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On
Oct. 2, 1881, a small group of men met in the basement of
St. Mary’s Church on Hillhouse Avenue in New Haven,
Connecticut. Called together by their 29-year-old parish
priest, Father
Michael J. McGivney, these men formed a fraternal society
that would one day become the world’s largest Catholic
family fraternal service organization.
Father
McGivney dedicated his life to the spiritual and physical
welfare of others, creating the Knights of Columbus to
provide insurance for the protection of widows and orphans,
and the spiritual benefit of its members and families.
Today, a growing number of schools, medical centers and
social service agencies named for him associate their work
with his charisma, and the Knights of Columbus insures the
lives of more than 1.2 million men, women and children.
But beyond
charitable works, Father McGivney wanted each Knight's heart
and mind attuned to greater love of God and his Son, both
within the Church and within the family. That is his
spiritual legacy.
Through the
Knights, Father McGivney sought to form young Catholic men
into good spouses and fathers. He has become known as
Apostle to the Young and Defender of Christian Family Life.
He saw strong families as the foundation of his parish, of
the Church and of society at large. He was convinced that
the Catholic layman had a unique role in influencing society
and promoting the values found in what Pope John Paul II has
since named the Culture of Life and Civilization of Love.
Father McGivney did not use the vocabulary of the 21st
century, but he espoused the same Gospel values that
Catholics affirm today.
Increasingly, Church leaders realize that part of Father
McGivney's spiritual genius is that nearly a century before
the Second Vatican Council addressed the important role of
the laity in the Church, Father McGivney built a way for
laymen to make a substantial and enduring contribution to
their parishes, communities and physical and spiritual
security of their families. And he saw that by doing so one
parish and community at a time, Catholic families could help
build a better world. He was a man
ahead of his time.
Click here to view a chronological history of the
Knights of Columbus and their faith in action.
SUPREME KNIGHT PROMOTES
KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS IN POLAND

Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson recently traveled to Poland
to meet with Polish Knights and to promote the recent
publication of the Polish edition of his bestseller A
Civilization of Love. The Supreme Knight also appeared
live on a popular television talk show promoting the Knights
of Columbus.
LEGISLATIVE ATTACK ON CONNECTICUT'S CATHOLIC CHURCH POSES
THREAT TO ALL CHURCHES
The
Connecticut
legislation that proposed to
strip administrative authority from Catholic priests and
bishops has clearly woken a “sleeping giant” – the state’s
Catholic population. Bishops from the state’s three
dioceses, along
with other speakers, including Supreme Knight Carl Anderson,
addressed a crowd of more than 5,000 Catholics and others
concerned for religious freedom in Hartford, CT on
Wednesday, March 11, 2009.
Read more
FATHERS
ARE ESSENTIAL
In keeping with a longstanding commitment to build stronger
marriages and families, the Knights of Columbus launched a
new initiative at the 126th Supreme Council
Meeting, called Fathers for Good. The centerpiece of the
initiative is an interactive Web site,
www.fathersforgood.org.
The theme for the launch of the Web site is “A Father’s
Identity,” which offers men resources on how to build a
strong, loving and confident identity in a culture that
often does not value fatherhood or masculine virtues. The
Web site also offers sections on male spirituality and
building a better relationship with God, topics that are
often overlooked on other male-oriented sites.
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Last modified:
06/26/09
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Columbus Star of the Sea Council #371 Bayonne NJ ∙
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