MCHENRY – Tightly holding a large waterlogged sponge in his fist, 9-year-old Isaac Fike wound up like Orioles pitcher Erik Bedard and launched the soggy missile towards its target. As other children squealed with delight, Isaac hit his mark on his first try – smack in the face of Father Donald Parson, pastor of St. Peter the Apostle in Oakland.
“If you want to go to heaven you’ll stop it,” shouted a smiling Father Parson, his soaked face poking through a cutout hole in a plywood angel figure topped with a halo.
Father Michael Triplett, a newly ordained priest recently assigned to the parishes of Western Maryland, quickly jumped to Isaac’s defense.
“Don’t worry,” he said with a laugh. “I’ll forgive you!”
When it was his turn to get drenched, Father Triplett sang a different tune, sticking out his tongue at his tormentors and shouting, “I’m the one who’s supposed to do the baptizing!”
The “plaster our pastor” game was one of the most popular events at the St. Peter parish picnic, held July 8 at the Garrett County Fairgrounds near Deep Creek Lake.
More than 200 people attended the annual outdoor extravaganza, which began with a Mass and later featured homemade cooking, sack races, roving clowns, visits to a petting zoo and plenty of games.
The free picnic was sponsored by the parish, with the Knights of Columbus providing the beef and the Catholic Daughters donating desserts.
Joe Schultz, a member of the Knights of Columbus, cooked more than 100 pounds of pit beef that was quickly gobbled up on sandwiches topped with everything from onions to barbeque sauce.
Asked the secret to his popular beef, Mr. Schultz took a puff on his pipe and smiled.
“Now if I told you, you’d have to forfeit your life,” he said with a laugh.
Pressed further, Mr. Schultz admitted that Worcester and soy sauces are among his secret ingredients.
“I won’t say anything more,” said Mr. Schultz, wearing an apron emblazoned with “Schultz’s Pit Beef.”
Joan Schultz, Mr. Schultz’s wife, was in charge of preparing all the side salads. With the help of five volunteers, she whipped up nine pounds of macaroni salad, 30 pounds of potato salad and 25 pounds of coleslaw. She did everything from scratch – shredding cabbage, boiling potatoes, mixing the ingredients and adding secret spices.
“I feel like all the work was worth it,” said Mrs. Schultz as she surveyed parishioners seated at picnic tables munching on her culinary creations.
“I do it because I like to see people enjoying themselves,” she said.
Connie Tomlin, whose 11-day-old grandson was probably the youngest person in attendance, said the picnic is one of the biggest events for her parish.
“It’s great being here in God’s country,” said Ms. Tomlin, noting that the cool breezes blowing across the fairgrounds were coming in off Deep Creek Lake where vacationers enjoyed boating and fishing.
“It’s so much fun,” she said.
The picnic culminated in a pie-eating contest that attracted 10 contestants including Father Triplett. Wearing shower caps and garbage bags, the hungry competitors buried their faces in blueberry, apple and strawberry pies in a furious race to eat as much as they could in 60 seconds.
Katelynn Hanek, a 13-year-old parishioner, dethroned the reigning pie-eating champion of four years running.
“You just have to smash your face into it,” said Katelynn, her cheeks and mouth stained in a deep purple following her victory.
Father Parson said the picnic has been a parish tradition for at least 14 years.
“People love to get together and enjoy the camaraderie,” he said. “We have lots of friends and family who visit from out of town.”
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