KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS

J U LY/ A U G U S T 2 0 2 1

100th
Anniversary Issue
1921-2021

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Knights of Columbus

Making Our Founder’s Vision a Reality Since 1882

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 CONTENTS

Columbia
J U LY / A U G U S T 2 0 2 1 B VOLUME 101 B NUMBER 7
Departments

3 For the greater glory

of God
In the footsteps of our forebears,
we are called to defend the family,
the truth and the holy Eucharist.
By Supreme Knight Patrick E. Kelly

4 Learning the faith,

A young reader enjoys the
February 1927 issue of
Columbia. This photo was
published in August 1928
with the caption, “Columbia
is pleased to have, for its
youngest English reader,
Adrian George Barnard, of
London.” Within a decade
of launching in 1921, the
new official publication of
the Knights of Columbus
had become the widest-
read Catholic magazine in
the world.
TOP: Knights of Columbus Multimedia Archives — ON THE COVER: Painting by Terry Waldron / Photo by Aaron Joseph / Design by Agata Stele & Alton Pelowski
living the faith
The inaugural feast of Blessed
Michael McGivney is an opportunity
to celebrate and reflect on his life,
holiness and legacy.
By Supreme Chaplain Archbishop William E. Lori
PLUS: Catholic Man of the Month
6 Knights of Columbus News
New Supreme Knight, K of C
Leaders Installed During Historic
Meeting of State Deputies
26 Knights in Action
Reports from councils and
assemblies, representing the
four pillars of the Faith in Action
program model

8 100 Years of Columbia

The Order’s official magazine marks a century of helping to form ON THE COVER
and inform Knights, their families and others. A painting by Terry
By Columbia staff Waldron, a parishioner
at the Basilica of the

18 Stairway to Heaven
Immaculate Conception in
Waterbury, Conn., depicts
Father McGivney’s ministry and witness in the parishes he served Blessed Michael McGivney
at the steps leading to
continue to bear fruit today. St. Thomas Cemetery in
By Maureen Walther Thomaston.

22 A Tale of Two Orders

The Dominican friars at St. Mary’s Parish have carried on Father Membership in the Knights of Columbus is open to
McGivney’s legacy for 135 years. men 18 years of age or older who are practical (that
is, practicing) Catholics in union with the Holy See.
By John Burger This means that an applicant or member accepts
the teaching authority of the Catholic Church on

23 A Friend in Times of Need matters of faith and morals, aspires to live in accord
with the precepts of the Catholic Church, and is in
Devotion to Father McGivney is growing — and so are reports of his good standing in the Catholic Church.
intercessory help.
kofc.org/join
By Brian Caulfield

Copyright © 2021
All rights reserved

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 EDITORIAL

High Standards
DURING A VISIT HOME around the time I
was in graduate school, a copy of Columbia
in my parents’ dining room caught my eye. I
had seen Columbia countless times, since my
father had been a Knight of Columbus for
some 25 years, but this was the first time I
recall picking it up and reading it. Impressed
— and, dare I say, surprised — by the
quality and relevance of several faith-related
articles, I asked my dad, “This is the maga-
zine you’ve been getting all this time? Is it
always this good?”
Within a couple short years, I not only
joined the Knights myself but also moved to
New Haven to work on Columbia’s editorial
staff. Still, it would be several more years
before I really came to appreciate Columbia’s
rich history, dating back to its inaugural issue
in August 1921 (see page 8). From its begin-
ning, the magazine was an ambitious project,
featuring a remarkable lineup of prominent
and talented contributors.
In those days, Supreme Knight James
Flaherty was surely Columbia’s biggest fan.
His column marking the fifth anniversary
in 1926 gushes to a comical degree — yet
it also rings true, for he was writing in the
middle of the illustrious editorial tenure
of Myles Connolly, who would go on to
become a successful screenwriter, producer
and author.
“You, as members of the Order, are,
perhaps, a little too close to Columbia to see
clearly the important and authoritative posi-
tion it holds,” Flaherty wrote. “It should be a
source of pride to every Knight of Columbus.
Columbia
PUBLISHER
Knights of Columbus
… Columbia is like no other magazine. No
other magazine is like Columbia. It accepts no SUPREME OFFICERS
other magazine as a standard of excellence by Patrick E. Kelly
which to measure its own progress. Its con- Supreme Knight
tents are as wholesome as they are varied. Its Most Rev. William E. Lori, S.T.D.
wholesomeness is made of truth and strength Supreme Chaplain
and Catholic ideals.” Paul G. O’Sullivan
Five years later, an editorial signed “Su- Deputy Supreme Knight
preme Board of Directors” was a bit more Patrick T. Mason
modest: “The observance of our tenth birth- Supreme Secretary
day involves certain difficulties. The first and Ronald F. Schwarz
greatest is that we are in the position of a man Supreme Treasurer
who is giving a party in honor of himself. It John A. Marrella
can be done but it is not easily done with Supreme Advocate
good grace. Whatever is said here, then, is not
said with the intention of insinuating that, in EDITORIAL
ten years, Columbia has achieved perfection.” Alton J. Pelowski
Columbia has undergone a series of Editor
evolutions over the past century and its Andrew J. Matt
Managing Editor
effectiveness has varied, but certain things
have not changed. The editorial staff remains Cecilia Hadley
Senior Editor
committed to producing quality informative
— and formative — articles. We also hope Margaret B. Kelly
Associate Editor
the magazine is a source of pride for Knights
everywhere, even as we acknowledge that
there is still much room for improvement.
As we pause to commemorate this centen-
nial milestone — as well as the recent instal-
lation of Patrick E. Kelly as the 14th supreme
knight (see pages 3, 6) and the first feast day Blessed Michael McGivney
of Blessed Michael McGivney on Aug. 13 (1852-90) – Apostle to the
(see pages 4, 18) — we also look forward to Young, Protector of Christian
developing creative and compelling Colum- Family Life and Founder of
the Knights of Columbus,
bia content in the months ahead. B
Intercede for Us.
Alton J. Pelowski, Editor
HOW TO REACH US

COLUMBIA
1 Columbus Plaza
New Haven, CT 06510-3326
Father Michael McGivney: An American Blessed columbia@kofc.org
kofc.org/columbia
This film, produced by the Knights of Columbus last fall, explores Blessed Address changes
Michael McGivney’s life and legacy from his humble beginnings as the son 203-752-4210, option #3
of Irish immigrants to his founding of the Order in 1882. The 27-minute addresschange@kofc.org
documentary highlights his witness of fraternal charity, and evangelization Columbia inquiries
and empowerment of the laity; it also tells the story of the miracle that paved 203-752-4398
the way to his beatification Oct. 31, 2020. For more information about how to K of C Customer Service
watch the documentary, visit kofc.org/beatification. 1-800-380-9995

