Community Christmas dinner returning with sit-down dining

    After a drive-through only format in 2020 due to COVID-19, Imperial’s Community Christmas Dinner will return this year with sit-down dining.
    Fr. Lothar Gilde, pastor of St. Patrick Catholic Church, is overall chairman for this year’s meal to be served at St. Patrick’s Parish Hall at 740 Broadway.
    Serving will be from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Christmas Day, Saturday, Dec. 25.
    The annual Christmas dinner is coordinated by the Chase County Ministerial Association, and all member parishes help provide food for the community meal.
It provides a gathering for people who may not have an opportunity to have a Christmas meal or share a sit-down holiday dinner with others, or for others who just want to share some mutual camaraderie on Christmas.
    The menu will include turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, salads and dessert.
    As they have done in the past, Knights of Columbus members at St. Patrick’s will cook the turkeys and debone them for serving.
    Fr. Gilde said churches in the community will be receiving a list of specific food items their parish is asked to provide.
    If pastors do not receive that list by Dec. 11, he said to contact him at 402-432-6544.
    Each parish is also asked to provide some volunteers from their church to help the day of the meal. Others from the community are asked to volunteer, as well, he said.
    “Please consider volunteering on that day. Come early to cut pies, help serve or clean up,” Fr. Gilde said.
    Those who can volunteer are asked to call him at the above number.
    To-go meals will also be provided that day, Fr. Gilde said.
    Despite last year’s altered format, the drive-through dinner still provided more than 170 meals.