Lenten Fish Fry … Hosted by PETA?

It’s Vegan, of Course! Group’s Christian Outreach Division Will Sponsor Faux-Fish Twist on Traditional Friday Meal

For Immediate Release:
February 17, 2021

Contact:
Megan Wiltsie 202-483-7382

On the first Friday of Lent, PETA’s Christian outreach division, LAMBS (which stands for “Least Among My Brothers and Sisters” from Matthew 25:40) will team up with The Hogtown Vegan for a vegan fish fry at St. Ambrose Catholic Church, whose pastor, Father Donatello Iocco, is a proud vegan. The first 40 people to reserve a plate—available for pickup from the church from 4 p.m. onward—will receive a delicious Phish ’n Chips dinner consisting of two fried faux-fish fillets, crispy fries, and tartar sauce free of charge.

“Fish feel pain and fear and value their lives, just as humans do, so it’s a blessing to save them on Lenten Fridays or any other day of the year,” says PETA Vice President Daniel Paden. “PETA and LAMBS are showing believers how easy it is to demonstrate mercy to all of God’s creation, simply by choosing delicious vegan fare.”

“When we choose to live a plant-based lifestyle, we know that we are being kind and caring to ourselves, to others, and to all of God’s creation!” says Iocco.

On Fridays during Lent, many Catholics and other Christians abstain from eating meat—but because many of them don’t consider fish flesh to be meat, countless parishes and organizations sell fish dinners on these days. More fish are killed for food each year than all other animals combined, and they slowly suffocate or are crushed to death when they’re yanked out of the oceans in huge nets. The stomachs of those who survive are cut open on the decks of fishing boats while they’re still alive.

Each person who goes vegan saves nearly 200 animals every year; reduces their risk of suffering from cancer, heart disease, strokes, diabetes, and obesity; and can even help prevent future pandemics, as SARS, swine flu, bird flu, and COVID-19 all stemmed from confining and killing animals for food.

LAMBS—whose motto, in a twist on PETA’s, is “Animals are not ours. They’re God’s”—holds that being made in the image of God is a call to show compassion and mercy, not dominance and violence. The group is also hosting vegan fish fries in two other heavily Christian cities—Providence, Rhode Island, and Charlotte, North Carolina—with the aim of fostering kindness to animals, encouraging support for local eateries, and helping families who are struggling to put food on the table.

To reserve a plate, please contact Iocco at [email protected] or 416-251-8282 on Thursday or Friday until 1 p.m.

For more information, please visit PETALambs.com.