SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Throughout the season of Lent, the gymnasium at Blessed Sacrament School fills with families, laughter and the smell of fried fish. In partnership with St. Vincent de Paul Church, the school hosts a fish fry each Friday.
TRANSCRIPT – Annual Lenten fish fry returns to support local school and church
Diner: “The food is great. It’s well worth it.”
Marisa Nuñez: Fridays just got a little bit tastier for those who celebrate Lent. Fish Fry Fridays are back at Blessed Sacrament School in collaboration with St. Vincent de Paul Church.
Griffin Harmon: “The ritual aspect of it, I think, is what appeals to people.”
Sister Ida Gregorie: “When we started, there weren’t as many competitors, but we have loyal fans.”
Marisa Nuñez: The fish fry has been going on for nearly 20 years, building a loyal following of families who return each Lent — not just for the food, but for the tradition.
Mark Kowaleski: “Fish on Friday for Roman Catholics, for my generation, is a tradition — and this fundraiser is also a tradition.”
Marisa Nuñez: Lent marks 40 days of penance leading up to Easter. During that time, many Catholics abstain from eating meat on Fridays. At the fish fry, that personal sacrifice becomes something shared — a weekly gathering that brings the community together.
Diner: “Oh, you know, sometimes you run into people that you haven’t seen in a long while. It’s just a sense of community. It’s supporting the community, and we enjoy it.”
Marisa Nuñez: With every plate purchased, community members are also giving back, as all proceeds go directly to the school and the church.
Griffin Harmon: “My goal is just to help keep it going for everybody involved, raise some money for the church, of course, but more than anything, just to keep the tradition going.”
Marisa Nuñez: This is the third fish fry hosted this season by St. Vincent de Paul and Blessed Sacrament. Three more are scheduled before Easter. Reporting in Syracuse, Marisa Nunez, NCC News.
Lent is a Catholic tradition. The 40-day period, which starts on Ash Wednesday and ends on Easter, serves as a time of reflection, penance and prayer. For many Catholics, it includes abstaining from meat on Fridays.
The fish fry acts as a fundraiser for both the church and school. Mark Kowaleski, a diner at the fish fry and a parishioner of St. Vincent de Paul Church, has attended the fish fry for almost 20 years. He said he continues to come back to support the church and school.
“Fish on Friday for Roman Catholics, for my generation, is a tradition and this fundraiser is also a tradition,” Kowaleski said.
The event originally started at St. Vincent de Paul church almost 20 years ago. About 10 years later, the event became a partnership with Blessed Sacrament School, and they began hosting in the school’s gym.
According to an article by Syracuse.com, there are over 30 other fish frys for Lent in Syracuse and surrounding areas. Sister Ida Gregorie, a long-time volunteer, said St. Vincent de Paul’s fish fry was one of the first in Syracuse.
“When we started, there weren’t as many competitors, but we have loyal fans,” Gregorie said.
On average, the event sells about 300-400 fish each Friday, through its takeout, delivery and dine-in options.
Griffin Harmon, the co-organizer of the fish fry, said the lines are nowhere near compared to what they used to be before COVID-19, which introduced the take-out and delivery options. Regardless, he said they still see the same community members each year and sometimes even each week.
“I can see out [the kitchen] window and see a couple people [who] come every week and more,” Harmon said. “I’d say our deliveries… are probably our most regular customers, who call every week, they’re ready to go.”
For diners, the weekly gathering is a place where they can practice their Catholic faith and connect with people in the community.
“Sometimes you run into people that you haven’t seen in a long while,” a diner said. “It’s just a sense of community. It’s supporting the community, and we enjoy it.”
The first fish fry was on Ash Wednesday. There are three more fish frys each Friday before Easter on April 6. Each plate costs $17.
“My goal is just to help keep it going for everybody involved… raise some money for the church, of course, but more than anything, just to keep the tradition going,” Harmon said.