2 COLUMBIA B J U LY / A U G U S T 2 0 2 1

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A Sign of Unity
In the footsteps of our forebears, we are called to defend the family,
the truth and the holy Eucharist
By Supreme Knight Patrick E. Kelly
ON JUNE 11, I had the tremendous honor of
being formally installed in office — along
with state deputies, other supreme officers
and supreme directors — in the birthplace
of the Knights of Columbus, St. Mary’s
Church in New Haven, Conn. There we be-
gan our united work of service to the Order,
building on the foundations so excellently
set by those who have come before us.
The installation took place in the context of
our Organizational Meeting of State Deputies.
This gathering allowed us to pray together and
to discuss key issues and opportunities facing
the Order — particularly our need to continue
helping parishes and councils to emerge from
the pandemic. Over the course of four days,
we dedicated ourselves anew to the causes of
charity, unity and fraternity. It was remarkably
refreshing to be together again, in person.
It was the first major gathering since the
beatification of Blessed Michael McGivney,
our founder, who is both a model of the
charity and holiness to which we are called
and a powerful intercessor to guide us in
our mission.
Immediately after being installed as
supreme knight, I consecrated my admin-
istration to another model and guide, St.
Joseph, and asked those present to join me
in praying for his intercession. In remarks
following Mass, celebrated by our supreme
chaplain, I also spoke about how Knights of
Columbus are called to imitate St. Joseph
and to be guardians of the family and guard-
ians of the truth.
In our day, Catholic families are strug-
gling to live out their faith and raise their
children amid a culture that is increasingly
hostile to our beliefs. Catholic husbands and
fathers, especially fathers of young children,
need the encouragement and support of the
Photo by Laura Barisonzi
Knights of Columbus. We can inspire them
with the creative courage needed to keep
their families strong in the faith.
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F O R T H E G R E AT E R G LO R Y O F G O D
As was the case for Blessed Michael
McGivney, we live in a time of bigotry and
intolerance. Key truths — truths about
marriage, about life in the womb, about
the nature of the family and the meaning
of freedom — are often denied and even
vilified. Yet this makes our commitment to
the truth all the more important.
By standing for truth, we as an Order will
continue to be a sign of unity — the lasting
and true unity that comes from a commit-
ment to Christ above all other things. This
unity in truth is grounded in the truth of the
Eucharist, what the Second Vatican Council
called “the source and summit of the Chris- ‘By standing for
tian life” (Lumen Gentium, 11).
The example of St. Joseph teaches us truth, we as an
how to be Knights of the Eucharist. He was
the guardian of the first tabernacle — be- Order will continue
ginning with Mary herself when she bore
Christ in her womb, and then in the home to be a sign of unity
where he and Mary lived with Jesus. As
Knights, we too are called to have a special — the lasting and
reverence for Christ’s real presence —
body, blood, soul and divinity — in the true unity that comes
Blessed Sacrament. The more we devote
ourselves to Christ in the Eucharist, the from a commitment
more we will be a sign of unity in an age of
division and disbelief. to Christ above all
The Knights of Columbus can and should
be a sign of unity in this age and a source of other things.’
light and courage for the men and families
living in these challenging times. It is a
high calling and, like previous generations
of Knights, the time has come for us to
answer the call, out of love for Christ and
his Church.
United in the Eucharist, and calling upon
the intercession of Our Lady of Guadalupe,
patroness of the Order, of St. Joseph, and of
Blessed Michael McGivney, may each of us, in
the words of St. Paul, “live in a manner worthy
of the call we have received” (Eph 4:1).
Vivat Jesus!
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 LEARNING THE FAITH, LIVING THE FAITH
Our Founder’s Feast Day
The inaugural feast of Blessed Michael McGivney is an opportunity
to celebrate and reflect on his life, holiness and legacy
By Supreme Chaplain Archbishop William E. Lori
WITH THE BEATIFICATION last fall of our
founder, Blessed Michael McGivney, a feast
day in the Church’s liturgical calendar was
assigned to him — namely, Aug. 13. Officially,
his feast day is reserved to the liturgical calen-
dar of the Archdiocese of Hartford, where he
served as a diocesan priest and where he was
beatified. Nonetheless, the entire family of the
Knights of Columbus can and should observe
this day of joy and grace. Permit me to offer
some suggestions for doing so.
First, I suggest that we prayerfully reflect on
Father McGivney’s life and holiness. Recent
issues of Columbia have featured beautiful
reflections on our founder — on the life of his
hardworking family, his journey to the priest-
hood, his extraordinary ministry as a parish
priest and his vision in founding the Knights
of Columbus. As members of the Order, each
of us should be thoroughly familiar with our
founder, for his life and holiness continue
to animate the spirituality, programs and char-
ities of the Knights. I recommend reading the
2006 biography Parish Priest: Father Michael
McGivney and American Catholicism by Doug-
las Brinkley and Julie M. Fenster.
Second, we should pray for Blessed Michael
McGivney’s canonization with fervor and at-
tention. Since we recite the prayer for his can-
onization so often, we may find ourselves not
giving adequate thought to what we are saying
(this is true of many prayers!). Especially on
Father McGivney’s feast day, we should linger
over this prayer, which is really a brief summa-
ry of his life and ministry. This prayer helps us
reflect on how our founder reached out to the
poor and to families devastated by the loss of
husbands and fathers; on all he did to foster
family life; and on his love for young people,
leading them to engage in charity.
Even as we pray for Blessed Michael
McGivney’s canonization, we also pray for
ourselves, that we might “continue his work
of caring for the needy and the outcast.” What
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a good occasion to reflect on whether we are
serving the poor and vulnerable in our com-
munities and participating in the many chari-
table programs of the Knights. In this prayer,
we also ask Blessed Michael’s intercession for
some favor that is particularly important to
us. May we never lose an opportunity to ask
him to pray for those spiritual and material
blessings that will help our Order to build
a civilization of truth and love. We all look
toward that happy day when, God willing, our
Blessed Founder will be declared a saint!
Third, let us not forget the litany of Blessed
Michael McGivney, issued on the occasion of
his beatification. After we invoke the Blessed ‘As members of
Trinity, Our Lady, St. Joseph and St. Michael,
the litany turns our attention to the attributes the Order, each
of our founder. We ask him to pray for us as
we address him by titles such as “Humble of us should be
Servant of God,” “Gentle Shepherd of Souls,”
“Protector of the Poor,” “Apostle of Christian thoroughly familiar
Family Life,” “Exemplar of Charity,” “Model
of Unity,” “Builder of Catholic Fraternity,” with our founder,
“Instructor of Christian Patriotism,” and, of
course, “Founder of the Knights of Colum- for his life and
bus.” Invoking Blessed Michael under these
and other titles draws us closer to him and holiness continue
invites him to accompany us spiritually as we
seek to live the principles of the Order. to animate the
Finally, if you can do so, please plan to
participate in holy Mass on Aug. 13, even if spirituality,
Blessed Michael’s feast day is not celebrated
in your locality. The Mass was truly “the programs and
source and summit” of Father McGivney’s
life, and there is no better way to honor our charities of the
founder than by entering into the mystery
of faith in which his entire life and ministry Knights.’
was rooted. While at Mass, let us ask Father
McGivney’s intercession that God raise up
an abundance of priestly vocations — priests
who will follow our founder’s lead in their life
and ministry.
And let me conclude by wishing each of
you a blessed and happy feast day! B
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 Supreme
Chaplain’s
Challenge
And Mary said: “My soul pro-
claims the greatness of the Lord;
my spirit rejoices in God my Sav-
ior for he has looked with favor
on his lowly servant.” (Gospel for
Aug. 15, Lk 1:46-48)
Praying together brings families
closer to God and closer to each
other. When Mary visits her cousin
Elizabeth, the first thing they do is
pray: Elizabeth declares a blessing
that we repeat every time we say
a Hail Mary, and Mary responds
with a hymn of praise called
the Magnificat. Blessed Michael
McGivney, whose feast day we
celebrate Aug. 13, came from a
prayerful home, and because of
his work to strengthen families, we
call him the “apostle of Christian
family life.” May we seek to make
our own homes places of prayer to
strengthen our families and draw
nearer to God.
BOTTOM LEFT: Photo by Spirit Juice Studios — BOTTOM RIGHT: CNS photo/Vatican Media — TOP RIGHT: Wikimedia Commons
Catholic Man of the Month
Venerable Norbert
McAuliffe (1886-1959)
BROTHER NORBERT McAuliffe was
always busy, but he was never too busy
to pray. Even in-between moments —
walking down a corridor, waiting for
a meal to begin — were opportunities
to turn to God, to ask for Our Lady’s
help, to intercede for souls in purgatory.
The Acholi people in Uganda, where he
served for more than 20 years, dubbed
him “Dano ma lego”: the man who
prays always.
Baptized John in Manhattan in 1886,
McAuliffe lost both of his parents before
he was 9 years old. He and his older
brother were raised in an orphanage by
Dominican sisters. When a Brother of
the Sacred Heart visited the home in
1902, John was moved by his stories
about teaching orphans and other young
people. Within months, he entered the
Sacred Heart novitiate in New Jersey
and received a new name, Norbert.
Brother Norbert taught throughout
the Midwest and South for the next sev-
eral decades. His students would later
recall the kindness, humor and deep
faith that suffused his lessons.
In 1930, he answered a call for
missionaries and was sent to Uganda
to help establish a new community of
Sacred Heart brothers. Except for the
six years of World War II, he would
live there the rest of his life. Under his
leadership, the community founded
several schools in Uganda and the
surrounding region.
Missionary work was difficult, requir-
ing a great deal of patience and practical
wisdom. Brother Norbert constantly
turned to prayer for strength. Asked
what someone should do during a visit
to the Blessed Sacrament, he replied,
“Just sit there and let God’s love come
to you from the tabernacle.”
Brother Norbert McAuliffe died
in Uganda on July 3, 1959, and was
declared Venerable in 2018. B

Liturgical Calendar Holy Father’s Monthly

This month, I challenge you to pray
every day as an individual or as a
family, asking the intercession of
Blessed Michael McGivney to live in
a more prayerful home, perhaps us-
ing the prayer for his canonization.
Second, I challenge you to assist
your council in the Faith in Action
Family Prayer Night or Family Week
program, incorporating devotions to
Father McGivney into your efforts.
Editor’s Note: For July’s challenge,
liturgical calendar and prayer inten-
tion, visit kofc.org/columbia.
Aug. 4 St. John Vianney Prayer Intention
Aug. 6 The Transfiguration of the Lord
Aug. 10 St. Lawrence
Aug. 11 St. Clare
Aug. 13 Blessed Michael McGivney
(observed with permission
of diocesan bishop)
Aug. 14 St. Maximilian Kolbe
Aug. 15 The Assumption of the
Blessed Virgin Mary Let us pray for the Church,
Aug. 20 St. Bernard that she may receive
Aug. 21 St. Pius X from the Holy Spirit the
Aug. 24 St. Bartholomew grace and strength to
Aug. 27 St. Monica reform herself in the light
Aug. 28 St. Augustine of the Gospel.

