Steaming platters of bacon, eggs, beans, sausages, potatoes and pancakes filled the counter at the annual harvest breakfast at the Immaculate Conception Church in Bryson Sunday morning. Plates were filled by volunteers from the Catholic Women’s League (CWL) who were raising money for community initiatives and to support the church.
Sheila Racine, who has been the president of the organization for the last two years, said “when we have meals like this, we have enough of us girls that everybody just takes a job.”
“We plan what we each want to do. Somebody will cook the bacon, somebody will cook the sausage, someone will do the eggs, and Wayne will do the pancakes.”
Wayne Maloney’s buttermilk pancakes are well-known in the community. Over the course of the breakfast, multiple people made sure to inform THE EQUITY of this specialty menu item.
“He makes homemade buttermilk pancakes,” Margot Newberry said. “It’s his mother’s recipe.”
Newberry is one of the CWL’s longest-serving members. She joined the organization in 1960, making this her 64th year with the CWL.
The fall breakfast is one of two that happen each year, with the other one falling on Valentine’s Day weekend. Racine said that they always have a really good turnout since there aren’t many places to get breakfast on Sundays in the area.
“There’s no place for everybody to go and have breakfast after church,” Racine said. “There’s no restaurant open and where can you go for $10?”
They even take orders from local seniors who then have their breakfast delivered.
“We do a lot for the community and it makes us feel good that we’re out here supporting everyone that we can support,” Racine said. “There’s lots of places that we donate to all the time.”
Racine said that this year’s brunch fundraiser surpassed their expectations.
According to CWL member Marilyn Tanguay, there were over 100 breakfasts served, more than any other year.
When asked how long the CWL has been in operation, the two women weren’t able to give a specific date. But Newberry said she still has her mother-in-law’s card from when she was a part of it in 1940, making the organization at least 80 years old.
