Fish fry Fridays during Lent draw me to my NOLA faith

One of the many things I miss most about not living in a predominantly Catholic city is the Lenten fish fry. 

There’s nothing better than the crispy crunch of fried catfish alongside my personal favorite sides of macaroni and cheese and fries. True comfort food!

In the nine years that I lived in St. Louis, you could tell Lent was around the corner. There were signs for Lenten fries posted in almost every neighborhood, alerting everyone to the community feast.

On Fridays, you would see lines of people extending out past the cafeteria or parish center doors into the parking lots or even the streets, depending on the architectural layout of the buildings. I remember my husband getting home from work early just so we could get in line and wait … and hope that the fish wouldn’t run out!

Here, in Montgomery, Alabama, with only a handful of Catholic churches, that anticipation is minimized. There seems to be a rotation of Catholic churches offering fish fries or, more likely, seafood restaurants offering Lenten specials. 

Friday fish dinners have become a tradition among Catholic and Christian communities. Why? Aside from the deliciousness of freshly fried fish, the fish fry is a way to bring people together. 

There’s a reason why parenting guides emphasize the importance of eating together as a family: It forges bonds of affection and instills a sense of trust. The same is true with these communal “dinners.” We build the bonds of trust and love within our church community, just as we find in the biblical repetition of communal meals – the Last Supper or Jesus’ miracle of feeding the crowds with two fish and five loaves of bread.

This year will undoubtedly mark a change in our traditional Fish Fry Fridays. While many churches in the New Orleans archdiocese have opted to continue the tradition, most are offering the socially distanced options of drive-thrus or pick-ups. 

And, even though distancing may seem as though it keeps people apart, perhaps in this year’s pick-up dinner, we can find fellowship with the individuals who prepared our meals, making the dinner prep for one night an easy option. 

Perhaps we can give thanks for the sacrifices of those volunteers and their dedication to keeping the tradition of communal gathering alive, in the midst of a terrible year of distancing. 

And, perhaps we can recall the importance of community – of individuals coming together over a shared bond of food and nourishment – and relish the Fridays of years past, while anticipating the Fridays to come.

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