By Sally Neel
Special to The PREVIEW
How better to kick off the solemn liturgical season of Lent than with a traditional Shrove Tuesday pancake supper?
The Men of St. Patrick’s will offer that opportunity on Tuesday, Feb. 12, from 5:30-7 p.m. in the church parish hall.
For only $2 per child and $5 for adults, you get all the pancakes you can eat along with tasty sausage and drinks.
“This is a fun family meal that kids and parents alike always enjoy,” said Fr. Doug Neel, rector of St. Patrick’s. “This is an opportunity to bring friends and enjoy a fun and tasty meal with a Mardi Gras atmosphere of festivity.”
Shrove Tuesday has long been celebrated in conjunction with the festival of Mardi Gras, “Fat Tuesday,” a time when Christians empty their larders of fat, milk and sugar in preparation for the season of Lent, a time of reflection and self-denial. The word “shrove” is the past tense of the word “shrive””meaning to confess and receive absolution for sin, a tradition of liturgical churches.
Shrove Tuesday, also known as “Pancake Day,” is celebrated in many countries around the world and is a favorite event in churches in the United States. The day is most famously celebrated in New Orleans at the festival of Mardi Gras with parades, bright colors, costumes and beads, along with somewhat bizarre regional traditions.
“Though St. Patrick’s pancake supper is considerably more subdued than the New Orleans celebration, we have fun, nonetheless. We hope that our friends in Pagosa will join us as we enjoy this day of festivity and delicious pancakes,” said Fr. Doug.
St. Patrick’s is located at 225 S. Pagosa Blvd. The public is invited to attend.