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 KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS NEWS
New Supreme Knight, K of C Leaders Installed
During Historic Meeting of State Deputies
PATRICK E. KELLY was officially installed as the 14th supreme
knight of the Knights of Columbus on June 11, the feast of
the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Kelly, who took office March 1,
received his medal of office from Past Supreme Knight Carl
Anderson at the conclusion of Mass celebrated by Supreme
Chaplain Archbishop William E. Lori of Baltimore at St.
Mary’s Church in New Haven, Conn.
“I promise to ensure that the Order continues to be the
strong right arm of the Roman Catholic Church, especially
in defense of its priests and bishops, its liberty, and its mis-
sion to bring the saving Gospel of Our Lord to all people,”
Supreme Knight Kelly stated in his oath of office.
The newly installed supreme knight led attendees in
praying the Litany of St. Joseph and consecrated his admin-
istration to St. Joseph. The act of consecration read, in part,
“O my spiritual father, I hereby consecrate myself and my
administration of the Order to you. In faithful imitation of
Jesus and Mary, I place myself and all my concerns under
your care and protection.”
Archbishop Lori then blessed the supreme knight, his
wife, Vanessa, and their three daughters.
Deputy Supreme Knight Paul G. O’Sullivan, Supreme
Secretary Patrick T. Mason and Supreme Warden Michael A.
Benson, as well as the newest supreme directors and attend-
ing state deputies, were also installed following the Mass
and remarks from the supreme knight.
The Knights of Columbus leaders were gathered for the
Organizational Meeting of State Deputies, June 9-13 — the
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Order’s first in-person meeting of jurisdiction leaders since
the COVID-19 pandemic began. The event marked the first
time that a supreme knight and state deputies were installed
on the same day.
Nearly 60 state deputies were present for the organizational
meeting, which featured daily Mass, business sessions, fraternal
events, and workshops on an array of topics, including leader-
ship, faith formation and evangelization, member engagement,
insurance and investments. Those unable to attend in person
due to travel restrictions participated remotely. The meeting
also included visits to the Supreme Council headquarters, the
Blessed Michael McGivney Pilgrimage Center and St. Mary’s
Church, the birthplace of the Knights of Columbus.
In a series of remarks, Supreme Knight Kelly outlined his
vision for the future of the Knights of Columbus, particularly
in a post-pandemic world. He stressed that the Order’s prin-
ciples of charity, unity and fraternity are answers to the needs
of individual men, as well as communities and parishes.
“Everywhere we look, men are isolated, alienated, and
longing for a life of meaning,” the supreme knight said
during his keynote address at the opening business session
June 11. “Many are turning inward. But our brotherhood
can help them look outward — toward others, toward a mis-
sion and a purpose that is bigger than themselves. Whether
college students, young husbands, new fathers or longtime
Knights, our brotherhood can help them lead the lives to
which Christ has called them.”
Supreme Chaplain Archbishop Lori, who led the Knights
6/23/21 10:48 PM
 in worship throughout the meeting, also delivered remarks.
In his opening address, he urged K of C leaders to emulate
Blessed Michael McGivney, whom he described as a “stead-
fast innovator.”
“We might ask, what was the source of Father McGivney’s
creative steadiness? And do we have access to that same
source?” Archbishop Lori said. “Happily, the answer is yes.
For Father McGivney’s source was nothing other than the
Eucharist which he celebrated day after day and upon which
he staked his life as a priest.”
In his homily for the feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary
on June 12, Archbishop Lori further emphasized that “without
the Eucharist, we cannot live the principles of the Order, for the
Eucharist is the bond of unity and the sacrament of charity.”
During the closing session June 13, Supreme Knight Kelly
announced that the next Orderwide pilgrim prayer program
will honor St. Joseph. An icon of the saint, which was also
displayed during the Mass and installation at St. Mary’s
Church two days earlier, will be shared with each jurisdiction
in the months ahead.
He also spoke about the reported new favors granted
through the intercession of Blessed Michael McGivney and
urged state deputies to continue praying for the canonization
of the Order’s founder.
“It is a great time to be a Knight because of Father Mc-
Givney’s beatification, but also because of how active Father
McGivney is in our spiritual lives,” Supreme Knight Kelly
said. “Please remember to bring the things on your heart to
Blessed Michael McGivney.” B
Photos by Tamino Petelinšek

Below: Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly delivers his keynote

address at the opening business session of the Organizational
Meeting of State Deputies in New Haven, Conn., June 11.

From top: Supreme Knight Kelly is joined by Past Supreme Knight

Carl Anderson and Supreme Chaplain Archbishop William Lori as
he takes his oath of office at St. Mary’s Church on June 11. • The su-
preme knight leads K of C leaders in praying the Litany of St. Joseph
and consecrates his administration to St. Joseph. • Supreme Knight
Kelly, his wife, Vanessa, and their three daughters are pictured
following the blessing by the supreme chaplain.

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 100 Years
of COLUMBIA
The Order’s official magazine marks a century of helping to form
and inform Knights, their families and others

By Columbia staff
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 W
hen the first issue of Columbia was pub-
lished in August 1921, Warren G. Harding
was U.S. president, Charlie Chaplin and
Rudolph Valentino were Hollywood’s
biggest stars and the New York Yankees had never been to
the World Series. Many of the 20th century’s most popular
magazines — Reader’s Digest, Better Homes and Gardens,
The New Yorker — did not exist. In fact, before Time began,
there was Columbia.
Yet, even before Columbia, there was The Columbiad.
Published since 1893, first in Boston and later in Hoboken,
N.J., The Columbiad shared news about the nascent Order
until 1921. That year, buoyed by unprecedented mem-
bership growth — from 389,000 in 1917 to 758,000 in
1921 — the Knights of Columbus announced it was taking
COLUMBIA JULY AUG 21 ENG 6_23 FINAL AP.indd 9
over its official publication. In addition to a new name, the
magazine would boast a new format, colored covers and a
broader editorial vision.
“The nation’s foremost public men, essayists, fiction
writers and artists will be among Columbia’s contributors,”
Supreme Knight James Flaherty explained in the final
issue of The Columbiad. “The editorial policy will be one
of outspoken religious and patriotic conviction tempered
with secular instruction and entertainment, and the single
and permanent aim will be to provide the Order with a
publication worthy of its power and prestige and meriting
the heartiest support of the entire membership.”
The editorial staff of Columbia has striven to fulfill this
“single and permanent aim” for the last century. The follow-
ing pages provide a small window into its 100-year history.
J U LY / A U G U S T 2 0 2 1 B C O L U M B I A 9
6/24/21 12:14 PM
 Ten articles by the acclaimed British author G.K. Chesterton appeared in Columbia in the 1920s, The first issue of Columbia, in August 1921,
including the paradoxically titled article above in the April 1924 issue. The magazine printed featured U.S. President Warren G. Harding
articles by other well-known writers and public figures such as Hilaire Belloc (see excerpt on fac- on the cover and included his message
ing page), U.S. President Calvin Coolidge, Gen. John J. Pershing, Jesuit Father James J. Wynne, about the new magazine: “That this forth-
James B. Connolly, William F. Buckley Sr., Frank Sheed and John Ford, among many others. coming publication, Columbia, will be devot-
ed to American ideals of religion, fraternity
and social welfare certainly suggests a

A New Beginning
COLUMBIA’S FIRST editor, John B.
Kennedy, quickly implemented the
Order’s vision for the new magazine
by seeking out and publishing a wide
array of talented writers, including
G.K. Chesterton and Hilaire Belloc.
In 1924, shortly after the 28-page
magazine expanded to 52 pages, Myles
Connolly became editor and widened
the stable of well-known contributors
even further (see above). Connolly’s
own “Mr. Blue” stories — which later
became the bestselling novel Mr. Blue
— began appearing in Columbia in
1926. By the time Connolly moved to
Hollywood in 1928 to pursue a career
as a screenwriter, Columbia was among
the leading periodicals in the United
States, as well as the largest Catholic
magazine in the world.
During the 1920s, Columbia covered
the vital issues of the day and ex-
pressed the Order’s strong opposition
to troubling developments such as
the resurgence of the Ku Klux Klan,
the threat of communism and the
persecution of the Catholic Church
platform on which all Americans can stand.”
It also features articles by then-Secretary
of Commerce (and future president) Herbert
Hoover and former chief of U.S. naval
operations Adm. William S. Benson, a Fourth
in Mexico. Indeed, for its outspoken Degree Knight.
articles, Columbia was banned by the
Mexican government in 1926. While
continuing its core mission of inform- Below: This November 1926 issue denounced
ing members about the Order’s activi- the persecution of the Church in Mexico and
ties, Columbia also featured illustrated resulted in Columbia being the first magazine
short stories, poetry, book and film banned by the Mexican regime.
reviews, sports stories, recipes and
other popular topics that appealed to a
wide audience.
John B. Donahue began his tenure as
editor a year before the stock market
crash of 1929. The Order’s member-
ship dropped during the Great Depres-
sion as many Knights could not afford
to pay dues. In 1932, the magazine cel-
ebrated the Order’s 50th anniversary
while also promoting unemployment
relief and membership drives.
With sabers rattling across Europe
in the mid-1930s, Columbia chronicled
the twin dangers of Nazism and com-
munism. A July 1936 editorial titled
“Malice in Naziland” was followed in
March 1937 by one titled “The Red
Threat to Peace.” By decade’s end,
World War II had begun.

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 From “He Went to Death Jesting,” a Columbia 1
article by Hilaire Belloc about St. Thomas More,
April 1928

“So he went up the steps; and as he did so

made one of those jokes which he was never
tired of making. … He asked them to help him
up to the scaffold and said that on coming
down he could shift for himself. As he laid
his weary neck upon the block he pushed his
beard forward with his hand saying, ‘That at
least has not committed treason.’ …
“Knowing well … that unity was at stake
(and unity is the essential mark of the
Church) he quietly laid down his life for uni-
ty, and thereby has become not only one of the
greatest men in European history, but, what
is far more, high in the roll of the saints.”

1. A page in the December 1921 issue celebrated the visit of

Marshal Ferdinand Foch, supreme commander of the Allied forces
in World War I, to Chicago in November. Foch also became an
honorary member of the Knights of Columbus on the occasion.

2. This illustration by Charles Livingston Bull, the premier wildlife

artist of his day, accompanied a short story in the October 1931
issue. Dozens of Bull’s illustrations appeared in Columbia in the
1920s and ’30s.

3. U.S. Rep. Thomas Jefferson Ryan of New York discussed his

recent bill to investigate the Ku Klux Klan’s illegal practices in a
July 1922 article. Throughout this era, Columbia’s pages regularly
denounced the Klan’s racism and anti-Catholic bigotry.

