Originally published at National Catholic Register
Jackie Melroy Shiring, a lifelong Catholic, shares how her faith journey intertwines with the simple act of preparing and sharing meals.
From the halls of Catholic schools to a life deeply rooted in faith, Jackie Melroy Shiring’s journey is one of devotion shaped by her upbringing. A native of New Jersey and a lifelong Catholic, Shiring reflects on how her formative years in Catholic education — including her time at St. Joseph College in Emmitsburg, Maryland, where she received a degree in Home Economics — have influenced every aspect of her life.
Jackie’s mom grew up in Paris, and as a young American wife, she learned to cook for her family from women’s magazines during the Great Depression. Jackie learned the basics from her, but food was not high on Jackie’s list of interests. Only after she married and began raising two children did she learn to pay attention to the nutritional and social value of feeding people. “I made a weekly menu — and still do — to make shopping easier,” she said. “Now in a retirement community, I make only two meals a week but still try to keep a nutritional balance.”
Soups, casseroles and baking are
