A Look At Our Knights Of Columbus Drive-Thru Fish Frys: Keeping A Favorite Lenten Tradition Going

Something like the COVID-19 pandemic wasn’t going to stop the St. Joseph Knights of Columbus from holding their Lenten fish frys. This year, the Knights have made the fish frys a drive-thru event.

This is the fourth year that St. Joseph 1551 Council of the Knights of Columbus has held fish frys for the community. Kevin Lonneman was one of the original founders of the dinners, and he and several fellow Knights continue to coordinate the events today.

“Last year we got it in time just before the shutdown,” Kevin says.

Offering the fish frys as drive-thru events has not deterred customers, however. During the March 5 fish fry this year, the Knights served more than 300 meals at $10 each. The menu is consistent with popular fish fry offerings, such as fried fish, baked potato, coleslaw, and a dessert. A second fish fry was held on March 26 that served approximately 270 people. While the drive-thru fish frys have proved a successful way to continue the event during the pandemic, it has not been possible to offer delivery or to take phone orders.

The entire Knights council has turned out to help prepare the meals in a finely tuned assembly-line fashion. The fish is fried in a trailer that is equipped with three deep fryers. The Knights prepare everything except the coleslaw, and the desserts are pre-made Rice Krispie treats provided by a local company.

Preparing so many fish in a single day would be a tall order for most, but our Knights get the job done so that all who support the fish frys can enjoy a great meal.

“It’s a little struggle to fry that amount of fish in a two-hour period,” Kevin says, citing the serving time of 5-7 p.m.

The camaraderie and stewardship of the Knights Council working the fish frys extends to their families, with spouses and children also helping out. Young parishioners who are preparing for Confirmation have been able to earn service hours by helping, as well.

“It’s a whole community effort for the church,” Kevin says.

The St. Joseph 1551 Council is already looking forward to offering the fish frys next year, with great hopes that our community will enjoy the efforts of the Knights of Columbus on behalf of our parish.

Membership in the Knights of Columbus is open to men at least 18 years of age who are practicing Catholics. If you would like more information, or are interested in joining, please visit www.kofc.org.

Knights of Columbus members and their families help with packing the fish fry dinners.

When this sign is out, everyone knows that a great fish dinner is at hand!