Tony Ferrara
| (October 15, 2009, Monthly Fellowship Meeting) The evening’s spiritual nourishment included liturgical reading proclaimed by Tony Ferrara. |
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SCB Men of Manresa enjoy spiritual nourishment
Because physical nourishment is so often a part of SCB Men of Manresa activities, good food is often cited in jest as the reason this is such a popular men’s club. Our annual retreats at Manresa are graced with one sumptuous meal after another, and our monthly meetings always include a delicious meal prepared by one or more of our talented chefs...that is, until the ground-breaking evening of October 15,2009. Vroom! Vroom!
For the first time in memory, the Men of Manresa monthly meeting did not include a meal. The evening began - as it always does - with Mass and Rosary, but rather than concluding with dinner, the assembly instead attended a presentation on the Psalms. Amid doubt that “anyone might show up” and humorous speculation that some “might starve to death,” the evening was well-attended and without fatality. As Manresan wife Janell (Mrs. Alan) Weber and others commented prior to Mass, “We may not received physical nourishment here tonight but we will be spiritually nourished.” In retrospect, it is difficult to disagree...
The Lamb, June 2002
Quick, what's the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the name Tony Ferrara?
No, we're not talking about sleek Italian sports cars. But here's a clue: If you've seen the SCB Men of Manresa production of "The Story of Jesus" in any of the past several years, you know that he did a remarkable job portraying Christ. Or if you've been to the SCB parish fair, you've seen him volunteering his cooking skills, from start to finish, in one of the food booths. You have certainly heard him read the Word at one or more Masses, and you may have received the Eucharist from his hands. But there are lots of things about this family man, this business man, this fitness buff that you may not know. A Catholic father of three children - two grown - Tony Ferrara and his dear wife Debbie consider their Friday evening in the adoration chapel "a date with God," and are often joined in this and many other spiritual activities by their terrific teenage daughter Antoinette (Toni). A native of Philadelphia and a U.S. Air Force air traffic controller during the war in Vietnam, Tony is now an award-winning territory manager with Kinko's. Tony has been an active member of the Men of Manresa for around six or seven years. During that time, he has become a fixture for leading the rosary at the group's monthly meetings, and has cemented his reputation as a great local chef with some of his signature dishes, affectionately dubbed such titles as "Pasta Ferrara" and "Labor of Love Lasagna" by appreciative diners. Tony is a vital part of many other SCBMoM functions too. In stark contrast to the solemnity with which he portrays Jesus on Palm Sunday, each fall he comically dons a bright red tu-tu for the annual parish talent show. Every summer he generously prepares an Italian-Cajun dinner for 400 teens at the annual HEART camp, and year-round, he is one of the few SCBMoM members who never misses a monthly meeting or an annual retreat. Tony also played a vital role in getting this newsletter off the ground during its first year. But his personality, interests and activities do not stop there. Tony is a festive friend, a prayerful friend, a caring friend, a gracious friend - each when the time is right. He has been a sponsor in our parish's RCIA program, a member of the parish building committee, and a volunteer consultant for Junior Achievement at local schools. And if you saw the intensity with which he exercises and runs in local races, you would think he was much younger than the 56 years he freely admits to. God. Family. Business. Friendship. Community. Health. Hmmm...maybe they should name a sports car after him - if not an all-terrain vehicle.