The Church prescribes that part of our Lenten sacrifice is to abstain from meat on Fridays.  Many parishes have created opportunities on those days to bring the community together for a meal before praying the Stations of the Cross. Most of these mealtime gatherings involve fish, and many local parishioners have become skilled in the art of frying fish. So much so, that in 2012, our local Catholic radio station, Spirit FM 90.5, created the Spirit FM Lenten Fish Fry World Tour.  

The idea was to encourage listeners to attend a local Catholic church and enjoy a nice meal and fellowship. 

Many of our listeners come from different backgrounds. Some have been away from the Church for a while, and others have never been to a Catholic church. The fish fry provided an opportunity to have people come for a nice meal, make some new friends, and stay for the Stations of the Cross.

“We have a large percentage of people from the New Tampa community who come to our fish fry and aren’t parishioners,” said Bob Rayo, spokesperson for the Knights of Columbus Council at St. Mark the Evangelist Catholic Church in Tampa, the only two-time winner of the Spirit FM Fish Fry World Tour Trophy. The parish serves between 630 and 700 meals most Fridays during Lent. 

“We also have the Columbiettes assisting with a variety of desserts,” he said, of the women’s group, who work side by side with the council. “The Boy Scouts help serve the meals, so we get many in our parish involved.” 

Every Friday during Lent, a Spirit FM staff member visits a local parish hosting a fish fry to judge it on taste, sides, and overall atmosphere. The visit also serves as an opportunity for the station to promote its ministry and to provide entertainment and giveaways for the visitors. 

“Of course, the judging is subjective,” said Olivia Hoegstrom, who is the midday announcer for Spirit FM. “Some like heavy breading, but for me, I like lightly breaded fish.” 

Sides make a big difference. Geovanny Hillis, a Social Media Specialist for Spirit FM adds, “Coleslaw is always tricky, and judges don’t like cold fries or cold hush puppies.”  Last year’s winner, Incarnation Parish in Tampa, also offered shrimp and many desserts. 

“A specially-made Spirit FM cake gave Incarnation a high score. I’m also still thinking about the carrot cake from last year,” he said.   

Atmosphere is also a factor. Bonus points are given if the parish or youth groups make Spirit FM posters or placemats for the visitors.  Judges look for a festive atmosphere with good lighting, friendly greeters, and smiling volunteers. 

The tour stops are also collection points for the Easter Baskets of Plenty drive. Spirit FM works with Diocese of Saint Petersburg Catholic Charities and local parishes to coordinate collection drop offs.  Catholic Charities hopes to collect 1,000 baskets for the children they serve at their properties around the diocese.  

“One of the core values of the Knights of Columbus is charity. These are our biggest fundraisers of the year,” said Rayo.  

“We are able to give to the charities in the local community and assist in projects for St. Mark Parish.  It’s just great to see the tables full of families fellowshipping over a meal together every Friday night.”  

Visit myspiritfm.com to learn the locations where the Spirit FM crew will be visiting this Lenten season.