BELMONT CRAGIN — A church in Belmont Cragin is making it easier for local Catholics to fulfill their Lenten duty by hosting a weekly fish fry drive-thru.
Every Friday through March 22, volunteers at St. Ferdinand Parish, 3115 N. Mason Ave., operate what may be the only drive-thru operation of any local fish fry.
“I don’t think any other fish fry in the city of Chicago has a drive-thru that comes through the alley,” said Ken Presslak, the fish fry’s drive-thru coordinator. “We’re kind of unique that way.”
Lent is the 40-day period before Easter Sunday. Catholics observe it through prayer, philanthropy and fasting; on Fridays, some refrain from eating meat as a form of fasting. Many Catholic churches host Friday fish fries to give parishioners an easy, meatless dinner option while raising funds for the parish.
And for more than three decades, St. Ferdinand’s fish fry has built a Northwest Side fan base thanks in part to its drive-thru.
St. Ferdinand’s fish fry added a drive-thru operation about 20 years ago as a way to make the service more convenient, parish volunteers said. Unlike a fast food restaurant where a drive-thru is built into the operation, volunteers at St. Ferdinand’s had to get creative to offer a to-go service.
Customers who order ahead are asked to arrive at St. Ferdinand’s within a 15-minute pick-up slot. They take an alley off Marmora Avenue and drive behind the parish’s school building before pulling over in designated pick-up spots.
That’s when volunteers like Tom Bucaro emerge from the kitchen doors with bagged orders in tow. The service is offered in snow, rain and harsh winds.
“This is not bad — it’s not windy, it’s not snowing,” Bucaro said while working the drive-thru on a recent Friday. “We’re in good shape.”
Moments later, flurries started, followed by heavier snow. Driver Larry Hartig arrived as wind increased and snow drifted into an open car window.
“I always go with the beer-battered cod, but tonight, I’m going with the combo,” Hartig said.
Like most fish fries, St. Ferdinand’s also welcomes customers to dine in, making use of the school hall basement as a dining room.
St. Ferdinand’s menu includes baked tilapia, beer-battered cod, breaded shrimp or perch, coleslaw, soup, cheese pizza and French fries. New this year is the $14 sampler platter and the $9 cod sandwich.
Beer and wine are served in the dining hall, with all bartender tips benefiting the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. Last year’s tipped donations totaled more than $1,000, and the money went to helping “people who can’t pay their bills,” fish fry coordinator Mike McGovern said.
Wearing an apron that reads “Thank Cod it’s Fryday,” McGovern said a large team of volunteers help cook and serve hundreds of pounds of fish every Friday. Last week, the team served 470 dinners, he said.
Fish fries like St. Ferdinand’s not only financially support churches and charitable causes, they foster community among parishioners and neighbors while helping them observe Lent, Cardinal Blase Cupich said.
“Fish fries during Lent offer our community a meaningful opportunity for fellowship and reflection, bringing us together as we honor this tradition of abstinence and deepen our commitment to spiritual renewal,” Cupich said.
Before the fish fry opened last week, volunteers gathered around Rev. Peter Gnoinski, St. Ferdinand’s pastor. Gnoinski oversees an increasingly multicultural parish, with services offered in languages including Polish, English, Spanish and Tagalog.
The fish fry helps to connect those parishioners and fund the church’s services.
“Let there be fish on Earth, and let this begin with us,” Gnoinski said in a blessing ahead of the fish fry service.
The St. Ferdinand fish fry runs 4:30-7:30 p.m. Fridays through March 22. Drive-thru orders can be called in starting 4 p.m. at 773-622-3022, ext. 361. Credit cards and cash are accepted.
For more on the fish fry, check out its Facebook page by clicking here.
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