All Saints’ World Famous Fish Fry Displays the Archdiocese of Atlanta’s Growing and Diverse Catholic Community

“Luke Skywalker, your food is ready!”

            Grand Knight E.J. Couvillion announced into his microphone to the packed-out tables scattered throughout the All Saints Catholic Church gymnasium. His voice is loud and booming as he calls each diner to wave their miniature American flag, a signal that allows the Knights of Columbus to navigate through the crowd and hand-serve each meal.

            The All Saints Catholic Church Fish Frys are the most exciting time of the year for the Knights of Columbus Council 11402. Every Friday during Lent, Catholics throughout our archdiocese flock to their parishes’ Fish Fry to enjoy a meatless meal with their friends and family.

            Since 1997, the All Saints Council 11402 World Famous Fish Fry has been a staple. It brings out the best of the archdiocese community, with an average of 1,200 to 1,400 meals served every Friday during the Lenten season.

            They have two kitchens: one for dine-in customers and one for take-out customers. A meal comes out of the dine-in kitchen every 6.3 seconds during the fast-paced first hour.  While the Knights are on their toes all evening, they display tight-knit, team-oriented energy amongst each other. They can be seen joking around while efficiently serving dinner plates with smiles in the kitchens, dining space, and beyond.

            There’s fun to be had for the guests, too! The community gets to show off its humor with energetic announcer E.J. Couvillion. As the plates are ready to be served, E.J. calls the names attached to the orders, and don’t be surprised to hear rather familiar and quirky names. Some names heard over the microphone include Swiss Miss, Obi-Wan, Janet from Another Planet, Luke Skywalker, and Paris Hilton.

“I get to be up front and witness ‘almost’ everything … the crowds, the conversations, the laughter, the smiles, the togetherness, and the happiness from people of all faiths, backgrounds, and communities.”—E.J. Couvillion, Grand Knight, Council 11402

            However, this is more than just a nosh and gab over fried fish with close family and church friends. What makes this Dunwoody-based Fish Fry unique is its celebration of our flourishing archdiocese community all across North Georgia, uniting volunteers, community members, visitors, and non-Catholic supporters in a shared tradition.

            While Knights are busy fixing, plating, and serving food, drinks, and a top-secret clam chowder recipe only known by four, many others are hard at work to make the weekly dinner a success. Signs are hung, iced tea is made, guests are greeted, orders are taken, payments are counted – there’s much to do before and after each dinner. Some volunteers arrive as early as 10 a.m. to set up, while others stay until 9 p.m. to clean. Some Knights roam around eagerly selling raffle tickets while teenagers attend to the tables. All are ready to ensure customers have an exceptional experience.

           The event draws support from far beyond the parish walls, too. The local Chick-Fil-A gets involved by donating fresh hot coffee. Veterans and other honored groups come to enjoy a meal free of charge, and you can often spot local law enforcement dining amongst the crowd. The buzzing atmosphere attracts hundreds of non-Catholic guests, offering a unique evangelization opportunity as they witness the fruits of the Holy Spirit in this vibrant community.

“…people are talking to each other, interacting with everyone at their table and other tables, AND NOT talking on their phones!  In my opinion, that is a great way to impact all communities – people-to-people interaction!” -E. J. Couvillion, Grand Knight, Council 11402

            For dessert, the Queen of Peace Women’s Guild whips up a delicious spread of baked goods, enticing customers with their homemade cakes, cookies, and pies. These women, including one volunteer who travels from Dahlonega to Dunwoody to work the table, enjoy baking and selling these desserts for an important cause. Every dollar spent on these homemade goods goes towards the charitable initiative of their choice, including the Missionaries of Charity Sisters.

            This Fish Fry has a special place in the heart of the Archdiocese of Atlanta’s Chief Advancement Officer, Deacon Rick Medina, who leads the Archdiocese’s Office of Mission Advancement. Before accepting his current role, he served as a Deacon at All Saints for 11 years. He could not be more proud of the All Saints Fish Fry, telling everyone he can that it’s the “best in town.”

            The All Saints World Famous Fish Fry is indeed a staple event in our archdiocese, and for good reason. It fully displays the growing community around us and brings people together during a season of sacrifice and reflection. With the Knights constructing each element with so much love and care, it’s no surprise this Fish Fry continues to break attendance records and is so beloved in our archdiocese.