Friday evening fish fries during Lent have become a staple for many Catholic parishes.
A VOLUNTEER READIES DINNER FOR GUESTS OF SAN ANTONIO DE PADUA CATHOLIC CHURCH’S LENTEN FISH FRY.
It all started prior to the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965), convened by Pope John XXIII, when the Church had in place various and rather rigorous fasting and abstinence requirements, including the refraining from eating meat on all Fridays, based upon Scripture.
There were a large number of immigrants from Poland, Germany and other Central European counties that migrated to the Midwest of the United States in the 19th Century. Because of the proximity to the Great Lakes and a number of other freshwater lakes, eating fish became an alternative to meatless Fridays.
With that, the Lenten Fish Fry was born.
Over time, these Midwesterners began to disperse and settle in other parts of the county, notably in the south and southwestern regions of the United States.
And with them, they brought along the tradition of Lenten Fish Fries.
After the completion of the Second Vatican Council, some of the former fasting and abstinence restrictions were loosened. But both were still mandated for Ash Wednesday and Good Friday and abstinence still required on all Fridays of Lent.
On the menu is usually a selection of fried fish, shrimp, or even salmon accompanied by sides such as French fries, coleslaw, salads or macaroni and cheese. And, influenced by the Hispanic community in Southern California, some local fish fries even feature fish tacos on the menu.
A VOLUNTEER SERVES DINNER TO GUESTS OF SAN ANTONIO DE PADUA CATHOLIC CHURCH’S RECENT LENTEN FISH FRY.
Some Lenten fish fries are held at Knights of Columbus clubs, but mostly at local church parish halls either alone or with other service organizations. Depending on the venue, there might be several dozen people to as many as 200 or 300 attendees.
The fish fries serve to bring the parish family together and build community.
Furthermore, the monies raised at the Knights of Columbus sponsored fish fries benefit community initiatives and other local service projects.
During a recent Lenten Fish Fry at San Antonio de Padua Catholic Church in Anaheim Hills, Knights of Columbus Council #9195 Past Grand Knight Mark Thornburg explained, “The proceeds go to the Council donations account and are further distributed to organizations that assist the homeless, right to life homes, mothers and young babies as well as parishioners that may have fallen on hard times.”
The success of the fish fries is dependent upon a team of volunteers who purchase the food, set up the parish hall, cook and serve guests and do the after-event cleanup.
Alexis Gabbour, 16, a parishioner at San Antonio de Padua, was one of those 35 volunteers at the first fish fry of this Lenten season.
“I’ve been going here since I was a little kid,” Gabbour said. “It’s a good way to get close to other people and it helps other people who need help. I’ll keep doing this for years to come!”
On a side note, it has been reported that Catholics are responsible, at least in part, for McDonald’s Filet-O Fish sandwich — a very unusually popular menu item at a fast-food restaurant known for its burgers.
When franchise owner Lou Groen opened the first McDonald’s in the Cincinnati area in 1959, a majority of the people in the area were Catholic.
Although his new restaurant was an immediate success, he noticed that on Fridays his sales dropped significantly.
Why? Perhaps it was because of the Catholic Church’s restriction about eating meat on Fridays.
Groen introduced the Filet-O-Fish sandwich in 1962. Fast forward to the present day, over 300 million Filet O-Fish sandwiches are reportedly sold each year and nearly a quarter of all of McDonald’s sales of Filet- O-Fish sandwiches are during Lent.
Check with your local parish or Knights of Columbus council for the schedule of local Lenten Fish Fries.