinity Orthodox Church.

Elisha Eickhoff of Spring City tries Halupki (cabbage filled with beef and rice) for the first time at Holy Trinity Orthodox Church.

Gale Hutnyan of Gilbertsville serves up Halushki (fried cabbage and onion tossed with buttered noodles) at the Holy Trinity Orthodox Church’s Fall Bazaar. Hutnyan has been a member of the church for 22 years.

Debbie and Pat Mancini of North Coventry attend Holy Trinity Orthodox Church’s Fall Bazaar for the first time. “We love bargains and good food,” said Debbie Mancini.

Sandra Wurster has been making potato pancakes since she was little growing up in Frackville. She helps out in the kitchen at Holy Trinity Orthodox Church in Pottstown.

Sue DeLutis of Pottstown with two quarts of Tomato Bisque soup she’s taking home from the Holy Trinity Fall Bazaar.

Cousins Braylin Soto, 7, Rayna Harris, 10, Grayson Brilla, 7, and Michael Brilla, 9, have fun at the Holy Trinity Orthodox Church Fall Bazaar. Their greatgrandfather was a member of the church.

Holy Trinity Orthodox Church parishioner Anna Marie Black looks through a Christmas book at the Fall Bazaar’s flea market area.