Although the ceremonial dress of the Knights of
Columbus is that of knights of the age that Christopher Columbus lived and centuries
before, we look at ourselves as 21st Century knights of Christ the King…….willing
to defend the Church against physical, legal, and verbal attack; fight to
conserve Christian values in our society; serve God, our parishes, and our communities;
protect the Blessed Sacrament and Christ in the tabernacle with our lives. Thus
the order is restricted to faithful practicing Catholic men.
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| A painting of our founder, Fr. Michael McGivney (1852-1890) with the people he served in the background. |
In 1881 Fr. Michael McGivney, then a 29 year
old holy Catholic priest whose cause for canonization is in process, saw a need
for a fraternal society for faithful, practicing Catholic men to give more
security for their families. There were too many poor widows --as a
result of industrial accidents-- who had to cope alone with their young
children. His idea was to provide low cost life insurance to protect the
families of the knights. Fr. McGivney's vision also included fraternal
fellowship and the spiritual formation of its members while promoting good
family life, patriotism, and serving the parish and the community. He died in 1890.
Since the Masons were so vehemently
anti-Catholic at the time, Fr. McGivney most likely hoped that the Knights of
Columbus would be a Catholic alternative to Masonry. In fact the Church today still forbids Catholics
to be members under the pain of grave sin that deprives them from the
sacraments and being accepted as Knights.
Today, militant masonry has mellowed, but much of it, especially at the
higher degrees are against Church teaching as brought out by a 32nd
Degree Mason, John Salza in his book, “Masonry Unmasked: An Insider Reveals the
Secrets of the Lodge” (http://scripturecatholic.com/MU.pdf).
See also
See also
http://www.catholic.com/quickquestions/what-does-the-church-say-about-freemasonry
http://www.catholiceducation.org/articles/religion/re0161.html,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opposition_to_Freemasonry_within_Christianityhttp://www.catholiceducation.org/articles/religion/re0161.html,
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| A bird's eye view of some of the activities of the Knights of Columbus with its emblem. |
Knights of Columbus Life Insurance has financial
ratings among the very highest in the industry. The profits (i.e.,
surplus) are distributed, not to stockholders, but to its insured and is also
used for charities around the world. For example, the Knights of Columbus
are among the leaders in the pro-life movement; many councils make the annual
pilgrimage to the March for Life in Washington. It successfully helped to
initiate and lobby for the insertion of "under God" in the Pledge of
Allegiance in 1954 and continues to fight secular efforts to remove it in the
courts. Today the Knights of Columbus has grown to more than 14,000
councils and 1.8 million members throughout the United States, Canada, the
Philippines, Mexico, Poland, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Panama, the
Bahamas, the Virgin Islands, Cuba, Guatemala, Guam, Saipan, and among off-duty
military. For more information go to www.kofc.org.
If you are not a Knight, please talk to a member and look at its
websites for more detail at www.kofc.org.
There are many opportunities for great fellowship, a fabulous life
insurance program to protect your family, and opportunities to serve the parish
and the community. An active council in which all of its members
participate can indeed be a force for good in the parish and the surrounding
community.
Knights of Columbus Life Insurance has
financial ratings among the highest in the industry. The profits are used
for charities around the world. For example, the Knights of Columbus are
among the leaders in the pro-life movement. It successfully helped to initiate
and lobby for the insertion of "under God" in the Pledge of
Allegiance in 1954 and continues to fight secular efforts to remove it in the
courts. Today the Knights of Columbus has grown to more than 14,000
councils and 1.8 million members throughout the United States, Canada, the
Philippines, Mexico, Poland, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Panama, the
Bahamas, the Virgin Islands, Cuba, Guatemala, Guam, Saipan, & the military.
For more information go to www.kofc.org.
May the following two prayers help to always keep us strong and active, always faithful to the Church and the mission of the Knights of Columbus as envisioned by our founder, Fr. Michael McGivney.
A KNIGHT’S PRAYER*
-Lord, you are the Christ, Christ the King, King of the Universe.
-We are your humble
knights ready to serve at your command.
-Use us according to your
will, to serve you and your people well and give
you glory.
-Don’t let us do anything
that might dishonor your Holy Name.
-We are always your loyal
knights from the vigor of our youth to sickness and old age….. when we will unite our crosses with your
cross and offer them for your kingdom on earth.
**Help us to be noble and
worthy knights in the spirit of the knights of old…..
-To generously do good in
serving your Church, the parish, the community, and our country;
-To perseveringly help and
promote the cause of the poor, the defenseless, and the unborn;
-To be men of prayer,
honor, character, and integrity;
-To boldly but prudently
do what is right, morally and ethically, regardless of consequence;
-To act with courtesy,
modesty, and humility, but firmness without giving offense;
-To be patient, caring,
kind, and gentle men of courage and virtue,
chaste and pure according to our states of
life;
-To be devoted and
faithful to our families as fathers, husbands, and sons…..conscientious parents, providers, and
protectors with St. Joseph as our patron.
-To graciously treat all
women with respect, dignity, and honor;
-To do our part to restore
our Christian culture to what it once was and to what it should be;
-To be good Catholic
leaders and blameless role models for youth to follow;
-To encourage and promote
vocations to the religious life;
-To fearlessly defend the
Church, the faith, and the truth against attack;
-To appropriately
evangelize in little or big ways by prayer, example, word, and deed;
-To protect our King, ever
present in the Eucharist, against defilement with our lives.
**Father, help us to do our part to establish your kingdom
-And further your divine
will on earth as it is done in heaven.
-Holy Spirit, guide us in
our decisions; tell us what to do, what to say, and what to write.
-Sanctify us, strengthen
us, and grant us your gifts, especially fortitude, wisdom, and understanding, for
the realization of your divine will.
-Mary, our mother, you are our queen, Queen of Heaven and
Earth.
-We are your loyal knights
ready to serve at your command.
-Use us according to the
will of your Son.
-Nurture our faith and
keep us faithful to the Church and its teachings.
-Mother, take us each by
the hand and lead us through life to eternity with you and your Son.
-Venerable Father Michael McGivney, intercede that we effectively continue your work for God and Country
-And recruit new members
who will be consistently faithful in following your mission.
-Pray that we always live
up to the ideals of the Knights of Columbus which you founded.
* When time at a meeting is short for oral prayer, the second and/or third paragraphs (**) may be omitted.
A KNIGHT'S PRAYER OF
TRUST*
-Lord, you
are the Christ; Christ my King.
-I am your
knight.
-Please use
me according to your will.
-Wherever
You send me, I will go.
-Whatever
you ask of me, I will do.
-What
mission you give me, however small or great, I will embrace.
-And when
you take that mission away from me and give me another,
-I will
always accept your will with the same zeal and trust
-Even if it
is a life of prayer and sacrifice in a sick bed…….as I unite my cross with your Cross by offering up my aches and pains to you as a
dynamic prayer for the Church, my family, and the world.
* If you are a Knight and like these
two prayers, you might want to consider reciting one or the other at the
beginning or end of meetings and ceremonies either regularly or
occasionally. You may also consider giving copies to your members and to
newly inducted 1st degree knights.
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