POINT PLEASANT BEACH — St. Mary’s Episcopal Church is continuing their new 2023 tradition of hosting a community dinner with their March event, a fish and chips dinner on Sunday, March 12.
“We typically have a Lent fish and chips dinner annually but this year the idea was raised to have someone come with a food truck,” said Junior Warden of the church, Laurie Clayton. “We have started something this year called Suppers by the Sea, an idea for both fundraising and fellowship, where we host a different dinner every month.”
The idea started this past year to help bring more people into the church community by inviting them to dinners once a month. The first dinner was a sit-down dinner of a chicken franchise in January, February brought a pancake dinner for Shrove Tuesday and now March will welcome the annual fish fry. Donations received from these events will help to sponsor the many outreach programs that St. Mary participates in and will allow them to expand their efforts.
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“We have been hosting the fish fry for around 10 years,” said Ms. Clayton. “Other years we arranged with local fisheries who would provide the food for us and we would pay them directly to do the cooking, reheating and serving…the idea was raised to have someone come with a food truck.”
The fish fry will welcome Thistle Catering from Randolph, which will be serving fish and chips as well as chicken fingers and chips with coleslaw and other ”fixings”, desserts and soft drinks will also be available. According to Ms. Clayton, the caterer was recommended by the church’s new priest Debbie Bruin Wilson who used them at her old church in Sparta. Meals can be reserved before the event by calling the church or patrons can come out the day of.
The event is welcoming all members of the community, not just members of the church.
“Our church is part of multiple outreach partners and these events help us get people to know who we are,” said Ms. Clayton. “We have talked to different churches in the area, and that is the reason to do this on a Sunday afternoon, to appeal to other churches and their members.”
While the church is currently focused on their fish and chips dinner, they have also announced that the April dinner will be a Meatball Monday on April 17.
Other events still being planned include a Paint Party on March 24 and celebrations for the church’s upcoming anniversary in the fall.
“This year we are celebrating our 150 anniversary,” said Ms. Clayton. “We will be getting some info out about that soon with different ways we are hoping to celebrate…the community can expect us to do something big in the fall.”
According to their website, the first service of St. Mary’s Church was held on Aug. 31, 1873 and allowed for the group to participate in services during their summer vacation, where they traveled from Burlington, down to Point Pleasant Beach. This service has now made St. Mary’s Episocpal Church the oldest church in Point Pleasant Beach.
For more information about the church visit https://saintmarysbythesea.org/.
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