St. Paul's Fish Fry: This Week's Joliet Patch Pick For Lent

JOLIET, IL — When I was attending grade school at St. Mary Nativity on Broadway Street, there were lots of gloom and doom scenarios associated with Lent. For instance, I know I got the stern warning from the nuns and the priests more than once: there's plenty of people burning in the fires of Hell because they chose to eat meat on Fridays during Lent.

That's some scary stuff to think about as a kid. Fortunately, I have some good news to report.

For Joliet-area residents, there are plenty of great-tasting fish fries being offered around the city of Joliet during this season of Lent.

On Ash Wednesday, I made the trip over to St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church at 130 Woodlawn Ave. I placed a fish order for my entire family.

I got here early, before 4:30 p.m. and there was already a decent crowd waiting in line to eat in the cafeteria or to place their carryout order like I did. For carryout, I was ticket number 25. I have to say this: the kitchen staff at St. Paul's is extremely smooth under pressure.

There were probably a dozen volunteers working in the kitchen preparing the food, and this team gelled.

For the St. Paul's kitchen crew, this wasn't their first fried fish rodeo, that's for sure. My family's carryout order was ready in about five minutes.

While waiting in line, I noticed several grade school students were also busy helping deliver the plastic trays of fish and assorted side dishes to the many dine-in customers showing up.

St. Paul's weekly Friday night fish fries during Lent go from 4 to 7 p.m. There's also a $2 discount on all meals for senior citizens. St. Paul's is easy to find.

It's right off West Jefferson Street behind the McDonald's fast-food restaurant.

In summary, if you're in the mood for exploring some of the many church fish fries taking place this Lent season, you won't go wrong visiting St. Paul's.

Again, it's dine-in or carryout. There's a weekly 50-50 raffle and all proceeds from the fish fry go toward helping the student athletics programs for St. Paul the Apostle School.