Area Fish Fries: Where Faith Communities Come Together

I never thought I’d get excited about church basement food. But here I am, counting down the days until Friday.

I’m not Catholic but one thing I’ve envied is the gathering in the spring that brings their communities together. The Fish Fry.

Most people view the annual Friday night dinners as a “Catholic thing” but that changes when you walk in. Scanning the room you quip, “Oh, there’s my Baptist neighbor, and there’s Jim and Cathy from the AG church down the road.” Sitting at a table with parents of your kid’s high school friends are Methodists, Lutherans, Nazarenes and the non-denominational crowd. They’re all there, enjoying fish with their Catholic co-workers and neighbors.

Dwight Widaman, Editor

Every year when I walk in to St. Bridget’s in Pleasant Hill, the aroma hits me first–that perfect blend of fried fish, hushpuppies, and homemade coleslaw. The walk-out basement is always packed with folks from all over town.

These Friday gatherings started in Catholic parishes, but they’ve turned into something bigger. Way bigger. Across Kansas City, from Lee’s Summit to Liberty, from Blue Springs to Independence, church basements come alive during Lent. The fish starts frying around 4:30, and the lines start forming even earlier.

So, what’s the big deal with Lent? The whole thing goes back to 325 AD, when church leaders decided Lent should last 40 days. Why? Because Jesus fasted in the desert for 40 days. The fish part came a bit later – Catholics weren’t supposed to eat warm-blooded meat on Fridays, so fish was about the only thing left.

But honestly? The history matters less than what happens around the tables. Communities come together. That’s the magic of these events. Nobody cares what church you attend – or if you go at all. Some priests actually joke that more people show up for fish fries than Sunday Mass. But maybe that’s okay. Maybe we need these spaces where labels don’t matter so much.

Even regular restaurants are getting in on it now. You’ll see fish fry specials popping up everywhere from fancy places downtown to corner diners in Raytown. But they’re missing something the church basements have: that sense of being part of something bigger than yourself.

Look, I’m still Protestant. My Catholic friends still joke about seeing me in their church each Spring. But sitting there in those basement halls, paper plate loaded with perfectly fried cod, surrounded by the happy buzz of my community – I get it. I get why these Friday nights matter so much.

They’re not just about the fish. They’re about what happens when we stop seeing each other as Catholic or Protestant, liberal or conservative, stranger or friend. They’re about what happens when we just see each other as neighbors, sharing a meal.

So yeah, I’m counting down till Friday. I’m looking forward to the fish, but I’m really going for the same reason everyone else does – to be part of that beautiful, batter-fried reminder that community is what we create. That’s important

And who knows? Maybe I’ll see you at one of the following fish fry events. Check ’em out!