A Summer Tradition Comes to Christmas: St. Peter’s Italian Cookies in Portland Now Available to Order

PORTLAND---Each August, volunteers gather in the kitchen and hall at St. Peter Church on Federal Street in Portland and bake, decorate, and package over 7,000 Italian cookies for the St. Peter’s Italian Bazaar. This year, that joyous, wafting aroma will fill the air during Advent as well.

The St. Peter’s Sacred Heart Sodality is taking pre-orders for Italian cookie gift boxes that will be available for pickup on December 17-18 before and after Masses at the church (Saturday evening at 5:15 p.m. and Sunday morning at 9 a.m.).

Each gift box will feature an assortment of anise-drop cookies, lemon-drop cookies, biscotti, filled cookies, and chocolates. The cost for each box is $25. A la carte offerings will also be available: pizzelles (six for $5) and cannoli ($4 each).

“They are great for gifting or enjoying over the holidays with family,” said Nancy Taliento-Goodwin, who has been a parishioner at St. Peter for over 60 years. “They can also be frozen for future enjoyment.”

To pre-order, contact Nancy at 207-773-8852 or [email protected]. The bakers ask that orders be placed by Wednesday, December 7.

The St. Peter’s Sacred Heart Sodality is celebrating 97 years of service and spirituality this year. The sodality promises devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and, united in faith, it strives to provide support to those most in need. Over the decades, the group has helped countless organizations through monetary donations and volunteer hours, including Good Shepherd Food Bank, St. Vincent de Paul Soup Kitchen, Preble Street Resource Center, Ronald McDonald House, Catholic schools, Catholic Charities Maine, and many others. In addition, members visit the sick and shut-ins of the parish, sharing the gifts of love received from the heart of Jesus.