Recently in Knights of Columbus Category

The cause for beatification and eventual sainthood of Father Michael J. McGivney, founder of the Knights of Columbus, took another step on September 22, 2009, with the submission of a supplemental report on a potential miracle attributed to the priest's intercession.

The Knights of Columbus announced today that officials from a supplemental tribunal of the Archdiocese of Hartford -of which Fr. McGivney was a parish priest- formally sent a new report to the Vatican's Congregation for the Causes of Saints through Dr. Andrea Ambrosi, the current postulator of McGivney's cause. The information gathered by the tribunal included testimonies from witnesses to the supposed miracle as well as the statements of several medical doctors about the circumstances surrounding the reported miracle. Dominican Father Gabriel B. O'Donnell, the current vice-postulator and former postulator, has worked on the cause for a number of years with the assistance of a variety people, not least was Millie Millea, the former secretary at the McGivney Guild.

In the context praying Sext (midday prayer), the brief ceremony in which the new report was signed and presented to Archbishop Henry J. Mansell was attended by Supreme Knight Carl Anderson, other Supreme Officers and other Knights of Columbus officials, three relatives of Father McGivney and a number of archdiocesan officials.

The submission of the new report "marks an important step forward. The Vatican's Congregation for the Causes of Saints will now have valuable additional testimony that clarifies and adds significantly to the original submission," Supreme Knight Carl Anderson said.

"Father McGivney's beatification would be an important event," Anderson added, "not only for Knights of Columbus, but for the many thousands of parish priests who quietly do the Lord's work in parishes each day and regard him as an outstanding example for priests everywhere.  In this 'Year for Priests' it is an especially appropriate step forward." When beatified, McGivney will be the first US diocesan priest beatified.

The cause for Father McGivney's sainthood was opened by Hartford Archbishop Daniel A. Cronin in December 1997. In 2000, the cause was presented to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints;  Pope Benedict XVI declared him "Venerable Servant of God" on March 15, 2008.

Father McGivney founded the Knights of Columbus in 1882 and died on August 14, 1890 at the age of 38. At the time of the founding of the Knights of Columbus he was a curate at Saint Mary's Church (New Haven, CT).

For pictures of the event see this link.

[this articled was first published at CNA and edited for clarity] 

The Rimini Meeting, mentioned here before, invited Carl Anderson, the Supreme Knight of the Knights of Columbus to address the more than 700,000 attendees on August 28, 2009. In his address he spoke about the common, practical spirituality of the Knights as influencing works of Charity. Knowing that "Christ plays in ten thousand places, Lovely in limbs, and lovely in eyes not his", Anderson advocated a life of charity that spurs all people --at least it ought to-- to build a civilization of love based on real, lasting hope.

The point for Catholics is not to set up another group of "do-gooder" structure no matter of the brilliance of the idea which has no grounding in the dignity of man and woman and/or with some vague understanding of Christianity, but to form a companionship, friends who are rooted in Christ Jesus. Only then can we truly, actually care for another. Many can argue rightly that people who have no faith or don't share faith in Christ can build a loving and caring society. True and there are bountiful examples of this being done all around the world. But for those who claim to be Christians, substance over sentiment is what drives. I don't do something and meet Christ. Rather, I have met Christ and therefore I live differently with myself and with my brothers and sisters around me. Otherwise we have beige Catholicism and we don't need more of that stuff.

In my opinion, Carl Anderson touches on this point: our Christian lives are not sustained by a something but a someone: Christ who sacrificed himself for us on the cross and then rose from the dead. This is the hope Christians have. If we forget this point then we Catholics are no different than the Elks lodge and that may be OK for some but I think being Catholic means something more: that we come to know our God is a personal way through helping others. Ask yourself: How am I different after I've done something for my neighbor? Has my life in Christ changed, or not? Mr. Anderson draws on sacred Scripture & Theology as well as the works of Popes John Paul II and Benedict XVI. Particularly re-read Deus caritas est.

Carl Anderson's talk can be read here

Daily we pray for the beatification of the Venerable Father Michael J. McGivney, the founder of the Knights of Columbus. His cause for canonization has been advanced because we are convinced he deeply contemplated the face of Christ and truly knew the Lord by entering into his sacrifice of love. In imitation of the Lord who came 'not to be served but to serve,' Father McGivney poured out his life, "in service to one, in service to all." He was that priestly grain of wheat, which, like the Lord died and was buried, and then in the power of the Holy Spirit produced abundant fruit.

