Magazine films program at parochial school

TORRINGTON — A crew from “Crossroads Magazine,” a Sunday morning television program of the Office of Radio and Television of the Archdiocese of Hartford, was in town April 28 to interview local restaurant owners and Catholic school officials about a unique partnership.

Kaelee Collins, host of the Sunday morning program, said she learned about a “Takeout Tuesdays” program, whereby local restaurants share a percentage of the proceeds from takeout orders with St. John Paul the Great Academy, a Catholic elementary school. The restaurants, in turn, can benefit from increased takeout business.

“Crossroads Magazine is all about telling good news stories and stories of faith and inspiration,” Collins said. When she heard about “Takeout Tuesdays,” she said, “I just thought it was a really great story to include as community members helping each other.”

With videographer Zach Wehner, Collins interviewed key players in the partnership, including the Rev. Emmanuel Ihemedu, pastor of St. John Paul the Great Parish; Edward Goad, principal; Gina Scherbner, organizer of “Takeout Tuesdays”; Susan Cook, chair of the St. John Paul the Great Academy School Board; and local restaurant owners at Anthony’s in Torrington, DiFranco’s and Da Capo in Litchfield, and Edison Grill in Harwinton.

“I happen to believe that for the school to survive, we need the whole community,” Ihemedu said, during his interview with Crossroads Magazine. “We need the local businesses to buy into it. Our children are the future of the town. They are the future of the parish.”

Goad said, “This is a way for our students and the academy to give back to local restaurants, local establishments,” Goad said.

“They’re very hard hit by the pandemic, and we want to try to support them in any way possible.”

The segment is scheduled to air on May 9 at about 10:40 a.m. on WCCT-20 and WCTX-9.

Participating restaurants in May include: May 4: Pizza Palace, 7 Griswold St., Torrington, 860-482-3006, facebook.com/pizzapalacect; May 11: Bohemian Pizza and Tacos, 342 Bantam Road, Litchfield, 860-567-3980, bohemianpizzaandtacos.com; May 18: Da Capo Ristorante Italiano, 625 Torrington Road, Litchfield, 860-482-6246, dacapolitchfield.com; May 25 (Wednesday): Edison Grill, 178 Birge Park Road, Harwinton, 860-485-1401, edisongrill.com.

May’s Takeout Tuesdays are sponsored by Blondin Law Office LLC and Mulberry Electrical Contractors LLC.

For more information, call the restaurants or St. John Paul the Great Academy at 860-489-4177.