Friday Fish Fry season opens today

Feb. 16—With the observance of Ash Wednesday this week, Lent — the 40-day season of prayer, fasting and almsgiving — has begun for Christians. It's a period of preparation to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ at Easter.

The Lenten season also means the return of Friday public fish fry dinners around the region by area churches — and a few volunteer fire departments.

With Jesus' death on a Friday, fasting began on Fridays by early Christians to honors Christ's sacrifice.

Under early Christian teaching, fasting meant abstaining from eating the flesh of warm-blooded animals. Fish, which are cold-blooded, were considered acceptable to eat on fasting days.

In the 590s, Pope Gregory, who later became St. Gregory the Great, wrote to St. Augustine of Canterbury: "We abstain from flesh, meat, and from all things that come from flesh, as milk, cheese, and eggs."

According to Christian teachings, Friday is the day God created animals.

As the cross became a Christian symbol of Christ's sacrifice in saving humans from eternal death, abstaining from meat on Friday became a symbolic "stay of execution" for cows, pigs and sheep in early Christianity.

Lenten dinners at the Epiphany of the Lord Parish of Meadville not only serve meals to the public, but lessons in service to others, according to Jesse Sipos, who coordinates the dinners.

"We get the youth at Seton School involved in helping with the dinners," Sipos said of the parish's school for kindergarten through eighth grade. "The older students have to do a certain number of volunteer hours. This helps them meet the requirement."

It takes about 40 people each week to help with the weekly Lenten dinner, according to Sipos.

The kitchen and dining area at St. Brigid's social hall off Arch Street is a flurry of activity each Friday as 350 to 400 meals are served.

"When we have 400 dinners, it's a good night for us," Sipos said. "When the weather is nice on Fridays, the crowds are bigger."

There is a core group of 10 people in the kitchen cooking while there another 20 people each week who sign up to volunteer as wait staff — shuttling meals out to people in the dining area or to those picking up take-out dinners. Another 10 people are assigned to clean up — from dishwashing to general tidying during and after the dinner.

The Lenten meals serve as a fundraiser for the churches as well as other nonprofits such as volunteer fire departments and civic organizations that hold them.

Spartansburg Volunteer Fire Department in northeastern Crawford County started its Lenten fish dinners around 2007 as a way to help pay for its then-newly built fire station, according to Nicole Thompson, the department's secretary.

"We'll do about 500 dinners a week," she said.

That total equates to roughly 25 percent of the immediate Spartansburg-area population. Spartanburg is a borough of about 275 people and there are about 1,900 people in surrounding Sparta Township.

"We have a wonderful community," Thompson said. "We get people coming from all over the area who really come out and support us."

Public fish fry dinners held Fridays during Lent, as reported to The Meadville Tribune, include:

—Cambridge Springs/Edinboro Knights of Columbus — Fridays drive-thru only from 4:30 p.m. until sold out, at Our Lady of the Lake Social Center, 128 Sunset Drive, Edinboro. Cost is $12.

—Epiphany of the Lord Parish — Fridays, 4:30-6:30 p.m., St. Brigid social hall, 383 Arch St. Cost is $12 for adults and $5 for children age 5 to 12; macaroni and cheese and grilled cheese dinners are $8. Dine-in or take-out.

—St. Philip Parish — Fridays, 4-7 p.m., parish hall, 401 S. Mercer St., Linesville. Cost is $14. Dine-in or take-out. Orders can be placed Fridays after 2 p.m. by calling (814) 683-4275.

—Spartansburg Volunteer Fire Department — Fridays, 4-7 p.m., 330 Main St. Cost is $14 adult and $7 children; chicken dinners are $12 for adults and $6 for children. Dine-in or take-out. Call in orders at (814) 654-7222.

—Titusville Elks Lodge — Fridays, 4-7 p.m., 334 W. Central Ave. Cost is $12 dine-in, $12.50 take-out or delivery. Shrimp dinners, $10 dine-in, $10.50 take-out or delivery. Call (814) 827-7721 for take-out or delivery.

—West Mead 2 Volunteer Fire Department — Fridays, 5-8 p.m., social hall, 20607 Ryan Road. Cost is $13. Alternate dinner option available. Dine-in or take-out.

Keith Gushard can be reached at (814) 724-6370 or by email at kgushard@meadvilletribune.com.

Keith Gushard can be reached at (814) 724-6370 or by email at kgushard@meadvilletribune.com.