In Service to One, in Service to All

By Bishop Paul S. Loverde
Special to the Herald
(From the issue of 8/12/04)

This past week, I was privileged to participate in the 122nd Annual Meeting of the Supreme Council of the Knights of Columbus, held in Dallas, Texas. It is always a joy for me to be with my brother Knights and their families! In our diocese, across this country and world-wide, the Knights play a vital role in the life of the Catholic Church. Committed as they are to the sacredness of life from its very beginning at conception, to marriage and the family, to our young people, to vocations for the priesthood and consecrated life, to charitable works of outreach and support for the needy and for those with special needs, to solidarity with our priests and bishops, the Knights are truly men of God and of the Church. Together with their families, they make a decided difference in the Church and in society, as evidenced in the $130 million the Knights raised last year for charity and the 61 million hours of community service its 1.6 million members worldwide volunteered. Last year, 83,415 men joined the Knights.

More and more, councils of Knights are being formed within the parishes. I wholeheartedly support this approach because I am convinced that the ideals and programs of this fraternal order offer to our men a concrete way to grow in authentic Christian holiness and take part in the new evangelization, to which our Holy Father urgently invites us in this new millennium. In his greetings to the Knights on the occasion of the annual meeting, Pope John Paul II wrote, "It is my hope that your deliberations will confirm the Knights in fidelity to their baptismal vocation of ‘building up the Church, sanctifying the world and imbuing it with the Spirit of Christ.’" Within a parish council, the Knights grow in fraternity, in love for the Church, in Christian virtue and in support of those in need.

The theme of this year’s meeting was "Now is the Hour of the Lay Faithful," a reference to Pope John Paul II’s statement several months ago, "Now is above all the hour of the lay faithful, who, by their specific vocation to shape the secular world in accordance with the Gospel, are called to carry forward the Church's prophetic mission by evangelizing the various spheres of family, social, professional and cultural life" (May 28, 2004). Supreme Knight Carl Anderson was truly inspiring and encouraging in his address to the Knights gathered in Dallas, enthusiastically outlining for them a number of specific programs whereby they can significantly contribute to the building up of a new civilization of life and love and thereby be instruments for the Lord in our society. Anderson urged every council to participate in the upcoming Year of the Eucharist, beginning this October. Anderson said, "Evangelization of culture takes place every day in every one of the thousands of communities where we live and work — and especially within our councils and our families." His reflections and convictions truly touched me and, I am certain, all those who were present.

As I stated earlier, I was privileged to be with my brother Knights and their families at the 122nd annual meeting. I was especially pleased to share some time with Ray Wykoff, our State Deputy, and other officers of the state council and their families. My fervent hope is that the number of Knights will increase within this diocese. As they do, our diocesan Church will be strengthened, because the presence and participation of the Knights of Columbus and their families deepens the life of faith we are all seeking to live with increased fervor and commitment. "Vivat Jesus."

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