Fried fish, generations-old recipes and “famous” pies earned Monroe’s Holy Ghost Lutheran Church and School the title of best Monroe County Lenten fish fry by Monroe News readers.
A total of 316 votes were recently cast by readers, who had 20 local choices in the online poll. Holy Ghost won with 107 votes. St. Gabriel Catholic Church in Ida came in second with 60 votes.
Holy Ghost, 3563 Heiss Road, will continue its Lenten fish fries from 4-6:30 p.m. Fridays through March 27. Dine-in and carryout meals include fried perch, baked cod, scalloped or baked potato, green beans, coleslaw, bread and a piece of homemade pie. Dine-in meals are all-you-can-eat.
Holy Ghost has held Lenten fish dinners since at least 1975. Almost everything is made from scratch.
“A few ladies had done it for years. They had the perfect recipes that had been handed down for generations. We certainly don’t mess with what people love,” said Marisa Cunningham, church member and parent volunteer, who took over running the fish fries in 2024.
Holy Ghost’s tried-and-true recipes include coleslaw, macaroni and cheese, tartar sauce, and even fish breading.
“We make our own mix for the perch and seasoning for the cod,” Cunningham said. “It’s more of a homestyle meal. We try to keep it as homemade as possible.”
Adult meals come with a piece of pie.
“We are known for our pies,” Cunningham said. “We have signs that say, ‘Came for the pie, got a side of fish.’”
Holy Ghost’s “Pie Ladies,” as they are known, sell about 1,000 pies each year at the Monroe County Fair. They sell another 600-1,000 before each holiday season.
Coconut cream is the fish fry favorite, but they also make banana cream and lemon meringue. Fruit pie also is available at fish fries, including cherry, strawberry/rhubarb, blueberry and peach.
Every Thursday, about 10-12 women pre-measure ingredients for 55 pies.
“Most of them, they make four or five of each, but (they make) 14 coconut cream,” Cunningham said.
The women bake the pies Friday mornings. On Friday afternoons, older students from Holy Ghost Lutheran School set up the gym for the dinner. In all, about 20-40 volunteers put on each fish fry.
“We are blessed with such a great community at Holy Ghost, with school families and church families. We couldn’t do it without them. It’s truly a blessing to continue to put on the fish fry every week,” Cunningham said.
Holy Ghost serves between 280-380 fish dinners a week. On Feb. 20, it served 384.
“We are getting more and more people,” Cunningham said. “We just got a second new fryer this past week. It’s keeping the line moving. You’re not standing as long.”
Meals are $20 for adults and $18 for seniors (age 65 and older) and veterans. Also available is a $5 kids meal, which includes a hot dog, grilled cheese or macaroni and cheese, along with chips, green beans and a non-pie dessert.
Proceeds are used for tuition assistance and school improvements. Holy Ghost Lutheran School has about 70 students in preschool through eighth grade.
“We have 20-ish kids getting tuition assistance. It covers the bulk,” Cunningham said.
— Contact reporter Suzanne Nolan Wisler at swisler@monroenews.com.
This article originally appeared on The Monroe News: Learn about Holy Ghost’s fish fry, winner of Monroe News’ readers poll
Reporting by Suzanne Nolan Wisler, The Monroe News / The Monroe News
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