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My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
The Knights of Columbus Supreme Convention took place Aug. 5-7 in Washington, D.C., where I attended with about 2,000 delegates and their wives from the United States, Canada, Mexico, Philippines, Poland, South Korea, Ukraine, and Cuba. Since some people may not know what the Knights of Columbus do other than serve as an honor guard that they see occasionally at Mass, I would like to share some highlights with you about them and their Supreme Convention.
The mission of the Knights of Columbus is to empower Catholic men to live their faith at home, in their parish, at work, and in their community. It is a fraternal benefit society, which means it provides financial security to members and their families, while turning premiums into charitable impact. Father Michael J. McGivney, founded the Knights of Columbus in 1882 at St. Mary’s Church in New Haven, Conn. His idea was to establish a lay organization to dissuade Catholic men from entering secret societies hostile to Catholic Church teaching, to help unite Catholic men, and to assist families of deceased members.
The new organization took Christopher Columbus as their patron in recognition of his status as a Catholic and as the discoverer of America. In this way, they demonstrated their loyalty to their country as well as their faith. In addition to the insurance benefits, Catholic men were drawn to the Knights because of their emphasis on serving one’s Church, community, and family with virtue. Fraternity and patriotism were added to the Knights’ founding principles of charity and unity.
In his annual report at the Supreme Convention this year, Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly reported that the Knights of Columbus dedicated 48 million hours last year to serving others and donated a record-breaking $197 million to those in need. Thanks to such generosity, the Knights gave nearly $5 million to support people with intellectual disabilities through their work with the Special Olympics.
One of the Knights’ oldest charitable programs is support for blood drives, sponsoring them for over 90 years. Last year, donors gave more than 260,000 pints of blood at K of C blood drives.
The Knights’ Global Wheelchair Mission has now donated more than 158,000 wheelchairs, including a record of more than 19,000 just last year, with nearly 300 of those going to Nigeria for Christians who have endured violence and persecution for their faith.
Knights from Ukraine and Poland continue to bring emergency supplies to refugees and victims of Russia’s war against Ukraine.
Closer to home, Knights of Columbus are responding to the devastating flash flood that recently swept through Texas. When Hurricane Helene caused widespread destruction in September, Knights were quickly on the scene. From Florida to North Carolina to Tennessee, Knights gave shelter to the homeless, as well as food and clothing to those who lost everything. When Hurricane Milton hit Florida and Georgia less than a month later, Knights were just as quick to respond, helping rebuild those shattered communities.
The same is true in California. The wildfires in January devastated Los Angeles, and they ultimately destroyed an area bigger than Washington, D.C. Thousands of families had to flee. But even as the fires raged, the Knights arrived with truckloads of supplies and helped find homes for those who had lost theirs.
Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly reported that the Knights of Columbus surpassed 2.1 million members after more than 96,000 men joined the organization last year. The Knights of Columbus has also grown on college campuses, where there are now 8,000 Knights at 146 college councils.
In a video greeting from His Holiness Pope Leo XIV broadcast at the Supreme Convention, the first American pope urged Knights around the world to reflect on the “essential virtue” of hope, particularly during this Jubilee Year of Hope. The Holy Father said, “As Catholics, we know that the source of our hope is Jesus Christ and He has sent His followers in every age to bring the good news of His saving Paschal Mystery to the entire world.” Pope Leo XIV also commended the Knights’ efforts to bring prayer, fraternity, and charity to their local communities, which has been the Knights’ mission since its founding by Blessed Michael McGivney more than 140 years ago.
At the States Dinner on the opening day of the Supreme Convention, the Knights of Columbus presented the Gaudium et Spes Award to the Honorable Mary Ann Glendon, former Ambassador of the United States of America to the Holy See and Professor of Law Emerita at Harvard Law School. Her service to the Catholic Church has included leadership roles in various Vatican bodies, notably as president of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences and the Holy See’s Head of Delegation at an international conference convened by the United Nations. In that role she steadfastly opposed abortion and population control efforts at the landmark 1995 U.N. World Conference on Women held in Beijing. She has dedicated her formidable intellect and moral authority to advancing the social teachings of the Church, advocating for human rights and liberty in order to defend the dignity of every human person and to promote the common good of all. It was indeed fitting for Glendon to receive this highest award from the Knights of Columbus in recognition of her outstanding lifetime achievements.
Here in Illinois, there are many Knights of Columbus councils located throughout the state and in our diocese. For more information about a council near you, please contact your local parish or send an email to [email protected]. I pray that the Knights of Columbus will continue to grow and help empower more Catholic men to live their faith at home, in their parish, at work, and in their community.
May God give us this grace. Amen.
Caption:
At the States Dinner on the opening day of the Supreme Convention in Washington on Aug. 5, the Knights of Columbus presented the Gaudium et Spes Award to the Honorable Mary Ann Glendon, former Ambassador of the United States of America to the Holy See and Professor of Law Emerita at Harvard Law School, whom Bishop Thomas John Paprocki met.
Submitted photo