Story and photography by Michael Cooney | For On Mission
WINNECONNE — The scent of frying fish and the steady clatter of trays mark a longstanding Lenten tradition at St. Mary Parish, where volunteers continue to serve hundreds of meals over three Fridays during the season.
The center of the operation is Andy (Andrea) Krueger, faith formation coordinator, and Tanya Michalski, parishioner, who co-lead the organization of the parish’s fish fry. They are also aided by a committee of eight other parishioners who come together to make it happen every year.
“This goes way back,” Krueger said. “It started more than 60 years ago, way before my time.”
That timeline, beginning with parishioners who traveled to Lake Superior to net smelt, could make St. Mary Parish home to the oldest continuous Lenten fish fry in the Diocese of Green Bay.
Bonnie Plummer, a longtime member of the parish, recalls how the tradition took shape.
“The St. Mary smelt fry started in the early 1960s,” she said. “At that time, we’d get a call from up north saying the smelt are in. My husband and people from his company, Courtney-Plummer in Neenah, would get in a motorhome and drive all the way up to Lake Superior.”
Once the fish were collected, the group would call ahead to the parish.
“Quickly, we would get a group together to meet the motorhome and start cleaning smelt. [We would work] well into the early morning hours,” she said. “People would come with scissors and toothbrushes. We would slit them up the bellies, force everything out with a thumb, and scrub them with toothbrushes.”
Plummer said the effort became a community-building experience.
“Everybody brought their kids,” she said. “We were just a close parish group of friends doing this wonderful thing. You didn’t know everyone at the beginning, but you sure got to.”
Today, St. Mary Parish still serves about 300 meals each Friday during Lent — approximately 100 pounds of smelt weekly, plus haddock and shrimp. Last year, Krueger added a personal menu item: “Andy’s Mac and Cheese.”
“I can’t give away the recipe, but the kids (loved) it. It (was) a hit,” she said.
Fish sourcing remains a logistical challenge.
“(Last) year I was sweating it a little,” Krueger said. “My usual distributor was out, so I had to drive up to Green Bay to Badger Wholesale. They saved the day.”
The fish fries draw people from across the region, including many who are not members of the parish.
“It’s amazing how far folks will come,” Krueger said. “They just love the tradition.”
Proceeds support general parish operations. St. Mary Parish serves over 500 families.
“We’re just trying to keep things running — and bring people together,” she said.
The three fish fries require about 80 volunteers each week. “It’s a lot of hands in the kitchen and out in the hall to make it happen,” Krueger said.
While the menu and facilities have evolved, the core of the fish fries — and the communal effort behind it — remains unchanged.
“This is one of my favorite times of the year,” Krueger said.