By being with his people in their need - the people of this very parish [St. Mary's Church, New Haven, CT] - Father McGivney followed Christ; where Christ was, there was Father McGivney.

Our founder saw Christ in the multitudes that packed this Church each Sunday, and especially in the hardworking men whose faith he strove to bolster. He found Christ in families bereft by the death of husbands and fathers and indeed in a man condemned to die.

He sought the Lord in the lay leadership he raised up in the basement of this Church, men to whom he entrusted his fledgling organization conceived in the genius of holiness. In the power of the Holy Spirit, Father McGivney sought to write the law of love on the hearts of those first Knights of Columbus by creating an Order whose first and more enduring principle was charity. His love for Christ, and for his Church, and for the beloved Knights of Columbus did not diminish when be moved to Thomaston to serve as a pastor. He was merely 38 years of age when he died having poured out his life in acts of love for his people that replicated the mystery of Christ's sacrificial love that he celebrated each day in the Mass.

This is an excerpt of Bishop William A. Lori's homily from the March 29th Founders' Day Mass, Saint Mary's New Haven, Connecticut. Bishop Lori is the Bishop of Bridgeport and the Supreme Chaplain for the Knights.

Today marks the 127th anniversary of the State of Connecticut granting a charter to the Knights of Columbus. The dream of a lay Catholic men's fraternity of the Venerable Servant of God Michael J. McGivney came true.

May God grant the Knights of Columbus abundant blessings!

The editors of Headline Bistro, the headline service of the Knights Columbus, posted an analysis of the current situation regarding legislative bill 1098 introduced by two Connecticut congressmen last week.

Keeping up-to-date:

Carl Anderson's Op-Ed piece in the Stamford Advocate "Shredding the First Amendment in the Constitution State"

"Religious Freedom Under Attack in Connecticut"

The New Haven Register's March 9th article on the subject

The bill's chief proponent, Tom Gallagher, has an Op-Ed piece in the National Catholic Reporter.

Last evening (19 January) two participants in the October 2008 Synod of Bishops spoke about the importance and value of knowing Christ personally and intimately. Christ is not an abstraction nor is Christianity an ethic. Merely knowing about Jesus is moralistic and inconsistent with the true experience of Christinity which says that Jesus Christ is the true, personal foundation of life and that He answers the need of heart. Father Julián Carrón, President of the Fraternity of Communion & Liberation and Mr. Carl Anderson, Supreme Knight of the Knights of Columbus addressed a crowd of more than 200 people, including the Most Reverend Peter A. Rosazza, an auxiliary bishop of Hartford and Vicar for New Haven, CT. The evening was moderated by Dominican Father Peter John Cameron, Editor-in-Chief of Magnificat magazine.

The discussion was built on the theme "The Word's Face: The Word of God in the Life and Mission of Every Believer." Saint Mary's Church Hall (New Haven, CT) was the venue of the evening. This was the same hall that the Venerable Servant of God Michael J. McGivney founded the Knights of Columbus in 1882.

The discussion emphasized that Christians are not a people of the Book, as is commonly but wrongly asserted, but a people who follow a person, the definitive revelation of God, Jesus Christ. Moreover, it was emphasized that Catholics know Christ through sacred Scripture and Tradition. Anderson made a point in saying that he had heard a story of someone facing imprisonment who given a choice in taking one book with him and he selected the missal. The reasoning was the missal had both Scripture and the Liturgy. Both Anderson and Carrón dealt with various aspects of Dei Verbum, the revolutionary document on Divine Revelation from the Second Vatican Council.  Anderson made a point that the Church is missionary in sharing the faith with others and noted that Pope Paul VI, Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI have made the effective preaching of Jesus Christ a particularly important aim of the entire Church, each according to his or her place in the Body of Christ.

Father Julián Carrón was an Ordinary member of the Synod meaning that he was a full and voting participant in the Synod as the bishops who are appointed to the gathering. Father Carrón's Synodal intervention can be read here. Mr. Anderson was an auditor at the Synod meaning that he was a partial participant at the Synod but less important as his role was to listen to the work of the Synodal Fathers, to meet experts and those participating in the Synod and to make brief intervention before the full body of the Synod. Both have participated in previous Synods of Bishops.

Father Carrón and Mr. Anderson answered questions fielded from the audience and afterwards met with anyone who presented themselves. Father Carrón met very briefly with members of the local members of the Communion & Liberation. The event was an experience of Christ among us.

The evening was sponsored by Communion & Liberation of Connecticut, the Supreme Council of the Knights of Columbus and Saint Mary's Church & Priory.

A brief article and video of the panel discussion can be found here.