Angling for Charity

Angling for Charity

Saints Peter and Paul Knights hoping to reel in residents for Friday Fish Fry Dinners

 
February 21, 2023, Naperville, Illinois—Along with a myriad of other social and spiritual events that were cancelled during the COVID-19 pandemic, the beloved Fish Fry Dinners at Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church—ubiquitous to all who observe meat-free meals during Lent—were largely cancelled from 2020 to 2022. The fishy smells and friendly sounds unique to the casual Friday-night tradition were a great loss to hundreds of local residents—who likely missed the camaraderie as much as the cuisine. But in 2023, the Fish Fry Dinners are back, as members of the Knights of Columbus #1369 can cast their nets and dust off their fryers once again, in fraternity and philanthropy.
 
Fish Fry Chair Tom “Buck” Rogers says the Knights have been running these dinners since 2014, except for the last two years. “Making sure you have staff and volunteers is the hardest part,” says Rogers, who got his nickname from a teacher at Marmion High School. “But once people commit to doing it, everyone has fun.” Each Fish Fry requires 36 adult and 36 student volunteers to run a normal Friday night event, producing an average of 400 meals per week.
 
The 2023 menu includes a six-piece jumbo shrimp dinner ($13), a whitefish dinner ($13), and a cheese pizza meal ($6), with discounts for seniors ($11) and kids 12 and under ($10). Dinners include French fries, a roll, house-made coleslaw, and a cookie; pizza meals include a juice box and cookie. Premium beer and wine ($5), domestic beer ($3), and nonalcoholic beverages can be purchased separately. “You can always buy more pizza or fries,” says Rogers, “but the fish is all-you-can-eat.”
 
Fish Fry Dinners will be held from 5 to 9 p.m. (the kitchen closes at 8 p.m.) each Friday during Lent, starting Friday, February 24, and ending Friday, March 31. Free parking is available at all church and school parking lots, and no reservations are necessary.
 
Although carry-out meals are available, the atmosphere in Saints Peter and Paul’s Ministry Center Social Hall (36 N. Ellsworth Street, Naperville) is friendly and fun, as youth volunteers serve guests as they sip beverages and wait for meals to be delivered, restaurant-style.
 
“Students are waiting in lines, not the patrons,” says Rogers. “We train all the volunteers, and they are really part of what the attraction is—some kids even get tips,” says Rogers. “We encourage them to do something good with the money, because it’s really about service.”
 
Proceeds can vary, he says, due to costs and donations. “We are paying for the food products this year, but we were very fortunate to find beverage sponsors—Trinchero Family Estates and Goose Island Brewery—who are donating the premium beer and wine,” says Rogers.
 
Music and conversation fills the gathering space in the Ministry Center, punctuated by the occasional raffle prize announcement, which allows patrons to further contribute to several local charities, as all proceeds benefit a variety of organizations—including Special Olympics, Misericordia, Little Friends, Operation Support Our Troops, and Habitat for Humanity.
 
“This will be a great family-fun event for people,” says Rogers, “especially on St. Patrick’s Day this year, since it falls on a Friday.” He says that many Catholics even combine Lenten traditions on Friday nights, eating dinner and then doing a 14-step devotional in the church. “Stations of the Cross starts at 7 p.m., so many people do both. What a great evening—support the Fish Fry and then go to stations.”