In 1882, while serving an immigrant parish in New Haven, Connecticut, Father Michael McGivney founded the Knights of Columbus. He gave us one mission — to follow Christ. And he called us to fulfill it through faith and charity. For Father McGivney and the first Knights, faith and charity went hand in hand. They knew that spiritual poverty and material poverty both diminish human dignity — and both demand a strong response.
Our forefathers met this challenge by keeping families together. They helped men grow in virtue, and they helped parents raise their children in the faith. They cared for families when disaster struck, especially when young fathers died. Father McGivney and the first Knights proved that faith and charity grow together. For as Christ himself commanded us, “you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart … soul … mind, and … strength” and “you shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Mk 12:30-31). In these words, we hear the call of the Knights of Columbus. Our fidelity to this mission has taken us from a small group of men in a parish basement to a global Catholic brotherhood. And today, our mission is more urgent than ever.
Times have changed. The culture is growing more hostile to our faith. The two institutions that are most essential to human flourishing — the family and the Church — are facing mounting threats. In these difficult times, so much depends on our commitment to our mission. Will we be credible witnesses to a living faith? Will ours be a charity that evangelizes? Will we stand for the truth without apology and without counting the cost? Our answer is the same as Father McGivney’s: Yes! We will point the world to Jesus Christ. He is the light that shines in the darkness. And he will shine through the Knights of Columbus.
— Excerpted from Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly’s 2023 annual report
In Local News:
Thank you to our bell Captains Bernie Potts (Who MADE the bell) and Bill Venglar (Mr. Ringer) who toiled to remove the rust and give it a protective coating of paint.
Be sure to admire their work this weekend as you attend mass. The bell is located on the left side of the courtyard as you walk towards the wooden entrance doors.
