News

Antigo parish raises funds for D.R. mission

By Heather Chrudimsky
Compass Correspondent

ANTIGO -- For the fourth year, St. John the Evangelist Parish held a Lenten fish fry to benefit the diocesan mission in Elías Piña, Dominican Republic.

"This fish fry continues to be a great event," said event coordinator Lynne Henricks. "It provides opportunity for many people to help out and helps so many who are in a state of poverty."

Fr. Mike Seis, a diocesan priest and native of Antigo, serves two parishes, St. Teresa in Elías Piña and St. Isadore in El Llano, plus more than 90 settlements across the countryside.

"I think the event was such a success because of the cause and the Seis' connection to the area," said Fr. Charles Hoffman, pastor, who stressed that the event was an entire community affair.

Fr. Seis' parents, Jim and Helen Seis, who attend the event with friends and family members, are life-long residents of Antigo and members of Ss. Mary and Hyacinth Parish.

"The Seis family is very well connected in Antigo," said Henricks.

Although Fr. Seis has never had the chance to personally attend a Lenten Fish Fry, he knows the amount of time and effort put in each year's event.

"I think it's very nice that so many people get involved in the fish fry," Fr. Seis said in an e-mail. "I know that there is a lot of work that goes into the Fish Fry."

The fish fry started out as a parish-wide Lenten project. However, over the years it has become much more, with people from throughout the Antigo community and beyond attending the event.

"I'm very impressed by the number of people who are willing to pitch in and give a hand, and very impressed by the number of people who attend," Fr. Seis said.

"This fish fry continues to be a great event as it provides opportunity for many people to help out from giving of their time or donating desserts, food items cash donations and working side-by-side with others that they may not have known before and the result of this helps so many who are in a state of poverty," Henricks said.

A new addition to this year's event was a Dominican Republic mission banner with imagines highlighting the Elías Piña parish and its people. The banner gave fish fry volunteers and attendees a visual connection with the mission and what their generosity will benefit.

The Lenten Fish Fry is held on a Wednesday night to avoid conflicting with area restaurants and their Friday Night Fish Fries, organizer Henricks said.

Seis said these types of events are important not only for the fact that it raises money for the mission, but it also raises awareness back home of the needs outside the county.

"I think it's a great activity for the parish in Antigo and our parish in the sense that both understand that the church is much bigger than our local parish," Fr. Seis said. "I think the outreach aspect is very important and serves an educational tool for both parishes, here and there."

"The generosity of people is really overwhelming," said Helen Seis, Fr. Mike's mother.

Originally, the Lenten Fish Fry was started through the stewardship committee, giving a new opportunity for the parishioners to become involved with the church.

"It was something we believe in because it involved so many people in our parish from the men and women, families, senior citizens and children," Henricks said.

Parishioners of all ages helped out with the event through cash/food donations, cooking, serving, decorating and clean-up.

St. John parishioner and fish fry volunteer Patty Shinners has worked for the event for the past four years. Two of her three children even lend a hand to help out at the event.

"It is a lot of fun, and with the event proceeds going toward Fr. Mike's mission it creates a personal connection," Shinners said. "It builds community, you see all kinds of people you don't normally see on a regular basis."