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 War & Peace
CANADA ENTERED the Second World
War just days after Hitler invaded
Poland Sept. 1, 1939. The United States
followed suit after the bombing of Pearl
Harbor Dec. 7, 1941. Columbia carried
a message from Supreme Knight Francis
P. Matthews to the Order on the first
page of the January 1942 issue. “We
know that we, with our fellow Ameri-
cans of every creed and race, will pay
dearly … before the victory is won,” the
supreme knight wrote. “But we know,
too, that we shall be paying not for a
war that we did not want, but for the
peace that victory, with God’s help, will
restore to the world.”
Columbia adapted its pages to world
events, printing stories, photos and
advertisements in support of the Allied
efforts. Reports about members and
councils buying war bonds, taking care
of wounded service members and op-
erating recreation huts filled the “What
Knights are Doing” section. The mag-
azine also promoted the Order’s own
Peace Program, a vision for the future
developed in discussion with Catholic
clergy and scholars.
After the war, the Soviet threat to
peace became an overriding concern.
Throughout the late 1940s into the
1960s, Columbia published scores of
articles about the expansion of commu-
nism in Eastern Europe, China, Cuba,
South America and Africa.
In 1955, Columbia changed its large
format to the standard magazine size
that continues to this day. Pope Pius XII
extended his “personal good wishes” to
Supreme Knight Luke Hart about the
new design and imparted his apostol- Columbia celebrated the centennial of Father
ic blessing on the Columbia staff and McGivney’s birth with an August 1952 cover
membership of the Order. story titled “With Vision, Zeal and Charity,”
In the years that followed the change which chronicled the K of C founder’s life
in format, the magazine featured con- and legacy. “He was a good priest who was
tent about culture and the arts, sports known for his exceptional charity; he was a
and pastimes such as fishing, but also hard working priest … and he was a deter-
continued to cover significant events re- mined priest,” wrote Father Arthur Riley, the
lated to the Church or politics — such Order’s historian at the time. “His kindliness
as the Second Vatican Council and the enabled him to get along well with men and
election of President John F. Kennedy, to persuade as well as to inspire them to
who was a member of the Order. carry out plans he conceived.”

Throughout World War II, Columbia regularly highlighted the contributions of councils and members to the war effort, particularly showcas-
ing war bond drives, operations of K of C Canadian Army Huts and Knights who exemplified bravery on the battlefield. From March to April
1943, the magazine urged Knights to buy or sell $25 million worth of war bonds in honor of Founder’s Day. The campaign far surpassed
its goal, reaching more than $90 million. After the war, Columbia published a Roll of Honor with the names of 1,685 Knights who made the
ultimate sacrifice.

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 1 2

1. This July 1947 cover art was typical of Columbia throughout this period, which
often showcased slices of life. In this case, as Supreme Knight John Swift noted in
his annual report that year, “The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs
applied for the original of July Columbia cover painting for the Baseball Hall of
Fame at Cooperstown, N.Y.” Citing a number of prominent publications and orga- 4
nizations that reprinted articles and editorials from Columbia, the supreme knight
also observed, “This indicates the superb literary level of the articles that have been
written especially for Columbia and the able management that selects the material.”

2. Beginning with its January 1955 issue, Columbia underwent its first major
redesign in 25 years, changing to a smaller, standard-size format as a 52-page
publication.

3. The November 1961 issue highlighted Supreme Knight Luke E. Hart’s visit to
the White House on Oct. 11, 1961. He presented a framed copy of the Pledge of
Allegiance, highlighting the words “under God,” to President John F. Kennedy.

4. An ad printed in the May 1962 issue announced that the Order was “taking
a leading role in the struggle to combat and to overcome the evils of the World
Communist Conspiracy.”

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 The Challenge of the Gospel
THE CLOSING OF the Second Vatican
Council on Dec. 8, 1965, coincided with a
change in leadership at Columbia. John B.
Donahue retired after 37 years as editor,
and Elmer von Feldt began his tenure in
January 1966.
Von Feldt led the magazine toward a
goal articulated by Supreme Knight John
McDevitt at the 1966 Supreme Conven-
tion. McDevitt urged Knights to be at the
forefront in answering the council’s call for
lay people to “take up the renewal of the
temporal order as their own special obli-
gation.” To this end, the supreme knight
said, Columbia would “focus on the great
challenge and opportunity of lay Catholics
in the era of Vatican II.”
The magazine began sharing more
articles about Catholic responses to
issues such as poverty, injustice, abortion,
substance abuse and pornography. It re-
ported on the many debates that followed
Vatican II, while also clarifying and de-
fending Church teachings about marriage,
parenting, education and vocations.
Coverage of K of C activities expanded,
particularly after the celebration of the
Order’s centennial in 1982. While Colum-
bia had reported Knights’ doings since
its earliest days (see page 30), its feature
stories and photography now increasingly
showcased their work to serve those in
need, share the Gospel and renew society. A few months after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Roe v. Wade, the April 1973 issue
of Columbia commemorated the lives that had been, and would be, lost to abortion.

Columbia’s back cover, once sold

as prime advertising space, began
promoting vocations in April 1978. The
feature grew out of an urgent push,
initiated by Supreme Knight Virgil
Dechant in 1977, to address the sharp
decline in religious vocations. “The
nourishment of vocations begins in the
family,” Dechant said in his first annual
report. “It is a tremendous challenge. It
best can be undertaken by an organiza-
tion of Catholic families.”

1978 1988 1997

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 Von Feldt and his successor, Richard As part of the Order’s extensive cele-
McMunn (1988-1999), ushered the bration of the Columbus quincenten-
magazine through several advancements. A nial and 500 years of evangelization
new offset press allowed Columbia to print in the Americas, the August 1991
interior pages in full color for the first time cover depicted great Catholic evan-
in 1982; the entire publication was full gelizers in American history: (clock-
color by 1988. wise from top left) Blessed Michael
Columbia also marked several historic McGivney, St. Katharine Drexel, St.
milestones in the last decades of the 20th Kateri Tekakwitha, Venerable Pierre
century, during the pontificate of St. John Toussaint, St. Frances Xavier Cabrini
Paul II and administration of Supreme and Archbishop Fulton Sheen. The
Knight Virgil Dechant — the centennial following month, replicas of the
of the Knights of Columbus (1982); the Cross of the World (also depicted)
quincentennial of Christopher Columbus’ would become the focal point of an
first voyage to the New World (1992); and Orderwide prayer program.
the opening of the cause for canonization
of Father Michael J. McGivney (1997).

Right: This article by Russell Shaw, who served

as director of information for the Knights of
Columbus, was part of Columbia’s coverage
of Pope John Paul II’s visit to the United States
in October 1995, which included a papal Mass
sponsored by the Order. Shaw wrote a monthly
“Washington” column for Columbia for more
than 40 years. The magazine also published a
“Vatican” column and a Canadian edition with an
“Ottawa” column for several decades.

Below: A photo of President Ronald Reagan

delivering remarks to the 1982 Supreme
Convention appears in the October 1982 issue
— the first in Columbia’s history to include
full-color pages inside.

“I remember a particularly vivid personal experience I had

with God while being tortured in prison. It was during the
second of two long torture sessions of five continuous days and
nights in what we called ‘The Rig.’ I realized that I had reached
the limit of my endurance — that if the pain continued I would
be forced to do anything they asked. So I simply said: ‘God, I’m
putting it all in your hands now. I’ve taken all I can take.’
“Never before have I had a prayer answered so spectacularly.
From the instant I phrased it, it was answered. I never before
have experienced such physical comfort and serenity of mind.”

From “What is America?” by Rear Adm. Jeremiah A. Denton Jr., August

1975 Columbia. Denton, a prisoner of war in Vietnam for more than
seven years, became famous for communicating the treatment of POWs
to the world by blinking the word “TORTURE” in Morse code during a
propaganda broadcast. A member of the Knights, Denton served as a
U.S. senator from 1981-1987.

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 Forward in Hope
THE TURN OF the new millennium
marked a watershed moment not only
for the Church and society, but also
for the Order, with the election of a
new supreme knight in 2000, and for
Columbia, with the promotion of Tim
Hickey to editor the previous year.
In his first annual report, in 2001,
Supreme Knight Carl Anderson
spoke at length about the content and
mission of Columbia. “The goal of
the magazine is simple,” he said. “To
promote and further the aims of the
Order and of the Church universal; to
enhance Catholic family life; to offer
spiritual direction and sustenance to
its readers; and to report on the variety
and ingenuity of Knights of Columbus
fraternal and charitable activities.”
With technological advancements
came advancements in publishing.
Before long, the entirety of Columbia’s
editorial content was translated into
French and Spanish. A digital Polish
version was also introduced in 2006,
after the Order’s first international
expansion in nearly a century.
That same year, long-running columns
on Church and world events were retired
to allow more space in the magazine’s
crowded front pages for reflections by
16 C O L U M B I A B J U LY / A U G U S T 2 0 2 1
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the supreme knight and supreme chap-
lain. Additional faith formation content
and features such as “Catholic Man of
the Month” soon followed.
After 25 years of service to the Su-
preme Council, Hickey retired in 2008
to pursue a vocation to the priesthood
(see back cover). Then-managing
editor Alton Pelowski succeeded
Hickey and has overseen further
developments in the magazine’s pre-
sentation, including redesigns in 2009
and 2020, and a significant increase in
original photography.
At the most recent Catholic Press
Awards ceremony, held virtually June
10, Columbia received 36 mentions
for content published in 2020. Its nine
first-place awards (among Catholic The January 2002 cover showed New York
magazines) included Best Coverage of City’s Ground Zero following the acts of
Religious Liberty Issues; Best Expla- terrorism against the United States on Sept. 11,
nation of Marriage; Best Reporting 2001. On the day after the attacks, the Knights
on Vocations; and Best Photograph of Columbus Board of Directors established
(Portrait). The magazine was also rec- the $1 million Heroes Fund in order to support
ognized for Best Photo Story (News) families of fallen first responders regardless
for coverage of Father McGivney’s be- of their religion or affiliation with the Order.
atification last fall and received second Columbia later commemorated the 5th and
place for Best Redesign. 10th anniversaries with cover stories in 2006
Columbia is currently printed in four and 2011, respectively.
languages, with a combined circulation
of approximately 1.7 million copies. B
From its earliest days, Columbia has con-
tinuously documented the Order’s promo-
tion and defense of religious freedom. And
in recent years, it has been continuously
recognized for excellence — receiving the
first-place Catholic Press Award for Best
Coverage of Religious Liberty Issues six
out of the last seven years.
From left: The April 2012 cover depicted
the U.S. Bill of Rights torn down the center,
symbolizing disregard for First Amendment
religious liberty protections. • An icon of
Our Lady Help of Persecuted Christians ap-
peared on the cover of the September 2018
issue, which recounted the Order’s ongoing
support of Christians in the Middle East.
6/23/21 11:11 PM
 Clockwise, from top left: In 2008,
the June issue of Columbia was
dedicated to Pope Benedict XVI’s
April 15-20 visit to the United States.
Previously, the April issue featured
reflections on the Holy Father’s
ministry and message in anticipation
of the visit. • The December 2014
issue featured this article on the
newly opened permanent exhibit at
the Saint John Paul II National Shrine
in Washington, D.C. • Pope Francis
hugs a formerly homeless girl in the
opening image of a 2015 feature
story about his apostolic visit to the
Philippines. Cardinal Luis Antonio
Tagle, then archbishop of Manila, is
seen next to the pope.

