Let’s face it: Lent can be kind of a downer. It’s a long season of sacrifice and self-denial.
However, many regular Catholics find a silver lining during this otherwise gloomy time in the annual tradition of parish fish fries.
They’re fun! They raise money for the ministries of the Church. The food is tasty, and every parish adds its own unique twist.
With all this food and fun and money, you might think that we’ve come a long way from the “reason for the season,” but I see it differently. While it certainly should never descend into gluttony and debauchery, the well-appointed fish fry is a great way to cultivate some important virtues and Christian ideals: community, evangelization and joy.
Community. While our primary form of Christian community is the Body of Christ gathered in the eucharistic celebration, there are other important ways of fostering community outside of the church building. Pulling together an event like the fish fry takes a lot of teamwork and the deployment of particular talents and volunteerism within the parish.
It’s a way of building relationships, getting out of the house and being present to one another. We all need to shake off our winter cabin fever. Loneliness is a serious plague in our communities. It’s hard to make new friends and perhaps even harder to find the time to connect with ones we already have.
Evangelization. Paradoxically, there are always a lot of outsiders who show up to the community event. Notice them. Talk to them. I know a lot of non-believers who will seemingly give up their atheism during Lent for the sake of fish fries.
These are opportunities for evangelization. Conversion doesn’t happen overnight, but making someone feel like part of the community is a good first step. It would be great to couple the fish fry with some liturgical or devotional or catechetical event before or after, such as the Stations of the Cross, a parish mission talk, eucharistic adoration or Mass. You never know who might wander over or linger around for such things.
Joy. The traditional Lenten practices of fasting, abstinence, prayer and almsgiving need not be gloomy. In fact, if we recall the readings from Ash Wednesday, they really shouldn’t be. We ought to wash up, put on our good clothes and go out into the world without complaining about our penance.
The purpose of sacrifice is to point us to better things, like generosity, mercy and joy. There is no need to fast from fun during Lent. In fact, we should embrace the simple joys of gathering together and sharing a meal and good fellowship.
If you are surprised to see a liturgy column about fish fries, don’t be. These are true rituals of parish life. They have designated times and spaces, codes of conduct, honored traditions and ministerial roles. I encourage you to take up this venerable practice with great zeal and help foster community, evangelization and joy in your parish.
