In keeping with LOCAL tradition
All over the world, Catholics observing Lent are holding fish fry dinners, fish boils, and fish bakes to mark the season in fellowship together, while adhering to the traditional prohibitions on eating meat (fish excluded). It is a tradition many Lutherans share.
But there are, here and there, pockets of resistance.
In Michigan, in the greater Detroit area and through a belt following the Detroit river down into Ohio, known simply as "downriver" to the locals the lenten feast of choice is fried muskrat (MUSH-rat, as the locals say it). The practice dates back to the 1700's, when the area was first invaded by French-Canadian fur trappers in the frontier age, but was officially recognized as permitted by the Archdiocese of Detroit in 2002. It was, as Bishop Kenneth Povish of Lansing, MI put it, an "immemorial custom" in which anyone observing the custom was "doing penance worthy of the greatest saints" by eating the giant rodents.
In South America an even larger rodent is on the Lenten menu, the Capybera. “The missionary monks do not hesitate to eat these hams during Lent," wrote Alexander von Humboldt, a Prussian naturalist, during a visit to Venzuela in the early 1800's. "According to their zoological classification they place the armadillo, the thick-nosed tapir, and the manatee, near the tortoises; the first, because it is covered with a hard armour like a sort of shell; and the others because they are amphibious.” According to the 1974 tome Fauna de Venezuela y su conservación (Wildlife of Venezuela and their Conservation) by Eduardo López de Ceballos, a famed Venezuelan priest called Padre Sojo is believed to have obtained a Papal bull approving the Capybera for lenten feasts, near the end of the eighteenth century.
Here in Wright County, the rebellion is a little more basic and thankfully, rodent free, as the St. John's Catholic Church observed lent with their traditional Swiss Steak Dinner on Sunday. This after many in the area headed to fish frys, such as the one held at the Eagle Grove Evangelical Lutheran Church, on Friday.
Swiss Steak is a tough cut of meat, perhaps symbolizing penance in some way, softened by pounding and baking in a rich sauce. It was served with hearty, stick to your ribs real mashed potatoes, rolls, assorted salads, and a dizzying array of homemade pies, as well as the choice of lemonade, coffee, and water.
There was also a raffle held, featuring a beautiful twin and full size quilt set donated by the Sewing Ladies of St. John, a $50 gift card to Italics Boutique donated by Florine Swanson, a $50 Casey's gift card from an anonymous donor, a $50 Yes Way gift card from an anonymous donor, Black Corkys slippers and beauty products also donated by Italics Boutique, two $25 gift cards from Chappy's on Main, one donated by Nick Barrett/Chappy's, another by Florine Swanson, four $25 gift certificates to the Clarion Locker donated by Scott and Melinda Anderson with Mike and Liz Ennis, a $25 gift card to Grounded donated by Florine Swanson, two $25 Pizza Ranch gift cards from anonymous donors, two $25 Casey's gift cards from anonymous donors, four $10 Hardees gift cards from anonymous donors, three $10 Subway gift cards from anonymous donors, and a $10 Arby's gift card from an anonymous donor.
The event was coordinated by Pam Whitters and Florinne Swanson for the first time, after being coordinated for many years by Chris and Monte Leichsenring, who also participated significantly in this year's planning and management. Funds raised support the Altar Society, which is responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of the facilities of the church, and the general services of the church.