From left: This March 2015 cover story ex-

plored the lasting impact of the Order’s Heal-
ing Haiti’s Children initiative, which followed
the devastating earthquake that killed more
than 200,000 and injured tens of thousands
in 2010. The program fitted injured children
with prosthetic limbs and provided two years
of physical therapy and rehabilitation.

A photo story in the March 2018 issue

featured extended coverage of the March
for Life in Washington, D.C. Columbia has
reported on the annual event and the pro-life
movement for nearly 50 years and regularly
features content about the Knights’ ongoing
efforts to build a culture of life.

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 STAIRWAY
to HEAVEN
Father McGivney’s ministry and witness in the parishes he served continue to bear fruit today
By Maureen Walther
A tree canopy shades the old
horse-and-buggy path to
St. Thomas Cemetery in
Thomaston, Conn. Etched into the
steep hillside, a set of steps offers a
shortcut — once the only pedes-
trian path to the cemetery, with a
rather famous pedestrian.
While Blessed Michael McGivney
is best known for his ministry in
New Haven, where he founded the
Knights of Columbus, he spent his
last six years — half of his priestly
life — in Thomaston, including ser-
vice to the mission church in nearby
Terryville.
“Father McGivney, or anyone
who walked to the cemetery, would
have come this way,” said Father Jim
Sullivan, a longtime parishioner in
Thomaston and now rector of the
Basilica of the Immaculate Con-
ception in McGivney’s hometown,
Waterbury. “He would have walked these steps regularly.”
On a hot Saturday morning in June, Father Sullivan and
members of Sheridan Council 24 in Waterbury, which he
serves as chaplain, joined Knights from Thomaston and
Terryville for a work day at the cemetery. Together, they
cleared the footpath and power-washed the grime of time
from the headstones of priests who, like Blessed Michael
McGivney, served and died in Thomaston.
The cemetery steps are not only a tangible link to Father
McGivney’s days there — they also evoke the theme of
ascent and the path toward sanctity that he walked with so
many people. Preserving the footpath is just one of many
ways that councils in the towns where he lived and minis-
tered honor his legacy. As he did in life, Father McGivney
continues to inspire the Knights of Thomaston, Terryville
18 C O L U M B I A B J U LY / A U G U S T 2 0 2 1
COLUMBIA JULY AUG 21 ENG 6_23 FINAL (CH).indd 18
and Waterbury to acts of faith and
charity.
“Father McGivney gives us a great
example of how to live a holy life —
to live a life that is not only serving
God, but serving our fellow man,”
said Paul Folino, grand knight of
Leo XIII Council 1090 in Terryville.
“We feel really blessed and honored
that we can look back and say that
he was our pastor.”
THE WORK OF A PASTOR
One wonders what the several
hundred parishioners of St. Thomas
Church expected when Father Mc-
Givney rolled into town in Novem-
ber 1884.
A description by his close friend,
Father James O’Donnell, gives us
a picture of the holy priest who
arrived in Thomaston to start his
assignment as pastor.
“Genial, approachable, of kindly disposition, cheerful un-
der reverses, profoundly sympathetic with those upon whom
had fallen the heavy hand of affliction,” Father O’Donnell
would later say of Father McGivney. “He was charitable to
a fault, if I may so speak. The poor found in him a Good
Samaritan, and were frequent recipients of his bounty.”
In Thomaston, Father McGivney would shoulder many
challenges that today’s pastors might recognize: parish debt,
a chronic priest shortage, far-flung parishioners. Although
Father McGivney was aided periodically by a revolving door
of assistant priests, the bulk of responsibility fell to him.
The parish undoubtedly grew more stable under his leader-
ship. He ran down the debt, putting the parish on a financial-
ly sustainable path. He put the latest technology to work for
the church, installing electric lights and a telephone.
6/23/21 11:11 PM

TOP: Knights of Columbus Multimedia Archives — OTHER: Photos by Aaron Joseph
But practicalities were not ends in themselves. For Father
McGivney, the spiritual well-being of his parishioners was
paramount.
“Father McGivney had unbounded faith in the saving
graces dispensed by Holy Church,” O’Donnell said. “He
was cognizant of the efficacy of those divine splendors of
the Church, the sacraments, to spiritualize his fellow men
of good will and to bring them to the knowledge and love
of Christ.”
COLUMBIA JULY AUG 21 ENG 6_23 FINAL (CH).indd 19
Above: Parishioners gather outside the old St. Thomas Church in
Thomaston in 1884, the year that Father McGivney was assigned
to the parish. A new church was built on a different site in 1908.
Left: Father Joseph Crowley preaches in front of altar panels
depicting Blessed Michael McGivney, as well as his two patrons,
St. Michael and St. Joseph, in Immaculate Conception Church.
Opposite page: A set of stairs cuts from the road up to histor-
ic St. Thomas Cemetery in Thomaston, Conn. As pastor of St.
Thomas for almost six years, Father Michael McGivney would
have walked the steps many times.
Father McGivney bolstered the parish’s devotional groups
for adults and children. Within a few months, he drew
enough interest to form a Knights of Columbus council —
Atlantic Council 18, which is active to this day. He also wove
parish and social life together, drawing young people togeth-
er for theatrical events at Thomaston’s grand Opera House.
Father McGivney remained connected to other priests and
parishes as well. He led or assisted with 40 Hours Eucha-
ristic adoration devotions, took part in Tenebrae services
J U LY / A U G U S T 2 0 2 1 B C O L U M B I A 19
6/23/21 11:11 PM
 with local clergy in Waterbury, and lent his resonant voice
to the liturgy consecrating Sacred Heart Church, also in his
hometown.
Two years into his assignment as pastor, he was entrusted
with a second church, the recently built Immaculate Con-
ception a few miles away in Terryville. That made for busy
Sunday mornings — three Masses, with two carriage rides in
between.
As the diocese grew, so too did the Knights of Columbus,
to Father McGivney’s great joy. The Knights’ lay leadership
was largely self-directed and independent, as McGivney in-
tended. He remained a key agent, however, especially when
really needed — communicating with the bishop in Rhode
Island, for example, and traveling there in January 1889 to
help expand the Order beyond Connecticut. He also penned
a passionate defense of the Knights, explaining the Order’s
mission and fidelity to the Church.
But as the Knights of Columbus grew in strength, Father
McGivney weakened. Exhausted from work, he took ill in
December 1889, perhaps from the so-called Russian flu then
spreading around the world. He never recovered. When he
died at age 38 on Aug. 14, 1890, thousands attended his fu-
neral at St. Thomas Church. It was noted that not a carriage
could be rented for miles around.
THE BLESSED NEXT DOOR
In Thomaston and Terryville, Blessed Michael McGivney’s
ministry does not feel like the remote past.
“We still have people whose grandparents or great-grand-
parents were part of the parish that knew Father McGivney,”
said Father Joseph Crowley, his successor as pastor of St.
Thomas and Immaculate Conception, now joined as St. Max-
imilian Kolbe Parish.
Father Crowley, who is also chaplain of Council 18 and
Council 1090, speaks of Father McGivney to his Knights and
Immaculate Conception Church in Terryville is seen in an undated image. The church, built in 1882, became a mission of St. Thomas
Parish in 1886. • Father McGivney’s signature can be seen under his entries in the St. Thomas marriage register from 1888.
20 C O L U M B I A B J U LY / A U G U S T 2 0 2 1
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‘We feel really blessed and
honored that we can look
back and say that he was
our pastor.’
parishioners often. He believes that having such a close and
human example of holiness — a pastor who lived, walked
and worked here — has helped the parish grow spiritually.
“It’s an amazing, amazing gift that God gave us through his
life,” he said.
A few years ago, Father Crowley commissioned a painting
of Father McGivney for the altarpiece of Immaculate Con-
ception Church. And he is working to create a suitable place
in St. Thomas Church for visitors to venerate the relic of
Father McGivney given to the parish after his beatification.
Father McGivney also returned recently to the Thomas-
ton Opera House stage — theatrically, that is. In 2018, as
part of a special McGivney Day celebration, the Thomaston
and Terryville councils worked with a parishioner to bring
to the stage “He Was Our Father,” a 2005 play about Father
McGivney’s life by Dominican Father Peter John Cameron.
The staged reading had an impact that lingered after the
curtains closed.
“I think that was the beginning of deeper activities within
our council,” recalled Emile Drillon, past grand knight of
Council 18 in Thomaston; the play helped inspire the coun-
cil to take on more spiritual activities.
In nearby Waterbury, as well, Father Sullivan and the
Knights are getting things done to celebrate the town’s
native son.
6/23/21 11:11 PM
 Members of Atlantic Council 18 in Thomaston, Leo XIII Council 1090 in Terryville and Sheridan Council 24 in Waterbury gather with Father
Jim Sullivan (center) during a work day at St. Thomas Cemetery. The Knights cleared the overgrown steps and tended to the graves of
past priests of St. Thomas Church.
For starters, the church hall at the Basilica of the Immac-
ulate Conception is being transformed into the Blessed
Michael McGivney Parish Center. A life-size statue is also
planned for the basilica — with a Waterbury twist. In honor
of the city’s history as a center of the brass industry, the stat-
OPPOSITE PAGE, LEFT: Photo courtesy of Judy Giguere — OTHER: Photos by Aaron Joseph
ue will be made from brass donated for the cause. Among the
first donations are six military buttons from a local monsi-
gnor. The statue’s base will be quarried from a hilltop, home
of Holy Land U.S.A., which overlooks the Brass City.
McGivney’s legacy in Waterbury and Thomaston, however,
goes beyond artwork and memorials. His charitable spirit is
alive and well.
“We have a very small parish, but it’s very generous,”
Folino said. “They see the work that the Knights do and
they’re more than willing to support our efforts.” The coun-
cil’s work includes support for parish widows and fundrais-
ing for a local pregnancy center.
As the latest pandemic ramped up in 2020, Council 24
in Waterbury responded promptly to the needs caused by
COLUMBIA JULY AUG 21 ENG 6_23 FINAL (CH).indd 21
COVID-19. Even before the Order’s Leave No Neighbor
Behind initiative officially launched in March 2020, Knights
went to work, delivering groceries and medicine to vulnera-
ble neighbors, collecting food donations, and more.
Another thing hasn’t changed: From heaven, Father Mc-
Givney still seems to be drawing men to the Knights.
“I think the beatification of Father Michael McGivney real-
ly highlighted the Order and everything we do,” Folino said.
“I can tell you that it was a component that helped us bring in
many new members through the course of the pandemic.”
And the future? “I think Father McGivney is a priest for
the 1800s. He’s also a priest very much for today,” Father
Sullivan affirmed. “Because the human heart is still the same.
We still have a desire for love and to know God who created
us. Here’s a man who showed us the way.” B
MAUREEN WALTHER is co-author of The Knights of
Columbus: An Illustrated History (2020) and writes from
Guilford, Conn.
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 A Tale of
Two Orders
The Dominican friars at St. Mary’s Parish have
carried on Father McGivney’s legacy for 135 years
By John Burger

