If it’s Lent, a fish fry must be someplace near here, wherever “here” is. Each Lent for the past few years, Sue Huett, diocesan Office of Worship director and I have been sampling fish at a different location each week. We went to Nashville’s Knights of Columbus hall for fish, then to Sacred Heart in Du Quoin, where Bob Bittner has donated lots of ice cream to top off any dessert they have. Then it was on to Centralia where we saw Father Dale Maxfield who was taking his mother out for dinner at the fish fry. Last week we found spinach salads to go or eat in at Blessed Sacrament in Belleville. So many different places to sample and not enough Fridays to hit them all. We want not only to sample the fish but also to support parishes in their foray into the restaurant world.

To help you find a fish fry, the information listed here is what parishes sent to us. Please take the opportunity to sample the fish in your parish or take a ride to a neighboring one. The welcome mat is out at all of them. You can find fish frys at:
BELLEVILLE — St. Henry Men’s Club and the Ladies of St. Henry’s, March 25, 4-7:30 p.m., Msgr. Voss Parish Center, call Jerry Ahrens 398-5638.
BELLEVILLE — St. Mary Church, March 25, 4-7:30 p.m., St. Mary’s, 1722 West Main Street, call parish office 233-2391.
MURPHYSBORO — Knights of Columbus, March 25, 4:30-7 p.m., K of C Hall, call 687-3258.
NASHVILLE — Knights of Columbus of St. Ann Parish, March 25, 4:30-7 p.m., K of C Hall, 153 S. Kaskaskia St.
NEW ATHENS — St. Agatha Church, March 25, 4-7 p.m., parish center, call in orders 475-3579.
NEW BADEN — Youth Group of St. George Parish, Good Friday, March 25, 4-7 p.m., St. George Community Life Center, call Kassie Hund 588-4323.
RENAULT — Our Lady of Good Counsel, every Friday during Lent, 4:30-8 p.m., call parish office 458-7710.
WEST FRANKFORT — St. John the Baptist Church, March 25, 4-7 p.m., K of C Hall, call 937-1844 for carry outs.