Photo by courtesyPhoto Father Leo at Mount St. Mary's before Bobby Flay appeared for the Throwdown Challenge.

Fr. Leo was challenged to a throwdown with Food Network's popular chef Bobby Flay in a June surprise taping of an episode of "Throwdown! With Bobby Flay," which will air tonight at 9 p.m. on Food Network.

Fr. Leo is the founder of the Grace Before Meals, a movement that resulted in a cookbook and a blog of the same name. The movement encourages families to eat dinner together at least four to five times per week, talk to each other and stay involved in each other's lives while giving thanks to God.

The priest wasn't sure how he was chosen for the challenge -- all he knew was that the network wanted to do a feature on Grace Before Meals, and he obliged.

Going to great lengths to keep this a secret until the last moment, the Food Network had set up for filming at the home of Mount St. Mary's president Thomas Powell.

Fr. Leo is the director of field education for Mount St. Mary's University in Emmitsburg .

Irene Powell, wife of the president, said filming began the night before at Powell's home for what was thought to be a feature on Fr. Leo's Grace Before Meals movement. The priest was filmed cooking and serving dinner to a family while the cameras were rolling.

On the day of the throwdown, Fr. Leo was doing a cooking demonstration on camera before a group of invited guests. "No one understood why the Food Network would be filming that," Powell said. Despite their contrived reason, the network had everyone sign agreements as they arrived that they would not discuss this event with anyone. Once the formalities were in order, Fr. Leo began his presentation.

"Then as if through the parting of the red seas, Bobby Flay squirms his way to the front," Powell said. The operation shut down at this point for about 15 minutes so the crew could set up additional tables, pre-lit grills and everything else needed for the throwdown.

Powell said that before the actual contest began, she looked over to Fr. Leo to see that he was holding his rosary beads. She thought, "he's calming himself for whatever decision is made."

As Fr. Leo recalls the moment when he saw Flay, he noted that there was an open area that separated him from the crowd. Through a side view, he noticed that there was someone standing, and thought, "I was wondering who's that guy standing over the line," he said.

"When I looked over, I think I said, 'Oh, good Jesus!' because it was so shocking," Fr. Leo said. A priest friend blessed him with the sign of the cross, and at that point he knew something odd was happening, he recalled.

"What in heaven are you doing here," Fr. Leo asked Flay. The Iron Chef said that he heard Fr. Leo was making fajitas, and then challenged him to a throwdown. "For a second, I thought, 'what if I said no?'," Fr. Leo said. Once faith kicked in, he said, "With God as my witness, I'm not afraid of you, Bobby Flay!"

With that, the action began off camera to prep both cooking areas.

Fr. Leo admits he wasn't sure why it was his fajitas that were chosen, as it is not a signature dish of the priest's. He said he likes to cook all types of dishes, as long as they are good, healthy, inexpensive and fun for the family. "I haven't won any awards for my cooking, but I have won over hearts and minds."

For the throwdown, Fr. Leo made his "fusion fajita" recipe. "It was right up my alley with bringing in different cultures," he said. Prior to the event he tested this recipe out with a number of seminarians, much to their delight. "And they are honest!" Fr. Leo added.

The actual cooking time between the two was about 30 to 40 minutes, but the overall filming took about three hours. Fr. Leo said there was plenty of friendly banter between he and Flay, or as the priest put it, there was "some smackdown words in the spirit of competition," he said with a laugh. "We were talking trash in the most holy sense of the word." Their banter was met with a lot of laughter from the crowd, he said.

Once everyone had been served, it was judgment time.

"During judging I pulled out my rosary beads, and so did others," Fr. Leo said. "Flay replied, 'Oh no, pulling out the beads. I'm done'," the priest said. The winner of the contest has been a closely guarded secret, but will be revealed during the show, which is set to air tonight at 9 p.m. onthe Food Network.

News-Post features editor Nancy Luse, known for her column "More Than A Meal," and cookbook of the same, was called on to be a judge.

Baltimore-based chef Bennie Gordon was also one of the judges for the throwdown. The Food Network was looking for a local chef to participate, and Gordon said he learned he was referred to the network by the National Restaurant Association because of his work with kids through his food business. Like all of the others, Gordon said he was "surprised that that was what I was doing." Gordon noted that the vibe of the event was fun, friendly and enlightening. He added that while Bobby Flay is a famous chef, it was Fr. Leo's presence that was notable and very nurturing.

The whole event was memorable for Gordon, right down to the weather that day. "The heavens opened up, then the heavens closed up," as the weather moved from sunny to rain, but the day ended with a rainbow.

In the end, the judging was a close call. Although they are bound not to reveal the winner until after the show airs, Gordon said that much had to do with which fajita dish each judge tried first. "If you eat one in front of the other, it will taste different," he said, adding that it was a close call.

Fr. Leo has no regrets for participating in the throwdown. "I'm glad I did it. I love to cook, and I love to cook for people." And now Fr. Leo can say that he cooked for an Iron Chef. He caught Flay as the chef was about to taste his fusion fajitas. Of course Fr. Leo couldn't resist saying, "Wait a second! You forgot to say grace before meals!"