Our next stop on the fish fry tour takes us across the Ohio River to the Cardinal Ritter Knights of Columbus Council in New Albany.  Founded in 1907, this council is one of the oldest Knights councils in the Louisville Metro area.  This is a mere 25 years after Father Michael McGivney founded the Knights as a way to provide insurance and safety for families who lost their main breadwinner.

For many people, even some Catholics, they don’t know all that the Knights do.  The Knights of Columbus provide a list of activities and charities that the Knights participate in, including Habitat for Humanity and Special Olympics, along with programs run by the Knights themselves, such as Coats for Kids and Food For Families (NOTE:  Grayson County, where we went for fish fry earlier this year, raised money from a chili dinner that would then help purchase coats for 90 children.)  The Knights are also prominent in the pro-life community and can often be seen praying at abortion clinics or walking in the March For Life.

The Knights are perhaps best known for their highly rated life insurance plans.  The Knights offer a variety of products and services, all to meet the needs of the members.

One of the biggest misconceptions about the Knights, though, is that the group is only for old men.  However, while this is true for some councils, the minimum age to join is 18, and many college campuses and even parish councils are now adding young adults.  There is also a separate program for younger Catholic boys that is appropriately called the Columbian Squires.  The Squires work to develop boys into strong community leaders through service, social activities, and Catholic teaching.

For more information on the council that the Fish Fry Crew will be attending, you can go to their website:  http://www.kofc1221.org.  They have a list of all of their activities and events, as well as provide Catholic resources.  I particularly recommend browsing some of their old photo galleries which includes a visit from their namesake, Cardinal Joseph E. Ritter, in 1961.