Cathy Poponak (left) and four generations of her family greet guests, prepare food and pour drinks for customers at Friday fish fry at St. William Catholic Church in Warren.
Kelcey Norris
Mahoning Matters
Every year as hostess, Cathy Poponak greets each guest as they come in for fish fry dinners at St. William Catholic Church in Champion.
Poponak said she likes getting to know the community by learning people’s names and recognizing the faces of regulars each week.
Helping out at the fish fry has become a family tradition that’s now continued for four generations.
“We’ve been a part of the parish for over 60 years,” Poponak said. “I met my husband through the parish ... and these fundraisers are a great way to build community.”
Now the family’s grown and the Poponaks have children and grandchildren helping out at every fish fry Friday during Lent.
Her mom still works the beverage stand, while her grandchildren help pour punch and seat guests at tables.
“It’s something we do and believe in doing,” Poponak said. “It gives us spiritual energy and you end up having more joy than sitting by yourself. I know I can sit on my phone for hours, but not here.”
How fish fry dinners are served
Fish fry dinners at St. William Catholic Church Kelcey Norris Mahoning Matters
As you enter St. William for dinner, you have the option to either dine inside the parish or take your dinner in a to-go box.
There’s a set menu each week, with choices of:
fried or baked fish
handmade coleslaw or applesauce
french fries or green beans
Dinner also comes with a different dessert each week, like cakes and cookies.
This week, the team made haluski, which contains egg noodles, fried cabbage and onions.
It’s $13 for each person, and they star serving meals at 4 until 6:30 p.m. Fridays during Lent, which started Feb. 9.
If you choose to stay and eat, one of the volunteers working with Poponak on the wait staff will take your party to a table.
Behind the scenes
Behind the scenes at St. William Catholic Church fish fry Friday in Warren. Kelcey Norris Mahoning Matters
Instead of a buffet-style dinner, coordinator Tina McCue said waiters and waitresses fill customers orders for them.
If you want to bring your dinner home with you, one of the waitstaff members will fill a to-go box with your selections and bag it.
“Some folks come with six or eight people who might want to share a meal together. This way, they can sit and visit with their friends and family members and let us do the majority of it,” said McCue.
She assigns roles for volunteers who manage bringing in the ingredients and preparing the meals throughout the week.
The ages of parish volunteers ranges from four to 98, according to McCue.
“It’s a whole production,” said McCue. “Every day of the week, something is going on in our kitchen. We have haluski, so most of Friday is spent frying cabbage, onions and another day to boil all the noodles.”
Team members are bringing in batches of fish and flipping them toward the beginning of the week to thaw and maintain freshness, according to McCue.
Other volunteers start breading the fish at 8 a.m. Friday and shredding cabbage for homemade coleslaw.
The fryers started dipping french fries and breaded fish shortly before doors opened at 4 p.m.
“There’s people that I might just see in church across the way and never, for years, they never even know their name or speak to them,” said Poponak. “But all of a sudden, I know their name. And I know a little bit about them because I’ve been doing this so long.”
The last fish fry of the season is March 22 at St. William Catholic Church, located at 5411 Mahoning Ave. NW in Champion.
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