Recapping the 20 year history of 'Our Daily Bread'

by PAULA DEANGELIS
Thu, May 12th 2016 09:15 am
Daybreak TV Productions
Sister Bernadette O'Kulicz (left), FSSJ, and Sister Barbara Cirico, RSM, were the hosts of `Our Daily Bread` when it first aired 20 years ago. (Daybreak TV Productions)
Sister Bernadette O'Kulicz (left), FSSJ, and Sister Barbara Cirico, RSM, were the hosts of "Our Daily Bread" when it first aired 20 years ago. (Daybreak TV Productions)

The first episode of "Our Daily Bread" aired in 1996 and featured the St. Vincent de Paul dining room on Main Street in Buffalo. During that time, the show was hosted by two women religious: Sister Bernadette O'Kulicz, FSSJ; and Sister Barbara Cirico, RSM.

These two spirited women religious cooked in kitchens all over our diocese. They visited the Tuscarora Indian Reservation, St. Mary of the Angels Parish in Olean, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in Dunkirk, St. Mary's in Cattaraugus and many parishes in between.

Father Paul D. Seil stepped into the kitchen in 1999, hosting a few shows with Sister Barbara. They prepared dished like liver dumpling soup, stuffed Belgian endive, and chicken and rice casserole. In 2002, Sister Barbara handed the show over to Father Seil.

When "Our Daily Bread" began, it did not have a permanent set. The host and crew would travel to a parish and cook in the rectory kitchen. In 2003, the show was recorded in the kitchen at St. Lawrence Parish in Buffalo, where Father Seil was the pastor. In this kitchen he cooked with people from Canticle Farms, Campus Ministry at Alfred State College, Our Lady of Czestochowa Parish in North Tonawanda and many others who filled this kitchen with mouthwatering aromas.

During this time, Father Seil took a few trips out of his kitchen as well. He traveled to the Broadway Market, Wendell's Turkey Farm, Meals on Wheels and Stella Niagara Educational Institute. Father Seil and his guest covered topics such as St. Nicholas Day, food allergies, blessing of the animals, the sacraments, vocations, Passover and diabetic cooking.

When Father Seil became pastor at St. Bernadette Parish in Orchard Park, "Our Daily Bread" began recording in the Msgr. Nugent Conference Room, which contains a small community kitchen. In this space, we cooked with and learned about people and programs like Meatless Mondays, the Central City Practicum, the WAY program, foster grandparents, Camp Turner and Harvest House, just to name a few.

Twenty years later, "Our Daily Bread" is beginning to go full circle. Father Seil is once again out and about in the community cooking and learning about people and places that matter in our lives.  This season, Father Seil has cooked at the Little Portion Friary, Buffalo's waterfront area and Braymiller's Farmers Market.

"Our Daily Bread" first aired on WKBW-TV Ch. 7 and on Time Warner Cable. Then, thanks to CatholicTV (catholictv.com), based in Boston, Mass., "Our Daily Bread" airs in all 50 states. The most recent viewing source is through the Daybreak TV Productions YouTube Channel. Just click on the YouTube button at daybreaktv.org and, while you're there, click on the Facebook button to "like" us. "Our Daily Bread" also has a Tumblr page, paula-ourdailybread.tumblr.com.

Help us celebrate 20 years of programming. Tune in Saturday, May 14 at 5:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. (special air time this month) on WKBW-TV Ch. 7. This show will be about acceptance and the importance it plays in our world today. Father Seil will be talking to and cooking with Deacon Miguel Santos from Holy Cross Parish in Buffalo and Father Conrad Stachowiak from Resurrection Parish in Cheektowaga, home of the Catholic Deaf Apostolate.

As always, recipes can be found at www.odbtv.org. Thanks for 20 years of watching "Our Daily Bread."

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