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K. of C. serves up traditional supper for Lent
The Knights of Columbus Council No. 796 is halfway through another season of serving up faith and fellowship in the community.
The council's fish fries take place from 5 to 7 p.m. every Friday at the Kennedy Gymnasium located at 716 S. Eddy St. They are held each Friday for six weeks throughout the Lenten season, with the exception of Good Friday, April 18.
Knights member George Kutey said Friday night's fish fry was the third of the season. The events have gone from serving about 50-70 members of the Catholic Church when they began, to serving thousands of community members during the season.
"The last two weeks, we've served as many as 350 people during the course of the evening," he said. "It's a wonderful turnout."
Kutey said the fish fries have been gathering events for Catholic parishioners and non-Catholics for 25-30 years.
The typical menu for the events includes catfish, breaded and baked cod, French fries, baked potatoes and all the fixings, a vegetable such as green beans or corn, meatless spaghetti with tomato sauce, rolls and a variety of beverages such as coffee and tea.
This year, a new menu item has been added - in-house made meatless cheese pizza, Kutey said.
"Quite a few (people) get carry-out orders to take home for people who can't dine in for whatever reason," he said. "More than half of our support is from non-Catholics; we get tremendous support."
Kutey added the fish fries have become community social events.
"We enjoy doing it," he said.
More than 100 members of the K. of C. council help with organization of the fish fries - from preparation to setting up tables, serving and clean-up - throughout the season.
"As many as 25 members every week (help)," Kutey said. "We also get wonderful support from the ladies of the church parish with homemade desserts.
A freewill offering is requested at the dinners, with the proceeds benefiting several local charitable organizations such as The Beacon, a local food pantry and community assistance agency, Birthline, which helps expectant mothers, and Mother to Mother Ministry, an organization that helps mothers and families facing various needs.
The K. of C. also helps cover expenses of American Red Cross blood drives each year and also has a provision set aside to "help fire victims with financial support in the event they need help replenishing basic supplies and household items," Kutey said. "There is also a drive worldwide to provide money for disaster relief and victims of natural disasters."
Kutey said a portion of proceeds from the fish fries will be donated to the Mary Queen of Angels Catholic Church treasury to cover utilities used at the gymnasium to put on the events.
"It helps defray some of those expenses we're generating and reimburse the church," he said. "There's also a contribution to the ladies' organization in the church for their support with the desserts."
Church doctrine requires that Catholics abstain from eating meat on Fridays during Lent, which runs from Ash Wednesday on March 5 to Holy Thursday on April 17, three days before Easter Sunday, or Holy Saturday on April 19, the day after Good Friday and the day before Easter. Fish fries are popular events in Catholic parishes throughout the U.S.
Lent is a period devoted to fasting, abstinence and penitence in commemoration of Christ's fasting in the wilderness. For Catholics, it requires a "voluntary self-sacrifice," Kutey said.
"It commemorates the 40 days that Jesus fasted in the desert," he said. "It's a season of Lenten penance preparing for the Easter event; Christ raising from the dead."
During Lent, in addition to eating no meat on Fridays, Catholics limit the number of meals they consume.
The dinners are open to anyone in the community, regardless of church or religious affiliation.
Kutey said the Knights of Columbus organization is celebrating its 111th anniversary in Fort Scott this year. He said the charter for the Catholic men's organization was established in 1903.