Tiverton parish dishes about famous Lenten fish fry

TIVERTON — For a few years now during Lent, Mike Barbalace and Bob Dunbar, both Tiverton residents, have been eating lunch at Holy Ghost Church on Fridays.

Neither are parishioners there, but both said there is no better fish and chips in town.

“The batter they use on that fish, it’ll change your life,” Dunbar said as he enjoyed his generous portion of fried fish and French fries in the Holy Ghost parish hall.

“You can tell absolutely tell the people here care about providing something great at a good cost,” Barbalace said.

This is the sixth year that the parishioners at Holy Ghost have been offering fish and chips on Fridays during Lent. From 12 p.m. to 7 p.m., two teams of parish volunteers cook and serve the food, and then clean up the kitchen and dining room.

“It’s become one of the biggest, if not the biggest, fundraiser for the parish,” said Father Jay Finelli, the pastor of Holy Ghost Church.

The Friday fish fry as a parish event has a long history in the United States, dating back to the days when Catholics abstained from meat on Fridays year-round, not just during Lent. The meal usually consists of battered or breaded fried fish with French fries and other sides.

For several years, Father Finelli’s father and friend ran the fish fry in their own parish. Both helped the Holy Ghost fish fry get off the ground by teaching parishioners their own recipe, which includes a secret fish batter. They also use haddock and change the cooking oil frequently.

“We really do have a good time,” Terry Garvey, a Holy Ghost parishioner, said as he breaded a filet of haddock in the parish kitchen.

At least 30 volunteers throughout the day cook the fish — fried and baked — as well as the French fries and mashed potatoes. They start preparing the evening before, setting up the tables and chairs, arranging the kitchen and getting the coleslaw, tartar sauce, drinks and dessert ready.

“We just love helping out,” said Carol Garvey, a Holy Ghost parishioner who helps to run the parish fish fry.

Last year, the parish served 1,923 meals on Lenten Fridays, the highest amount since the fish fry started in 2014. On those Fridays, the volunteers served anywhere from 200 to 323 meals in seven hours.

“When we walk out of here, we’re exhausted,” Terry Garvey said.

Carol Garvey said the parish seems to be on pace to break last year’s record.

“Every year, we have more and more people,” she said.

“From 4 to 6 p.m., when people are getting off work, it gets pretty slamming in here,” Terry Garvey added.

During a shift, eight volunteers are in the kitchen while four to five are in the lunchroom, serving meals and drinks, cleaning up tables and taking customer orders. In the afternoons, they are helped out by a group of the parish’s confirmation students.

“We just love helping out our church,” Carol Garvey said. “There is good camaraderie with the other parishioners. We get to know each other a little better.”

Father Finelli, who posts several signs on Main Road advertising the event, said the parish volunteers are usually “very tired” on Friday nights, but added that they look forward to the fish fries. Several parishioners who come to eat dinner also stay to pray the Stations of the Cross at 6:30 p.m.

The Holy Ghost fish fry is not held on Good Friday.

“We got to let the people pray on Good Friday,” Father Finelli said.

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