TWO YEARS AFTER Blessed Michael McGivney founded

the Knights of Columbus at St. Mary’s Church in New Haven,
Conn., he was made a pastor in Thomaston, a town in northern
Connecticut. And two years after that, in May 1886, St. Mary’s
Parish was entrusted to the pastoral care of the Order of
Preachers. Since that time, a special bond has grown between
the religious order that St. Dominic founded eight centuries
ago and the Order of the Knights of Columbus.
“To be at St. Mary’s is to be inseparable from the legacy
of Blessed Michael McGivney,” said Dominican Father John
Paul Walker, pastor of St. Mary’s since 2015 and chaplain of
San Salvador Council 1. “This is something that I think every
Dominican pastor, every Dominican friar here for 135 years, has
realized — certainly even more so in recent times.”
In the months before his death on Aug. 14, 1890, Father Mc-
Givney spent several weeks in New Haven to seek treatment, The Dominican friars of St. Mary’s Priory — including Father
and it is likely that he stayed with the Dominicans at his old Jonathan Kalisch (center), prior, and Father John Paul Walker
parish. At Father McGivney’s funeral in Thomaston, Dominican (second from left), pastor — gather outside St. Mary’s Church in
Father Arthur Higgins — then pastor of St. Mary’s — delivered New Haven.
a 40-minute eulogy recounting his late friend’s ministry as a
parish priest. The Waterbury Evening Democrat reported Aug.
18 that Father Higgins emphasized “the great affection held to the church, telling the story of Father McGivney’s life and
for him by his parishioners,” adding that he spoke with “great legacy. Knights of San Salvador Council 1 also offer tours of
feeling,” such that “many were moved to tears.” the church to visiting pilgrims, and parishioners regularly
Nearly a century later, during the Knights’ centennial in 1982, recite the prayer for Father McGivney’s canonization together
Father McGivney’s remains were moved from a family plot in at the end of Mass.
St. Joseph’s Cemetery in Waterbury to St. Mary’s Church — and This year, a week after the Order of Preachers marks the
it was discovered that Father McGivney had been buried wear- 800th anniversary of St. Dominic’s death on Aug. 6, the Domin-
ing two scapulars: the brown scapular of Our Lady of Mount ican community and parishioners at St. Mary’s will celebrate
Carmel and also the white scapular of St. Dominic. Blessed Michael McGivney’s feast day for the first time.
A Dominican friar, Father Gabriel B. O’Donnell, was “We encourage people to come and pray at the tomb, and
appointed postulator of Father McGivney’s cause for canon- to bring their intentions to Blessed Michael, to ask for his
ization in 1997. He later prepared a Positio — a 1,000-page intercession — especially for loved ones who need a miracle,”
document making the case for Father McGivney’s heroic Father Walker said.
virtue and holiness. “To be the pastor of the church where this saintly man once
Other Dominicans have worked with the Supreme Coun- ministered is something that is never far from my mind,” he
cil over the years to assist with Knights’ spiritual formation added. “It’s a constant reminder and inspiration — but it is also
programs, even as the Order has supported St. Mary’s Church a challenge, because those of us who have come after Father
Photo by Tamino Petelinšek

in various ways — including the funding of major restoration McGivney bear the responsibility to live up to that standard.” B
projects at the church in 1982 and 2019.
In anticipation of the beatification last year, the parish JOHN BURGER writes for Aleteia.org and is a member of Metro-
collaborated with the Order to install a series of panels next politan Andrey Sheptytsky Council 16253 in New Haven, Conn.

22 C O L U M B I A B J U LY / A U G U S T 2 0 2 1

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 A Friend
IN TIMES OF NEED
Devotion to Father McGivney is growing — and so are reports of his intercessory help
By Brian Caulfield
I n his lifetime, Father Michael
McGivney found creative ways
to assist the faithful and address
their needs. His beatification last
fall confirmed what many have long
believed — that he continues to do
so today.
More and more Catholics are
turning to Blessed Michael Mc-
Givney for his heavenly aid since
his beatification Oct. 31, 2020.
The Father Michael J. McGivney
Guild, established in 1997 to spread
devotion and promote the cause for
canonization, has seen significant
growth and a marked increase in the
number of favors, large and small,
reported by those asking for Father
McGivney’s intercession.
Blessed Michael McGivney is
known especially for favors related
to employment and finances, recon-
ciling family members, overcoming
addiction, recovering from serious
illness, and conversion or return to the Church. As his first
feast day approaches Aug. 13, we share the stories behind
three of these reports below. To learn more about the Guild,
or to join, visit fathermcgivney.org.
OUT OF THE WOODS
When Peter Nelson and his 6-year-old son found themselves
in a life-threatening situation, he was glad he had a network
of Knights praying for their safety.
The unexpected drama began when Nelson, a K of C
field agent in eastern Tennessee, pulled over during a drive
through the mountains near his home one afternoon last
January. His son, also named Peter, was feeling carsick on
Photo by Aaron Joseph
the winding road, and Nelson decided to take him on a
short walk to get some air — just half a mile or so through
the woods.
COLUMBIA JULY AUG 21 ENG 6_23 FINAL (CH).indd 23
At least that was the plan. Partway
through the hike, Nelson used the
hunting app on his phone and found
a shortcut that looped back to the
road. But the rocky terrain, faint
trail and dense thickets of mountain
laurel made for slow going, and
night was falling.
Nelson was carrying his son
up a steep and icy slope when he
realized they weren’t going to make
it out before it became too dark to
see. With one bar left on his cell
phone, he called his wife, trying
not to panic her, and then called
Keith Estevens, a police officer
and brother Knight. Sizing up the
seriousness of the situation — the
temperature was forecast to drop
into the teens that night, and neither
of them was dressed for such cold —
Estevens said, “You’d better hunker
down,” and called the county sheriff.
“The thing that I’ll never forget,
as the sun went down, was the helplessness,” Nelson said.
“You’re sitting on a rock with your son crying in your arms,
and you just think, how did this happen?”
Several hours had already passed, when he hugged his
son to his chest inside his coat and called his wife again.
This time, they recited what they thought could be their last
prayer together.
Nelson then called his boss, Daniel Schachle, the K of C
general agent whose son had been miraculously healed
through Father McGivney’s intercession, paving the way to
the K of C founder’s beatification.
“Hey, Dan, I’m going to need one of those Father Mc-
Givney miracles,” Nelson told Schachle. “I’m in a bad spot.”
Schachle immediately contacted the Tennessee State Coun-
cil, which sent out an email blast for all Knights to pray
through the intercession of Father McGivney.
J U LY / A U G U S T 2 0 2 1 B C O L U M B I A 23
6/23/21 11:11 PM

