BARABOO — Fish fries are a popular tradition in Wisconsin in restaurants, but an increasing number of Catholic parishes are sponsoring fish fries.
The parishes especially offer fish fries during Lent, when Catholics ages 14 and older are obliged to abstain from meat on Ash Wednesday and all Fridays of Lent. But more parishes have been holding fish fries throughout the rest of the year.
One of these parishes is St. Joseph Parish in Baraboo, better known as St. Joe’s. The parish started sponsoring fish fries in 1994. “They were designed to be a fundraiser that would take the place of other ‘small’ type fundraisers, such as wrapping paper and candy bar sales,” said Dan Fitzpatrick, director of operations at St. Joe’s.