VIENNA — Hundreds of people showed up to St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church on the first Friday of Lent to enjoy the church’s annual fish fry.

Joe Filipovich, who has been the coordinator of the event for the past three years, said people have come from as far as Ashtabula, Youngstown and Pennsylvania to enjoy the lunches and dinners at the Vienna parish. The event has been going on for more than 30 years.

On every Friday during Lent, except Good Friday, lunch is served from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and dinner is served 3 to 6 p.m. Lunch consists of a carryout fried fish sandwich, a bag of chips, a dill pickle and a cookie for $7. Dinner includes baked or fried fish, parsley potatoes, pirogies, coleslaw, applesauce, bread and butter, and desert for $14. It can be enjoyed in the parish hall or taken home.

“This is my first year doing this and its reputation long precedes me,” the Rev. Ryan Furlong, church pastor, said. “When I got here, everyone told me how great our fish dinners are. I think this is a great opportunity for fellowship and for our community to come together for a cause.”

The proceeds from the event go toward supporting the church. The dinners are the church’s largest fundraiser.

For Filipovich, this is not just a one-day-a-week ordeal. It starts on Monday when he orders the food and supplies. On Wednesday, the shipment comes in and on Thursday he and other volunteers set up the parish for Friday’s dinner.

On Friday, Filipovich and others arrive at 7 a.m. to thaw and bread the fish before lunch starts at 11 a.m. Then, even though dinner ends at 6 p.m., the last of the volunteers don’t leave until about 9 p.m. Filipovich said he doesn’t mind the work because it is a great opportunity to build community.

“We’ve just been through a lot with the pandemic over the last couple of years,” he said. “We’re ready to get back out there and come together.”

Many of the volunteers are the same year after year, but congregation member Marilyn Hanton of Fowler said there are many new volunteers this year, which is a good sign for the future of the dinners. Hanton has been a member of the church for 50 years and has been helping with the fish fries since they started.

She pointed out that a lot of hands make for less work, so they are happy to have many people give their time each year. She said she loves seeing all the people that come through and loves working with the volunteers.

“As long as we can do it, we’ll be here,” Hanton said.

Filipovich said the church serves 700 to 800 dinners and approximately 150 lunches every week. Last year, 830 meals were served at the last dinner of the season. Many of those people come back week after week and year after year.

Phillip and Andrea Beck of Vienna have been coming to the dinners for at least 10 years. They said they enjoy going to church functions at different parishes throughout the area because they like supporting the local churches.

John and Mary Kay Skufca of McDonald said for a couple of years before the pandemic, they would come get dinner at St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church every Friday of Lent. They said they tried a few other fish fries in the area, but said this was the best.