The recent 4th Annual St. Joseph the Worker Dinner was the most successful one yet, according to Shelter Administrator Karolle Hughes. Hughes said the dinner "totally surpassed our ambitious goal of generating $25,000 for the Shelter." Almost final tallies put the amount raised through dinner sponsorships, tickets, silent auction proceeds, and donations at nearly $29,000. After expenses, the net proceeds for the Shelter will exceed $27,000. This amount is approximately double what the event raised in 2007, and will help St. Joseph Shelter continue providing emergency housing, food, case management and support services for homeless families and migrant farmworkers.
Givaudan, a Silverton company, and its president, Tim Root, were honored at the dinner with the St. Joseph the Worker Achievement Award. In accepting the award, Root said that the "real heroes" were the Benedictine Sisters, the Shelter staff and volunteers, and, especially, the Shelter residents who work so incredibly hard to turn their lives around and get back on their feet.
Hughes credited a number of different individuals and organizations for making the event so successful this year.
"We are extremely grateful to our sponsors for their support, especially Silverton Hospital, Randy Traeger and Traeger Industries, Larry Tokarski and Mountain West Investment Corporation, and Mr. and Mrs. Eric Jaroch. We also had 15 wonderful table sponsors, five local wineries donating wine, and in-kind donations from NORPAC, Safeway and Silverton Hospital."
The dinner committee was led by long-time event chairs Del and Nannett Haener, who have chaired or co-chaired all four benefit dinners.
St. Joseph Shelter was founded by the Benedictine Sisters of Mt. Angel in 1988. Over the past 20 years, the Shelter has provided over 750,000 nights of shelter, while also serving countless meals to thousands of people. The Shelter's Mission Benedict program distributes food boxes, clothing, household items, and emergency rent and utility assistance to hundreds of local families in need each year.
Glorious Garlic Wins Silver Medal in 2008 Worldwide Mustard Competition
Monastery Mustard again won Silver in the prestigious Worldwide Mustard Competition with our superb
Glorious Garlic flavor. This is the second time in three years that
Glorious Garlic was awarded the Silver Medal in the Garlic Mustard category at the competition, which is a part of the 15th Annual
Napa Valley Mustard Festival. Over 400 mustards from seven countries entered the competition.
Mustard chef and coordinator Sr. Terry Hall, OSB, said, "I think winning this Silver Medal is really exciting because it shows our product is right up there with the best mustards in the world. This award is definitely a validation of our vision for the mustard and the whole process of developing this business."
While Sr. Terry has been making the mustard for years, the product was just introduced to the public in the summer of 2005 when the Sisters began selling it at the Beaverton Farmers Market and Salem Public Market. The response was overwhelmingly positive and Monastery Mustard is now being sold at 75 different locations in 28 cities and towns in Oregon and 12 other states. It is also available online at
Monastery Mustard, as well as several other online catalogs and retail outlets.
Two new mustard flavors have been added in the past year.
Orange Cranberry is going to be a seasonal product that will be available during the late fall and winter, November - December. The
Jubilant Blueberry, which was introduced in 2006 for the Sisters' 125th Anniversary Celebration will also become a seasonal mustard, available during the late summer and early fall. Sr. Terry has also developed a
Deli Garlic Dill that has been very popular at the recent food and wine shows she has attended.
"Everywhere we go people are so enthused about the new flavors we have as well as the 'old favorites,'" Sr. Terry said. "We have been invited to more food and wine shows and our mustard seems to fit right in and go over very well with people. I am really looking forward to a great 2008 year for Monastery Mustard."
The standard flavors -
Divinely Original (Horseradish), Glorious Garlic, Heavenly Honey, Angelic Honey Garlic, Hallelujah Jalapeno, and
Devoutly Dill - remain available year-round online or at most of the retailers.
QAM Oblate Publishes Book
Queen of Angels Oblate Mary Jo Tyler recently published a book entitled Embracing Darkness. It is a moving account of Mary Jo's struggle with God while her son lay in a coma - the result of an auto accident caused by a drunk driver - for nearly four years. Painfully honest and probing, Embracing Darkness offers a great deal of insight and encouragement for anyone dealing with suffering and grief.
"As I struggle with my notions of God, I find meaning in the Biblical stories and my Christian tradition, but see them in a new way. I have also brought my perspective as an experienced spiritual director to this story of transformation through suffering, and the movement into solitude of the heart and the contemplative way", Mary Jo Tyler, from the preface.
The book is available at the Shalom Prayer Center Gift Shop.