Peter Nelson and his son, Peter, are pictured outside their Tennessee home. Nelson asked
for prayers to Blessed Michael McGivney when they found themselves stranded in the
woods on a freezing night last winter.
Vince Famularo attributes his recovery from COVID-19 — which nearly took his life in
January — to the intercession of Father McGivney and the Blessed Mother.
Rescuers from a nearby fire de-
partment reached Nelson and his son
a couple hours later, as frostbite and de-
hydration were beginning to threaten.
Two young firemen were the first to call
out, and Nelson surprised himself with
the strength of his response.
“I look back now and think, my son
and I are alive today because I had
friends that were Knights,” Nelson said.
“And when I needed their help, they
came through.”
24 C O L U M B I A B J U LY / A U G U S T 2 0 2 1
COLUMBIA JULY AUG 21 ENG 6_23 FINAL (CH).indd 24
‘WHEN TWO OR THREE
ARE GATHERED’
Vince Famularo had a case of
COVID-19 that quickly went from bad
to worse to death’s door. Doctors told
his wife, Joan, and their four grown chil-
dren that he was failing fast and perhaps
beyond treatment. Yet, today he is back
home and relatively healthy — thanks,
he believes, to the intercession of Our
Lady and Blessed Michael McGivney.
Famularo, grand knight of Msgr.
Joseph Kerin Council 12654 in
Huntersville, N.C., was hospitalized
Jan. 8 and admitted to the intensive
care unit a few days later. When mem-
bers of Council 12654 heard about
his serious condition, they quickly
organized a prayer vigil at St. Mark’s
Church. Knights and other parishio-
ners turned out in large numbers to
pray the rosary, the Chaplet of Divine
Mercy and the Prayer for the Canoniza-
tion of Blessed Michael McGivney.
“Turning to Father McGivney was
the logical thing to do,” said John
Passarelli, deputy grand knight. “His
intercession would be particularly
important, I believed, in trying to bring
back the fellow who is in charge of
our council.”
“It was amazing to see the commu-
nity of the church, and to know that
[Vince] was loved by so many,” recalled
his wife, Joan.
Soon after the prayer vigil, doctors
saw a marked improvement in Vince’s
condition and told Joan that she could
visit him. They had been separated for
23 days, the longest they’d ever been
apart in their 50 years of marriage. Vince
vividly recalls the moment he opened his
eyes and saw her in the room.
“When I saw it was my wife, I really
brightened up,” he said. “Just being able
to hold her hand; it was an exciting
moment.”
He was released from the hospital in
late January and heard about the prayer
vigil for his recovery. “It really began to
come together, why I recovered soon
after that,” he said.
“God was with us,” said council
member Ray Fitzgerald. “It’s one of
those things that makes your heart feel
fonder for the Knights, seeing what we
can do together.”
Recalling his days in the hospital and
the prayers of his family, friends and
brother Knights brings tears to Vince’s
eyes and joy to his heart. He believes he
has been touched by the divine.
“I am convinced that the Blessed
Mother and Father McGivney, by their
intercession, allowed me the oppor-
Photos by Spirit Juice Studios
tunity to complete my mission here
on earth,” he said. “I have such a new
understanding of the power of prayer.
It is real. When two or three people
6/23/21 11:11 PM
 are gathered together in Christ’s name,
he is in their midst. He can change
anything.”
A ‘MYSTERY’ PRAYER
Where the prayer card came from
she doesn’t know. But when Johanna
Ireland changed her purse for the week,
there it was: “Prayer for the Canoniza-
tion of Blessed Michael McGivney.”
Not long before, she had heard a
podcast episode about Father Mc-
Givney and the miraculous healing of
an unborn child through his interces-
sion. Although she had not heard of
Father McGivney previously, Johanna
took these two unexpected events as a
sign from God. She began to recite the
prayer she found in her purse for nine
days, and then for another nine days.
Two novenas, she figured, were better
than one.
Her special intention was the health
of her husband, Donald, who had
been diagnosed with aggressive digital
papillary adenocarcinoma — a rare
malignant tumor of the sweat glands
of the finger. This type of cancer can
Photo by Bryce Meyer
Donald and Johanna Ireland hold the prayer card that prompted Johanna to ask Father McGivney’s intercession for her husband
after he was diagnosed with cancer.
COLUMBIA JULY AUG 21 ENG 6_23 FINAL (CH).indd 25
‘Turning to Father McGivney was the
logical thing to do.’
spread quickly to the lymph nodes, so
she prayed fervently that it would be
contained.
Johanna and Donald live in Calgary,
Alberta. Johanna, a corporate flight
attendant, is a lifelong faithful Cath-
olic. Donald, retired from the Royal
Canadian Mounted Police, was raised
Christian but has fallen away from any
formal religious practice. Yet, he is
thankful for the loving prayers of his
wife and others.
On Feb. 2, Donald’s cancer was
surgically removed by amputation
of part of his right index finger. The
surgeon also took out some lymph
nodes as a precaution and to test if the
cancer had spread. To their great relief,
the aggressive cancer had not spread
beyond the portion of the amputated
finger, and Donald has been declared
cancer-free. He is back to playing golf
and looking forward to more years of
healthy retirement.
For Johanna, the experience has re-
affirmed the power of prayer, especially
intercessory prayer for others. “I’m still
praying the Father McGivney prayer the
first nine days of every month,” she said.
“And I have shared it with my friends
and family who have health issues.”
How the Blessed Michael McGivney
prayer card wound up in her purse is
still a mystery. Perhaps it came from
one of her relatives who belongs to
the Knights or someone at her parish.
Whatever the case, she is sure of one
thing: Her prayers were answered. B
BRIAN CAULFIELD is vice postulator
of the cause for canonization of Bless-
ed Michael McGivney.
J U LY / A U G U S T 2 0 2 1 B C O L U M B I A 25
6/23/21 11:11 PM
 K N I G H T S I N AC T I O N B F A I T H I N A C T I O N

in a cleaning project at the National Catholic Church of the Ascen-

Shrine of Our Lady of La Salette in sion’s Sunday Masses. The ages
Silang, Cavite. For the second year in of members span more than
a row, council members weeded the six decades, with the youngest
area around the shrine’s Stations of the singer still in his teens.

Faith Cross markers and pathways.

FATHER’S LIBRARY
Members of Bishop Charles P. Greco
Council 9499 in Clemmons, N.C.,
built bookshelves for Father James
Struhenberg, pastor of Holy Family
Catholic Church. Father Struhenberg
needed a place to store a library of
religious books after his reassignment
to the parish.
THE CROSS IN THE CITY
An honor guard from Bishop Chatard
Assembly 245 in Indianapolis partici-
pated in an outdoor Way of the Cross
on Good Friday. Archbishop Charles C.
Thompson of Indianapolis led the de-
votion through a downtown park.
SHRINE CLEANUP
Father Gabby Chiniona, chaplain of
Pope St. Paul VI Council 17451 in Das-
mariñas City, Luzon South, led Knights
ADOPTED SEMINARIANS
Father Francis X. Borrano-Father
Joseph Gallagher Council 11369 in
Canfield, Ohio, “adopted” two local
seminarians and Knights, donating
$1,000 to each and committing to pray
for them. William Wainio is complet-
ing his studies at St. Mary Seminary
in Cleveland, and Father Matthew
Humerickhouse was recently ordained.
BIBLE SCHOOL SERVES ALL
Our Lady of Victory Council 14427 in
Northville, Mich., held a fund drive at
Our Lady of Victory Church to sup- Grand Knight Kevin Smylie of Co-
port the parish’s Vacation Bible School lumbus Council 126 in Brooklyn,
for people with disabilities. Wearing N.Y., presents vestments embroi-
council-designed aprons that read “All dered with the emblem of the
Belong,” the Knights collected more Order to Father JohnPaul Kodiri
than $1,600. Columbus Obiaeri. Father Obiaeri
received financial assistance
ASCENSION CHOIR from the council during his semi-
A Knights choir from Ascension Coun- nary studies and currently serves
cil 7991 in Parksville, British Colum- as parochial vicar at Holy Child
bia, has sung for several years at the Jesus Church in Richmond Hill.

BOTTOM: Photo by Matthew Blumenfeld

Members of Father Justin Cunningham Assembly 2518 in Charlottesville, Va., and other parishioners of Holy Comforter Catholic Church
participate in a Corpus Christi eucharistic procession. Father Joseph Mary Lukyamuzi, pastor of Holy Comforter and the assembly’s
faithful friar, carried the monstrance through downtown Charlottesville.

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 Family
JOYFUL NOISES
St. James Council 4557 in
Winnipeg, Manitoba, donat-
ed CA$1,330 to St. Charles
Catholic School to support
music programs there. The
funds were proceeds from
a parish spaghetti dinner
organized by the council.
Félix López and other members
of Nuestra Señora de Guada-
lupe Council 17462 in Boise,
Idaho, unload food provided
by the U.S. Department of
Agriculture at the Cathedral
of St. John the Evangelist.
The council rented a truck to
distribute the food at four local
parishes whose pastors had
requested donations.
LEFT: Photo by Vero Gutierrez — TOP: Photo by Brooke + Jacob Photo & Film Co.
ST. AGNES FOR AUTISM
St. Agnes-Shepherdstown
(W.V.) Council 13887 cele-
brated 15 years of financial
BOTTOM: Photo by Matthew Blumenfeld
support for local children
with autism. Through annual
fund drives, the council
raised nearly $20,000 for the
school district’s programs
serving autistic students.
COLUMBIA JUL-AUG 21 ENG KIA 6_23.indd 27
Children gather for a three-legged race at a family picnic sponsored by Millwood (Mo.)
Council 2009 in celebration of its 100th anniversary.
FAMILY HOSPITALITY
Holy Spirit Council 15748 in
Sioux Falls, S.D., raised more than
$11,000 through a parish fund
drive for Bishop Dudley Hospital-
ity House and St. Francis House,
nonprofit organizations that serve
families experiencing homeless-
ness. The council used the funds to
purchase a year’s supply of laundry
soap for both facilities and donated
an additional $3,500 to each.
LEAGUE OF ST. BERNADETTE
St. Bernadette Council 16376
in Westlake, Ohio, sponsors the
FIRST LEGO League robotics
team at St. Bernadette Catholic
School. Knights mentor middle
school students in math and science
and partner with parents to prepare
for robotics competitions.
NOVENA AND NOURISHMENT
Members of Father Carlos Brendel
Council 11455 in Oriental Min-
doro, Luzon South, fed hungry
families during a nine-day prayer
and charity initiative. The Knights
attended Mass and prayed together
each morning before serving meals
in the community.
CHARITY FOR FAMILIES IN NEED
St. Patrick’s Council 3484 in Canby,
Ore., adapted its 24th annual crab
dinner into a drive-thru event in
2021. The dinner raised more than
$6,000 for several local charities,
including the Canby Pregnancy Care
Center. The Knights also collected
more than $20,000 to help a family
that lost their home to a wildfire.
HAVENLY HOPE
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Council
7473 in Valparaiso, Ind., donated
$3,000 raised through a parish baby
bottle fundraiser to install a Safe
Haven Baby Box at a fire station in
Merrillville. Safe Haven boxes pro-
vide a way for a mother in crisis to
place a newborn infant for adoption
safely, legally and anonymously.
FAMILY CONNECTION
Marian Council 5748 in Manchester,
N.H., and Magallanes (Mindanao)
Council 7885 connected through a
new member of the New Hampshire
council whose father-in-law belongs
to Council 7885. The New Hamp-
shire Knights presented the Filipino
Knights with funds to buy rice to dis-
tribute to 100 local families in need.
J U LY / A U G U S T 2 0 2 1 B C O L U M B I A 27
6/23/21 5:40 PM
 K N I G H T S I N AC T I O N B F A I T H I N A C T I O N

