The Big Smoke, an event being cooked up by members of the North Central Serra Club of North Dakota as a benefit for seminarians, women religious, and others in religious formation, is scheduled for July 10 at St. John the Apostle Catholic Church in Minot. It will feature four priests and a deacon vying in competition with one another as they smoke ribs, brisket, and pulled pork. A group of selected seminarians will serve as judges for the best “smoker.”

Activities get under way at 5:30 pm with the celebration of Mass by Most Rev. David Kagan, Bishop of the Bismarck Diocese. A social hour with bidding on silent auction items will follow as the cooks proceed with smoking their meat. The cook/contestants are Rev. Adam Maus, pastor of Catholic churches at Mohall, Sherwood, and Lansford, and chaplain of the Serra Club, Rev. Justin Waltz, pastor of St. Leo the Great Catholic Church in Minot, Rev. David Richter, pastor of St. John the Apostle, Rev. Corey Nelson, pastor of the Church of St. Anne, Bismarck, and Deacon Charles Kramer of Minot.

The seed for The Big Smoke was planted by Father Maus. Club members pounced on it and promise a fun event that serves a purpose. Rev. Joshua Waltz of Bismarck, vocation director for the diocese, will accompany more than twenty seminarians to Minot to participate. Longtime musicians-Marcy and John Witteman, Pat Schwan and Joseph Alme, all of Minot, and Pat Connole, Mohall-have organized as “Brass With Class” to perform during the event.

Michael Ruelle, club president, will welcome guests to The Big Smoke. He has arranged for a traveling trophy to be awarded the winner. Designed in wood by All American Trophy of Minot, its features include the Serra logo. It is two feet wide and 18 inches high.

A limit of 250 tickets at a cost of $35 per ticket are being sold for the event. Club members will be available with tickets at Minot Catholic churches over the weekend. People may also contact Corey Bohlig at 839-0247 or 509-7877 for ticket information.