Lent Fish Frys in St. Cloud Catholic Diocese Drive-Thru Only

ST. CLOUD -- All fish frys in the St. Cloud Catholic Diocese will be take out or drive-through only this Lenten season.

Father Scott Pogatchnik says the Bishop didn't want to risk having a lot of people gathered in the church parishes every Friday night.

Yeah, the Bishop really throughout the whole Diocese of St. Cloud has asked that we don't have any kind of meals in person yet, just as a precaution. We often have aging populations and vulnerable folks so just as a precaution he's asked that we don't have food in person.

Pogatchnik says at St. Augustine's in east St. Cloud they are having two drive-through-only events with the first one this Friday and the second one on March 19th. The cost is $10 for adults and $5 for kids. It runs from 4:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m.

Last year the COVID-19 pandemic began in the middle of the Lenten season and they switch to a drive-through model for one Friday.

Pogatchnik says prior to COVID they would typically serve about 2,500 meals at the church.