Community

VISITING
THE IMPRISONED
Members of Our Lady of
Fatima Council 15042 in
Dipolog City, Mindanao,
visited inmates at Dipolog
City Jail with Msgr. Joel
Monteramos, vicar general
of the Diocese of Dipolog
City. Msgr. Monteramos
celebrated Mass for more
Grand Knight David Ghee, James Wesley and Tony Giles (left to right), members of Cardinal than 130 prisoners, and the
Shehan of Baltimore Council 205, help organize donated groceries outside St. Bernardine council donated $2,000
Catholic Church. At the request of their pastor and council chaplain, Msgr. Richard J. Bozzel- worth of food to the jail
li, the Knights and other parishioners gather each week to sort, pack and deliver food to the for distribution to visiting
homes of people in need. family members.

MAIN STREET FUND DRIVE SUSTAINING A SHELTER

Saint-Ferdinand (Québec) Coun-
cil 9149 sponsored a fund drive in
support of food banks on the mu-
nicipality’s main street, raising more
than CA$4,500 in one day for local
organizations.
VICTORVILLE FOR VETERANS
Members of Msgr. William Van Garsse
Assembly 2664 in Victorville, Calif.,
held a collection for the Veterans
Home of California-Barstow at St.
Joan of Arc Parish. Parishioners do-
nated money and supplies, including
bottled water and office items, which
Members of St. John the Evangelist
Council 8342 in Prairieville, La., and
their wives dedicated several days
to renovating and cleaning the IRIS
Domestic Violence Center in Baton
Rouge. They removed old furniture,
replaced ceiling tiles, and fixed plumb-
ing and electrical problems. The
Knights also purchased a new washing
machine for the shelter with contribu-
tions from parishioners.
VISITING FIRST RESPONDERS
Members of Good Samaritan Council Dave Townley, a member of
6175 in Herndon, Va., delivered pizza St. Pius X Council 12656 in
TOP LEFT: Photo by Brion McCarthy — BOTTOM RIGHT: Photo by Corky Miller

the Knights delivered to the home.
GOING FOR GOLD
Members of Ascension Community
Council 15936 in Memphis, Tenn.,
raised about $500 with a series of pan-
cake breakfasts and hot dog lunches
after Sunday Mass at Church of the
Ascension. The council donated the
proceeds to restore the gold plating on
one of the parish’s chalices.
and gift cards to a local fire station as
a gesture of appreciation for the first
responders’ service.
CURBSIDE CHARITY
Lakeville (Minn.) Council 8367 spon-
sors free curbside pickup meals each
month for more than 500 local people
in need. The Archdiocese of St. Paul and
Minneapolis honored the council with a
Stewardship Award for its efforts.
Portland, Ore., saws boards
for a repair project at the
parish youth center as Past
Grand Knight Cliff Jensen
looks on. The council offers a
volunteer handyman service
called St. Joseph’s Toolbox,
completing indoor and out-
door improvements at St. Pius
X Catholic Church and the
homes of neighbors in need.

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 Life
ST. ILDEFONSE
LIFE DEFENDERS
Members of St. Ildefonse
Council 5893 in Malasiqui,
Luzon North, took part in
a Walk for Life in Dagupan
City. The march, in defense
of marriage and the unborn,
was sponsored by the Dio-
cese of Lingayen-Dagupan.

Korean Knights of Columbus leaders, including Territorial Deputy Shin Kyoung-soo

(fourth from right), display K of C “Love Life, Choose Life” signs outside Myeong-dong
Cathedral in Seoul to demonstrate support for Korea’s virtual March for Life. The
Knights gathered at the cathedral for the episcopal ordination of Bishop Titus Seo
Sang-bum (center).

NURSE RECOGNITION SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

Brian Lazusky, a member of
St. Thomas à Becket Council
16236, participates in the
eighth annual “Laps for Life”
walkathon in Orlando, a fun-
TOP LEFT: Photo by Brion McCarthy — BOTTOM RIGHT: Photo by Corky Miller
Bishop Delany Assembly 397 in
Lowell, Mass., sponsors a program to
recognize the nurses at Lowell General
Hospital. Once a month, drawings are
held for each shift, and the winning
nurse receives a $50 gas card donated
by the assembly.
SPECIAL FUND DRIVE
Members of St. Leo Council 13917 in
Versailles, Ky., raised $750 for Wood-
ford County Special Olympics with a
fund drive outside a local grocery store.
SUPPORTS LIFE
St. Damien of Molokai Council 15733
and Father Peter J.J. Juba Council 4922,
both in Orange, Calif., organized the
Orange Walk for Life, a demonstration
for the protection of life at all stages.
The event was the first of its kind to
take place in the city.
SILVER ROSE OF THE DAKOTAS
Members of Holy Family Council 7176
in Grand Forks, N.D., participated in a
Knights of Columbus Silver Rose cere-

draiser sponsored by councils
in central Florida. The walkat-
hon promotes the celebration
and defense of life and raises
money for the Knights of Co-
lumbus Ultrasound Initiative.
TOP RIGHT: Photo by Choi Young-soo
The council has held the drive annually
for more than 15 years.
GIFT OF MOBILITY
Members of Seton Council 7990 in
Bear, Del., constructed wheelchair
mony at Holy Family Church. This silver
rose — one of eight — started its 2021
pilgrimage in Manitoba and will arrive at
the U.S.-Mexico border on Dec. 12.

The 2021 event raised more
than $80,000, enough to
place at least five ultrasound
machines in pregnancy re-
source centers in the state.
ramps for four St. Elizabeth Ann Seton
parishioners with disabilities, including
three Knights. The ramps will improve
their mobility, quality of life and access
to Mass and the sacraments.
See more at
www.kofc.org/knightsinaction
Please submit your council activities to
knightsinaction@kofc.org

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 K N I G H T S I N AC T I O N B T H R O U G H H I S T O R Y

Columbia’s format and editorial focus have evolved over the last century, but one thing that
has been constant is sharing news about the work of Knights of Columbus. Columbia’s prede-
cessor, The Columbiad, gathered such content under the title “Seen and Heard in Knightland:
Pertinent Facts About the Members and Their Doings, Gathered at Random Along the Frater-
nal Highway.” Over the years, reports about K of C activities around the world have appeared
in the magazine under different, and much pithier, headings, but the purpose has remained
the same — to showcase the impact councils make in their local communities and to inspire
Knights everywhere to put their faith into action.

1947
1937

1941 1950

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 1965

1988

1969

1970

J U LY / A U G U S T 2 0 2 1 B C O L U M B I A 31

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6/24/21 1:08 AM
 KNIGHTS OF CHARITY

Knights Seminarians from the Diocese of Paterson,

with Bishop Kevin Sweeney (left), gather

of Charity
Every day, Knights all over the world are given
opportunities to make a difference — whether
through community service, raising money or
prayer. We celebrate each and every Knight for
his strength, his compassion and his dedication
Photo by Sehee Kim
after competing in the 11th annual Knights
of Columbus and Catholic Charities
Army Tank Pull in Clifton, N.J. The event,
in which teams attempt to move an
80,000-pound tank mounted on a truck,
was organized by St. Philip the Apostle
Council 11671 and Catholic Charities of the
Diocese of Paterson. To date, the Tank
Pull has raised more than $1.5 million for

to building a better world. charities supporting veterans.

To be featured here, send your council’s “Knights in Action” photo as well as its description to:
Columbia, 1 Columbus Plaza, New Haven, CT 06510-3326 or e-mail: knightsinaction@kofc.org

COLUMBIA JULY_AUG 21 ENG COVERS 6_21 FINAL.indd 4 6/22/21 4:47 PM

 KOC
PLEASE, DO ALL YOU CAN TO ENCOURAGE PRIESTLY AND RELIGIOUS VOCATIONS. YOUR PRAYERS AND SUPPORT MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

‘I left confirmed
in my call.’
“When the grain is ripe, at once he puts in the sick-
le, because the harvest is come” (Mk 4:29).
The kernels of my vocation weren’t that dif-
ferent from many others: growing up in a family
of faith, and nurtured by Catholic culture and
schools, pastors who truly shepherded their flocks
(including this occasionally wayward sheep), and
the Knights of Columbus.
With degrees from Benedictine College and Mar-
quette University, I came to work for the Supreme
Council, eventually serving as editor of Columbia
(1999-2008). During my time in New Haven, I
came to know Father McGivney and prayed daily
at his sarcophagus in St. Mary Church. The seeds
finally ripened at Yankee Stadium, of all places, as I
covered the Mass that Pope Benedict XVI celebrat-
ed there in 2008. I left confirmed in my call.
Now, I’m a pastor of three parishes in western
Kansas, close to where I grew up. There might be
more cattle than people where I serve, but the grains
of faith continue to be planted in many fields and
are ripening. “Pray therefore the Lord of the harvest
to send out laborers into his harvest” (Lk 10:2).
Photo by April Harmon Photography

Father Tim S. Hickey

Marienthal (Kan.) Council 2930
Diocese of Dodge City

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