In Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin, small traditions are bringing the community together in big ways. Located at 5681 N. Santa Monica Blvd., St. Monica parish offers a weekly Fish Fry during the Lenten season. Held on Friday nights, dinner is open to both parishioners and outside community. It serves as an opportunity for people to come together, while supporting the church’s mission.
Following 4:30 p.m. mass, everyone is invited to stay around for dinner. Attendees are encouraged to make their way down to Donovan Hall, which is the school’s cafeteria.
*This past Friday night, St. Monica’s had a great turnout. With around 125 attendees, families gathered together for a meal. Not only was dinner served, but there was also a bake sale, raffle, and games for kids. Several members of the congregation served as volunteers and the bake sale was staffed by students of the school.
“Most people from the mass did go, but I saw a lot of the neighborhood there and people who do not go to the school either. The fish was delicious and the kids had a ball,” said participant Joe O’Leary.
Catholics are encouraged to refrain from eating meat on Fridays in honor of the sacrifice made on Good Friday. During the season of Lent, this is further emphasized and that is the reason behind Friday fish frys in the community, explains volunteer Stacy O’Leary.
Although these events happen annually, St. Monica and their volunteers are always looking for ways to include new parishioners and community members. Advertising efforts are kept to small announcements and postings, but they are effective.
“One of the main things we do is we put it on our website, which gets a lot of traffic. We also put it in, a couple weeks before the event, into the bulletin,” says volunteer Beth Jones.
The event offers both a baked and breaded option of cod, with a choice of baked potato or french fries on the side. The plate also includes a serving of coleslaw, dinner roll and lemon wedge. For dessert, all are encouraged to visit the bake sale.
A Friday night fish fry may not be hard to find in Wisconsin, but it is more than a dinner for those at St. Monica. Every volunteer, community member and attendee who come together for these events are supporting each other in their own journeys. This tradition will live on for years to come, fostering support and engagement.
“We love hosting these events and they are one of the many things that make our parish so great,” says Jones.
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