St. Raphael the Archangel Parish Lenten fish fry draws hundreds each week
Story and photography by Michael Cooney | For On Mission
OSHKOSH, WI — During the six Fridays of Lent, the kitchen at St. Raphael the Archangel Parish in Oshkosh becomes the center of a tradition that draws hundreds each week. People come for the fish, but it’s the spirit of community that brings them back year after year.
Volunteers serve deep-fried walleye, deep-fried cod, baked haddock, and deep-fried shrimp, each meal accompanied by a choice of potato, coleslaw, marble rye bread, and homemade dessert.
Behind the scenes, what looks like a simple parish fish fry is a carefully coordinated effort involving nearly 100 volunteers.
“This is my 11th year as the chair or co-chair,” Ron Bruch said. “But this is the 27th year of the fish fry.”
The preparation begins days before the doors open each Friday.
“We have people who started already on Wednesday and yesterday, and then the whole crew is here tonight,” Bruch said. “And even tomorrow morning, we have crews that clean the whole kitchen up.”
On a typical Friday during Lent, the parish serves between 850 and 900 meals.
“That’s about our average this year,” Bruch said. “We’ve had nights of over 1,000 people.”
With seating for 242 diners inside the parish hall and another 100 in adjoining rooms, the crowds can stretch beyond the doors. Yet the process runs smoothly thanks to experienced volunteers.
“Once we flip the switch and let people in, it’s just a machine, and it just goes,” Bruch said. “A lot of our volunteers have been volunteering for over 20 years, and they really know what they’re doing.”
Preparation of the fish is handled with care. The parish hand-breads the walleye and inspects every fillet.
“We take the pin bones out of every blade and check for scales and ribs,” Bruch said. “So when that walleye fillet comes out of the fryer, it’s high quality.”
The meals support parish ministries.
“The proceeds go into the general fund,” Bruch said, “but it gets earmarked for missions, youth ministries, religious education, and Lourdes school. So it gets funneled in different directions.”
For Chris Becich, who has volunteered for 27 years, the work is a way to live out his faith.
“I enjoy doing food service, and I enjoy the church,” Becich said. “This is my give back to the community.”
Many guests say the experience is about more than the meal itself.
“They have homemade potato salad, homemade coleslaw,” said customer Gail Schwab. “Their food is delicious, and it’s for a good cause. How can you go wrong?”
For Bruch, the fish fry is also part of being a member of the parish.
“For me, this is part of my Lenten journey every year,” he said. “You couldn’t find a better place to give your time.”