Jay Tippett has been a member of Our Lady of Hope Church in Potomac Falls since the Loudoun County parish was created in 2000, long before the church was built and dedicated in 2006.
But running a home remodeling business for 30 years took all his time and energy. About six years ago, when his son took over managing the company, Tippett, 69, was able to scale back his work hours to part time and started volunteering at his parish.
“I’ll just go make some pancakes for the pancake breakfast,” he thought in the fall of 2016. The Knights of Columbus who organized the breakfast welcomed him — and his involvement “just mushroomed from there,” said Tippett.
He joined Knights Council 12791 in December 2016, and got more and more involved, becoming Grand Knight two years ago. His term was extended because of the pandemic.
“All I was going to do was flip some pancakes,” he said.
But joining the Knights “was a significant turning point in my life,” Tippett said. “My role as a Knight has provided me the platform to be more involved in many ways to contribute to the parish and parish community.” He’s an usher and a member of the welcoming team and pastoral council, in addition to spearheading regular Knights events such as blood drives, activities for people with intellectual disabilities and food collections for Catholic Charities.
When churches were closed early in the pandemic, Tippett knew the parish and local organizations needed extra support and made it his mission to avoid canceling planned events. Instead, he found safe and socially distanced ways to keep them going as much as possible, from Christmas Markets and coat drives for local schools to fundraising meals that were converted to drive-thru events.
“We tried to do everything we could to be safe, but make it seem as normal as possible,” he said.
Tippett keeps a low profile, but parishioners such as Mary Meli have noticed his behind-the-scenes involvement and commented on his “joyful, helpful spirit” in supporting the parish’s vital needs during a challenging time.
Like many volunteers, Tippett said he gets more than he gives. Becoming a Knight introduced him to “a fraternity of brothers,” where he has formed a bond with other Catholic men who share values of charity, unity and fraternity “for the betterment of family, parish and the Catholic Church,” he said.
His brother Knights “have helped me strengthen and deepen my faith so much,” added Tippett, who grew up in the Washington area and attended Catholic schools until going to college at the University of Maryland.
“When you’ve gone to Catholic schools from first grade on, you’re taught things (about Catholicism) and don’t really analyze them. But a couple of these guys are converts, whose in-depth look into the faith has opened my eyes. You never think about ‘Why am I doing this; what is the feast of the Assumption for?’ But some of these guys unknowingly have driven me to really look deeper into my faith.”
He’s especially interested in supporting young families’ involvement in the parish, something he wishes he’d focused on more when his own three kids were young. Tippett and his wife, Cherie, recently celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. They have eight grandchildren, ranging in age from 5 to 19, who all live nearby.
“An emphasis on families is one of the biggest motivating factors in what I do,” he said.
He’s spent so much time around the parish the last couple of years that he said the staff gave him his own desk in a corner of the office, where he plans activities and writes up bulletin notices for events such as pancake breakfasts and fish frys. He includes the word “family” in the titles whenever possible, so parents know kids are welcome.
His involvement may wind down a little when his term as Grand Knight ends in July, but he expects to remain active at the parish — and said he’ll still show up to flip pancakes.
