“Joy. Laetitia. That is what I am serving.”

Baltimore-based priest, chef and author, Fr. Leo Patalinghug, has been adding spice to the World Meeting of Families through his cooking catecheses.

His ministry, Plating Grace, is a movement to bring families back to the dinner table to share a delicious meal together, communicate and love another.

“At the dinner table, the greatest lessons in life are learned,” said Patalinghug. “Make sure you know the faith well enough to digest it and serve to your children.”

He explained that statistics have shown that a regular family meal reduces drug addiction, teen pregnancy and suicide, as well as improving children’s school test scores.

Growing up in a strong Filipino household, Patalinghug’s family was “faithful to the table” and gained his faith by experiencing it with his family and “practicing imperfectly.”

“My mom and dad didn’t force feed me but created opportunities to nourish my soul,” Patalinghug told the Register.

After a college conversion and classes at the Cordon Bleu Culinary School in Perugia, Italy, he followed God’s will to pursue the priesthood, cooking for his fellow seminarians along the way.

Combining his hobby with his passion to spread the message of joy, Patalinghug speaks and cooks at several events, offers culinary pilgrimages, started a NGO, hosts a podcast and an EWTN cooking TV show. Today, he has written three books and has 17 thousand followers on Twitter.

When asked how he doesn’t get caught up in social media brands, he said it never crosses his mind because he doesn’t care.

“I’m here to serve. I don’t compromise my priesthood,” Patalinghug said. “But not every priest should be on social media.”

Amongst the perpetual laughter from grandparents, parents, teens and children, Patalinghug’s main goal is to give families the chance to celebrate faith and enjoy themselves.

“We have forgotten how to celebrate, and [the Church] has been removed from the culture,” said Patalinghug. “Evangelization comes before catechesis.”

Through a time of “hatred” in the Church, Patalinghug says to get rid of the drama.

“Faith is not limited to emotions but ongoing relationships,” he said. “Carrying the cross leads to conversion and is a sign of hope. So, pick up the Cross and go.”

The missing ingredients he suggests to strengthen the faith and trust is the need for personal examination of conscience and the Church to humanize, to be “willing to dialogue opposed to dictate.”

One way to dialogue is through the dinner table — Mass. However, Patalinghug admits that Mass is boring when you don’t go hungry and therefore, not wanting to participate.

“Have an appetizer. Look at the readings before Mass and see what the priest is serving that day.”

As a teacher of homiletics, the art of preaching homilies, Patalinghug explained that priests should be able to summarize a homily in one, bite-sized message: Love.

And that’s exactly what the families left with after trying Patalinghug’s penne pasta he prepared during his workshop.

“Amazing. He made it easier to understand because that’s kind of what I struggle with sometimes, understanding priests and their religious language,” said Ivanna Mag-aso, 14, from Ireland.

Pope Francis arrives in Dublin tomorrow morning, Aug. 24, with families, clergy, scholars and journalists filled from three days of workshops, discussions and prayers on love, conflict and hope.