(OSV News) ─ Knights
of Columbus are called to have "the heart of a father" while taking
"co-responsibility" for the mission of the Catholic Church, said
Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly.
"Our witness as Knights ... is more important than ever," Kelly said.
"We must be witnesses to the love of God and witnesses to the heart of the
Father in heaven."
He shared his thoughts during a keynote address at the Knights' annual
Organizational Meeting of State Deputies, which took place June 8-11 in New
Haven, Connecticut.
This year, the gathering, which drew upward of 70 state deputies from the U.S.,
Canada and throughout the world, coincided with the Knights' June 7-9 assembly
of more than 40 state chaplains. At present, the Knights count some 2 million
members worldwide, with more than 16,000 local councils.
Joining Kelly at the meetings was Archbishop William E. Lori of Baltimore, the
Knights' supreme chaplain, who celebrated a June 9 Mass at St. Mary's Church in
New Haven, where the fraternal order was founded in 1882 by Blessed Michael
McGivney, the parish's assistant pastor at the time.
After the liturgy, Archbishop Lori led state chaplains, Knights of Columbus
Supreme Officers, board members and state deputies in the first Eucharistic
procession to be held at the Knights' organizational meeting.
Throughout the gathering, participants attended daily Mass and workshops, while
visiting key sites in the life of Blessed McGivney, such as St. Thomas Church
in Thomaston, Connecticut, where the young priest served as pastor until his
death in 1890 at age 38. The church also has gained recent recognition as the
site of a possible March 5 Eucharistic miracle that is currently under
investigation.
Blessed McGivney "truly lived and loved with the heart of a father -- a
heart completely dedicated to the service, protection and formation of those in
his care," Kelly said.
He pointed to the success of the Knights' Aid and Support after Pregnancy
(ASAP) initiative as an example of how the Knights are realizing Blessed
McGivney's vision for the organization. Launched in 2022, ASAP has to date
raised more than $5 million for mothers and babies, born and unborn.
Noting that faith formation and evangelization are his top priority, Kelly said
the Knights' Cor initiative -- piloted earlier this year and focusing on
prayer, formation and fraternity -- will expand broadly.
"The word 'cor' is Latin for 'heart,' and the purpose of the Cor meeting
is to get to the heart of the matter, and to form men to have the heart of a
father," said Kelly. "That is something every Catholic man
needs."
As part of Cor, the Knights will debut "Men of the Word," a new Bible
study for Catholic men that "(shows) men how to pray with Scripture,"
said Kelly. "When it comes to understanding what it really means to be an
authentic Catholic man, God's Word ... is one of the most powerful tools that
we have."
In his own keynote, Archbishop Lori described Cor as "absolutely
providential," saying the initiative would be undergirded by the
"friendship" that has been "key in the Knights of
Columbus."
"The order has brought together men and their families from around the
world in faith, friendship, and in service, (and) ... has created bonds of love
and friendship among families that are part of the order," he said.
Those bonds in turn are "rooted in the one who is supremely trustworthy,
namely Jesus Christ, the Father's beloved Son," said the archbishop.
Along with Cor, a new season of the Knights' "Into the Breach" video
series on marriage and fatherhood also is set for release at the Knights'
Supreme Convention in August, Kelly said.
He stressed that in all of its activities, the Knights have "(worked) side
by side with our priests and bishops."
"We've cared for widows and orphans, we've strengthened the faith, and
time and again, we've stood up to defend our faith against bigotry and
intolerance," said Kelly. "This is the power of co-responsibility.
It's the 'how' of the Knights of Columbus."
"It's
how, in each generation," he added, "we've been the 'strong right arm
of the church.'"
- - -
Gina Christian is a national reporter for OSV News. Follow
her on Twitter at @GinaJesseReina
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