By Maryangela Layman Román of the Catholic Herald Staff

HARTFORD — To Carol Richey, the concept of not eating meat on Fridays as a sacrifice was puzzling. Not only had she grown up on a dairy farm where meat was a staple of daily meals, but she was raised a Missouri Synod Lutheran unfamiliar with the Catholic sacrificial practice of abstaining from meat during Lent.

After joining the Catholic Church in 1993 and learning more about abstaining, Richey found she still had trouble with the practice.

Without meat, what was she to make for her family for dinner?

“I’m not a big fish eater and I don’t even know how to make fish,” she admitted, adding she remembers about 10 years ago sharing this concern with her friend, Therese Zignego.

As they discussed meatless Fridays, Richey said the friends, both members of the Tridentine Community at St. Mary Help of Christians Parish, West Allis, decided to exchange their own meatless recipes. The exchange, however, was postponed, as the Richeys moved out of state for six years.

They returned to Milwaukee when Carol’s husband, Lance, accepted a job at Cardinal Stritch University teaching philosophy and theology. Reunited, Zignego and Richey renewed their plans for a recipe exchange last fall.

Again, it began as a simple exchange of a few ideas. The project, however, grew into a compilation of 600 recipes from people across the United States. It was published last month as, “Meatless Fridays: A Collection of Recipes from Pro-Life Wisconsin” — more than 300 pages of recipes in a variety of categories, compiled in a hard cover binder.

Proceeds from the sale of the book, benefit Pro Life Wisconsin, a statewide educational and legislative organization dedicated to defending human life. Zignego is a board member of the organization.

For Zignego, the book primarily is a tool to encourage others to abstain from meat on Fridays – not just the Fridays in Lent – in reparation for sins against life.

“I found a lot of my friends were not making the sacrifice of abstaining because they did not know what to make for their families,” said Zignego, who along with her husband, Paul, has seven children, ages 1 to 11. Admitting that she was tired of preparing canned tuna and pasta each Friday for the family, Zignego said, “I want to use it to encourage others to make sacrifices in reparation for all the sins in respect to life, especially abortion and euthanasia.”

Richey and Zignego began compiling recipes last fall, asking friends and family for submissions, and posting the call for recipes through Pro-Life Wisconsin and other right to life organizations. They also requested recipes from several bishops, politicians and key figures in the pro-life movement. Hoping for perhaps 100 contributions, they received more than 600.

Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan asked Franciscan Sr. Laverne Sommer, his housekeeper, to submit a recipe “tomato soup with a flair.” She included a note included in the cookbook, “Archbishop Dolan asked me to send you a recipe of his favorite tomato soup. I improvised this once when I was in a hurry to give him a lunch at the last minute, so now he claims it is his favorite.”

Bishop Robert C. Morlino of Madison sent in “fresh tuna with tarragon sauce,” with the warning, “Do not overcook,” while Judie Brown, president of the American Life League submitted “baked spaghetti.”

Others, including Fr. Frank Pavone, of New York-based Priests for Life, submitted letters of support for the project.

As the recipes kept arriving, Zignego and Richey realized they’d need help compiling them. They pulled together a committee of Mona Zignego, Genieve Balister and Christopher Visser who helped typeset the contributions.

“It was a lot of work,” acknowledged Richey, “but I’m glad we did it. It was nice to see our idea come to fruition.”

She also said she’s having fun trying out the various recipes for her husband, Lance, and five children. She plans her meals two weeks at a time, and said for the last several weeks, she’s picked at least four recipes when planning.

Zignego, too, has enjoyed trying the recipes at home, teaching her children about the Catholic tradition of abstaining from meat on Fridays.

“It’s a little thing we can do to please God for everything he has done for us,” she said. “Abstaining in reparation for sins against life is a small thing we can do in the pro-life movement.”

“Meatless Fridays” is available through Pro-Life Wisconsin by calling (877) 463-7945 or by sending checks, along with name, address and phone number to: Pro-Life WI Cookbook Orders, PO Box 221, Brookfield, WI 53045. Cost is $13.50. plus $4.75 shipping and handling.

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