St. John Fisher Roman Catholic Church, 1239 Third St., North Catasauqua, held its annual Lenten fish dinner March 14 in the social hall.

Dinners were for dine in or takeout. The dinner included fish with halushkies, potatoes, corn, coleslaw, a roll with butter and an outstanding array of homemade baked goods. The baked goods and desserts were all homemade and very tasty, attendees said.

Those who chose the takeout option patiently waited for their meals as they pleasantly chatted among themselves.

The Burda family of Whitehall, Gontkosky family of Northampton and O’Connell family of Whitehall and Joseph Kollar sat together and enjoyed friendly conversation as they ate dinner.

A fun group of volunteers assisted to make the dinner a success. Of note, dinner volunteer Joanne Fallon, of Catasauqua, when asked if she is related to the megastar comedian Jimmy Fallon, said her husband’s grandfather and Jimmy’s great-grandfather were brothers.

Longtime church volunteer Phyllis Keglovits and Fallon staffed the baked goods tables with warm smiles. Attendees needed some time to pick the dessert of their choice since there was a wide selection of baked items.

At the door selling tickets was a father and son combo — both fixtures at the annual dinner — Joe and Joseph Keglovits.

Annette Englert, fish dinner director and a hands-on volunteer leader, was in the kitchen staffing the fish frying stove top. Englert was ever-smiling as more attendees streamed into the social hall. She took a moment to have her photo taken with some of the members of the large volunteer team.

Friday fish dinners at Catholic churches are ubiquitous. Many Catholics refrain from eating meat Fridays during Lent, which runs from Ash Wednesday through Easter. Worshiping Catholics, up until 1966 via church law, were forbidden to eat meat any Friday.

In 1983, the Code of Roman Catholic Church Canon Law revised the rule that allowed Catholics to eat meat Fridays, except for Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. The U.S. Council of Bishops then extended the law to include abstaining from meat consumption to all Fridays in Lent.

It is reported that about 45 years ago, the first McDonald’s restaurant opened in a Cincinnati area that was heavily Roman Catholic. With the total Catholic ban on meat consumption Fridays, there was marked decrease in business every Friday. The owner of the McDonald’s restaurant decided to develop a fish sandwich that became very popular. It led the way to the now McDonald’s Filet-O-Fish sandwich.

Attendees and volunteers said the church dinner experience included good food, great desserts and, perhaps just as important, a social gathering and fellowship time that celebrated church history and the importance of understanding abstinence for a greater good.