At least one parish fish fry in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis serves deep-fried “jumbo, butterfly, breaded shrimp.” But according to two parishioners involved with the annual Lenten event, it also offers a sense of community.
The shrimp fry attracts both parishioners and members of the community who may not be practicing Catholics, said Dave Wilson, a parishioner of Our Lady of the Lake in Mound who volunteers with the annual shrimp fry. “It brings them into our parish, and they all sit down and break bread together, and they just talk and have a good time,” Wilson said. “And it seems like when they’re under the protection of the parish and the Holy Spirit, they leave all their troubles behind and they just enjoy themselves. And it’s so wonderful to see.”
Wilson and fellow parishioner Nick Pickert, another parish shrimp fry volunteer, recently joined “Practicing Catholic” radio show host Patrick Conley to discuss the annual Lenten event.
When parishioners serve shrimp dinners, Pickert said what he sees is “community.” Sometimes he gets caught up in talking with attendees in the middle of doing his shrimp fry duties because “it’s just fun to talk to people and learn about different things that’s going on in their lives and how we can help each other,” he said.
“… you hear stories from those who come from far and wide and what brings them in,” Wilson said. “So everybody usually leaves with a smile on their face.”
The last Lenten shrimp fry at Our Lady of the Lake this year is 4:30-7 p.m. March 31, followed by Stations of the Cross. The cost is $15 for adults (six shrimp), $13 for seniors, $6 for children (three shrimp) with baked potato or fries, coleslaw, applesauce, cookies and beverage; those under age 5 are served macaroni and cheese with a cookie and drink for $1.
The parish tries to make it very affordable, Wilson said, “because community is why we do this.” “We raise money to support our school and our parish and those in need, but it’s really gathering the flock.”
Attendees are encouraged to bring a donation for the Westonka food shelf, associated with the parish, and located across the parking lot, Wilson said. “There’s a great need out there, and this is just an important way for us to give back and be a part of our community in helping those that are in need,” he said.
To hear the full interview, listen to this episode of “Practicing Catholic,” which debuts at 9 p.m. March 24 on Relevant Radio 1330 AM and repeats at 1 p.m. March 25 and 2 p.m. March 26. View the archdiocese’s annual fish fry guide at www.thecatholicspirit.com/nomeat.
Produced by Relevant Radio and the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, the latest show also includes an interview with Archbishop Bernard Hebda of St. Paul and Minneapolis, who describes the April 11 ordination of Bishop-elect Michael Izen and the bishop-elect’s gifts; and in a separate interview, the archbishop and Anne Cullen Miller, president of the Catholic Community Foundation of Minnesota, discuss the foundation’s contributions the past 30 years.
Listen to interviews after they have aired at PracticingCatholicShow.com or choose a streaming platform at https://anchor.fm/practicing-catholic-show.
