LIMERICK — Bill Lanoue took up his tongs and dipped a round of dough into a vat of  hot — 350 degrees hot  — bubbling oil.

“Just fry it t’il its golden brown,” said Lanoue.

Once done, the golden brown, delectable round of fried dough was placed on a paper plate and dusted liberally with confectioner’s sugar.

Soon thereafter, that particular batch  of  fried dough was enjoyed by one of hundreds of folks who turned out for the Funshine Fair.

How many years has Lanoue taken a couple of days out of the summer and manned the deep fryer?

“Since day one,” he said with a smile.

“Day one” was 35 years ago, when parishioners at Saint Matthew Church set about to create a fun family summertime event that would also help the parish financially during the leaner winter months when summer residents who attended the church returned to their year round homes elsewhere, said the Rev. Philip Tracy.

Tracy,  known as “Father Phil,” pastor at St. Therese of Lisieux Parish in Sanford, was named pastor of Saint Matthew in September. The event that began early Saturday morning and wound down with a chicken barbecue and then reopened 8 a.m. to noon on Sunday was his first Funshine Fair.

“The people are great,” he said looking around the busy venue. “They’re friendly, happy, and there are a lot of kids and families here.”

Children played a variety of games — skee ball; a game that appeared to be variation on darts where the targets were balloons, and more.

Visitors looking for ways to spend their summer holidays on a lazy afternoon could choose from dozens of jigsaw puzzles or hundreds of used books.

Dolly Lamontagne of East Waterboro was tending the book stall. She’s been a volunteer at the Funshine Fair for a decade and is a parishioner.

“I love the camaraderie,” she said of the annual fair.

There was a ‘trash and treasures’ table — and a used toys table was a big attraction for the kids.

Inside one of several large tents on the church lawn, someone was singing country music, and then another entertainer stepped to the microphone, belting out Petula Clark’s signature “Downtown,” followed by the Righteous Brothers’ “Unchained Melody.”

A clothing sale was a popular attraction.

Amy Dunnells of Waterboro was there with her husband and two of her three children. Funshine Fair is a regular event for the Dunnells family.

“I grew up coming here,” said Amy, who attends Faith Christian Center, just half-a-mile away. Now she and her husband bring their own children to the fair.

“There’s activities for the kids,” she said, and pointed out the bargains that could be had at the clothing sale.

Those who weren’t in the mood for fried dough could choose a hamburger, fries, onion rings or a lobster roll, or wait for the big chicken barbecue, set for later on Saturday.

With the closest other Catholic parishes in Sanford and Gorham, each more than 20 miles away, Saint Matthew serves 600 families, not only in Limerick, but from the surrounding communities like Newfield and Limington, Baldwin, Standish, Hollis, Buxton and others, said Tracy.

Saint Matthew Parish was formed in 1921. The original church, near Sokokis Lake, was replaced with a new facility on Dora Lane in 1987, according to the church history. It was destroyed by fire in 1989. The new church, rebuilt on the Dora Lane property, was dedicated on June 2, 1991.

Father Phil said the Funshine Fair serves several purposes — it continues to be a fundraiser for the parish, but it also brings families together — families who are parishioners and those who aren’t.

“It gives us a chance to be visible,” said the pastor. “It helps us say ‘this is the church and this is who we are.’”

— Senior Staff Writer Tammy Wells can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 327 or twells@journaltribune.com.