BATH BEACH — As the New Testament tells it, the Last Supper was about much more than the consumption of bread and wine. It was also about the deep love Jesus Christ had for the apostles. 

It was in that spirit of love and friendship that parishioners of Most Precious Blood-Sts. Simon and Jude Parish in Bath Beach gathered on Tuesday, March 5, to pray together and break bread just as Jesus and the apostles did 2,000 years ago.

In what has become a popular tradition at Most Precious Blood-Sts. Simon and Jude Parish, the participants — all of whom are active in the various ministries and prayer groups in the parish — get together at Most Precious Blood on the first Tuesday of each month for a gathering called the Lord’s Day Supper.

At the suppers, Father John Maduri, the pastor, always reads the Gospel and leads a prayer and a discussion before everyone sits down to enjoy a tasty meal. On this Tuesday evening, it was pasta with meat sauce, broccoli salad, and baked ham catered from a local deli.

And since the March 5 gathering was the last one that would take place before Easter, the Last Supper was on the minds of many of those present. The next Lord’s Day Supper is scheduled for April 2, two days after Easter.

“Jesus and the apostles broke bread and that’s what we’re doing here,” said Rosemarie Principe, who sings in the choir. “Being here with all of these wonderful people gives me a real sense of being part of a Catholic community.”

Lynn Maldonado, a member of Women of Grace, the parish’s women’s group, said she eagerly looks forward to the Lord’s Day Supper each month. “I get so much out of it, spiritually,” she said. When asked if it brings her closer to her Catholic faith, she answered, “Absolutely!”

Maldonado added that the fact that it was the final gathering before Easter, made her think more about the meaning of Lent and Holy Week. “Jesus loved his disciples and being in this room, you can feel his love for us,” she added.

Francis X. O’Shaughnessy, who has been a parishioner of Most Precious Blood for 40 years, enjoys getting together with fellow parishioners. “It makes us feel more like a family. You sit around a table and you share a meal. That’s what families do,” said O’Shaughnessy, who is a lector at Sunday Masses.

Father Maduri, who started holding Lord’s Day Supper gatherings at Most Precious Blood 11 years ago, said he got the idea from spending time at Franciscan University of Steubenville, Ohio, where he saw students organize meals in which faith was served along with the food. “I thought it was a good idea so I started doing it here,” he recalled.

The Lord’s Day Suppers have grown from a small handful of parishioners who came to the first one 11 years ago to now when a group of 20-30 people faithfully show up every month. Father Maduri said he thinks he knows the reason why. “People are hungry for fellowship,” he explained.

The participants include choir members, lectors, ushers, Eucharistic ministers, and members of different prayer groups within the parish.

“We learn from each other by sharing our experiences,” said Eileen Clemente, a member of the choir.

While Father Maduri leads the discussion, he said one of the best things about the suppers is that they provide an opportunity for the parishioners to inspire each other. 

“And I think something like this makes the church friendly and approachable because it’s so informal,” he added.