4-Dozen Cap Set for Cathedral Pierogi Orders

Residents of Manchester can now place orders for frozen Polish food through Holy Trinity Cathedral, a move that shifts a long-standing holiday tradition to a digital format. The sale, which serves as the parish’s largest annual fundraiser, accepts orders until Friday, Dec. 4. Customers will pick up their purchases at the cathedral on Pearl Street on either Dec. 5 or Dec. 6.

The shift to a frozen food model began in 2021 after the pandemic disrupted previous in-person holiday fairs. Ray Pieczarka, the parish president, noted that the cathedral had previously held fairs where attendees bought fresh or frozen items in large quantities. He recalled that lines often extended out the door during those events, leading the parish to adopt the current digital order system to manage demand and logistics.

Almost all items in the sale are prepared by parishioners rather than purchased from commercial vendors. The menu includes pierogi in potato, cheese, and cabbage varieties, as well as gołąbki, which are stuffed cabbage leaves filled with meat, onions, and rice. The sale also features kapusta, a cabbage dish that serves as a vegetable side, and kielbasa. While the parish makes the pierogi, gołąbki, and kapusta in-house, the kielbasa is sourced externally.

Pieczarka emphasized the labor involved in producing the pierogi, describing a three-day process that includes making the dough and filling, cutting and filling the portions, pinching them closed, par-boiling, cooling, and wrapping them for freezing. Because of this intensive work, the parish has placed a limit of four dozen pierogi per order. This cap is designed to ensure that a wide range of customers can secure the product, rather than allowing a single order to exhaust the supply.

The revenue generated from the sale supports the cathedral’s operating budget and funds various outreach programs. These initiatives include the Good Samaritan program, which donates collected items to local charities on a monthly or near-monthly basis. Pieczarka stated that a donation to veterans is scheduled for the coming month, while other past contributions have gone to soup kitchens and food pantries.

The sale also serves a social function for the community. Pieczarka described the event as a dual-purpose activity that connects the parish to the larger Manchester area through food. He noted that while commercially made frozen Polish food is available, it does not compare to the homemade versions offered by the cathedral. This distinction is a key draw for fans of the cuisine.

For those interested in the preparation method, Pieczarka expressed a personal preference for pan-frying the pierogi with caramelized onions. However, he acknowledged that some fans prefer them boiled, and he is willing to eat them without the onions if necessary. The debate over the best cooking method remains a spirited topic among consumers of the dish.

Orders can be placed by contacting the rectory or by downloading an order form from the parish website at holytrinitypncc.org/downloads. Pickup is available on Saturday, Dec. 5, between 10 a.m. and noon, or after Mass on Sunday, Dec. 6. The cathedral is located at 166 Pearl Street, and inquiries can be directed to 668-5087.