Do you know what organization was founded on the principles of charity, unity, and fraternity in 1882 by Father Michael J. McGivney, assistant pastor of St. Mary’s Church in New Haven, Connecticut, and a group of parishioners? They intended to bring financial aid and assistance to the sick, disabled, and needy members of the parish and their families. This organization is the Knights of Columbus, an international fraternity of men dedicated to living Catholic values, and St. Francis has had its council here since 1988. According to the most recent past Grand Knight of the St. Francis Council, Bryan Kozak, “Currently, just under 300 men are members of our council. Our mission during that time has remained the same: to bring together a unified group of Christian men in fraternity, promoting authentic charity among themselves, the parish we serve, and the broader community. Over the last several years, our impact and focus have been to be much more present in the St. Francis community.”
The primary purpose behind the founding of the Knights of Columbus, initiated by Blessed Father McGivney (who is currently under consideration for sainthood), was to support Catholics in the community, many of whom faced persecution due to their Catholic faith. This persecution, as happened during those times with many religious or ethnic groups, often meant they wound up getting low-paying, hazardous jobs. “If the breadwinner of the family died in one of those jobs,” said Bryan, “it meant financial ruin for the rest of the family. So Father McGivney’s idea was to create a fraternal organization to ensure the widows and the children were cared for if one of the members met an untimely death. ”Even today, there is an insurance fiduciary arm of the Knights that remains very important to its members,” Bryan added. A key principle of that fiduciary arm is that everything they invest in must be 100% in line with Catholic teaching. New Haven, Connecticut, remains the worldwide headquarters, but it is truly an international organization. There are Knights in Canada, as well as in Poland, Mexico, the Philippines, and other countries, and they all share the same principles, the same direction, and intent.
When examining the principles of the Knights, charity plays a significant role in the organization and is prominently featured in the original charter. The local St. Francis council is ‘all in’ with this tenet, not only because it’s a characteristic of the Knights, but because it mirrors our parish mission. “Our big fundraiser, which we do each year, is that we run a concession stand at the Durham Bulls game,” says Bryan. “We’re at the Durham Bulls for every Thursday and Friday home game for the entire year, and we’ve been doing the Durham Bulls now for…I don’t even know how many years it’s been. We’ve been doing it since I joined, which would be at least 10 years now.” “However,” says Bryan, “charity isn’t just money; it’s not just time; it’s not just treasure. It’s finding Christ in the hearts of our neighbors.”
“We are always looking for new ways that we can integrate, augment, and support other ministries and activities in the parish community,” says Bryan. There is an exhaustive, yet probably incomplete, list of the many things the Knights have done for the parish community and for the priests who serve that same community. They perform service projects for the parish itself, such as supporting and running The Franciscan School’s (TFS) Spelling Bee, providing parking ministry service during the major holiday Masses at the church, providing food for the St. Francis Preschool ‘Harvest Moon Festival’ and the TFS Art Show, as well as setting up and breaking down ‘ Francis Fest’ each year. While also offering support to our priests, for example, by providing vestments to Father Cong Lee on the occasion of his ordination, helping Monsignor Michael Clay move to New Bern upon his retirement, and assisting Father Chris in obtaining American and Vatican Flags for the sanctuary.
However, their service also extends outside the parish to many organizations in the larger community. As Bryan explains, “Last year, our philanthropy committee reviewed numerous charities in the area and we distribute the money based on what we feel is in line with the values of the Knights, the values of the parish, and the needs of the community.” Some of these service projects are the Special Olympics Swim Meet, participating in the CPO Food Drive and providing truck delivery of the food, to meaningful environmental service through the NCDOT ‘Sponsor-A-Highway’ trash cleanup program along Leesville Road four times a year to help keep our community clean. This philanthropy extends to providing needed funds to many local charities. “Hope Reins is one organization that constantly makes it onto our philanthropy list. I think last year we gave $1000 to Hope Reins.” That list also includes organizations such as Note in the Pocket, A Place at the Table, Catholic Parish Outreach and Catholic Charities, and St. Joseph’s Primary Care, among many others.
The other principles also play a large part in the Knights of Columbus: “Unity, where there’s a strength in numbers, is vital. It’s not just our council,” says Bryan, “we are united with all the councils across the world, they’re all unified with a common purpose.” “Then you have the fraternity aspect, where it’s like any fraternal group where we’re brothers. The primary emphasis behind it is to build men of faith with strong families that share a common purpose to ensure that the Catholic faith is practiced within their families, while also incorporating the charitable aspect, he says”. “I look at our ability to impact and share in the life of the parish, as well as with the local communities,” says Bryan, “and I really enjoy the program.” He adds, “A significant component introduced over the last couple of years from the ‘Supreme Council’ is faith formation and building the domestic church. The specific program currently available is called COR, which is Latin for ‘heart.’ So we are ‘getting to the heart’ of our faith, ‘getting to the heart’ of who we are.”
“You have a group of men with a common faith, a common purpose, and really a common ‘everything’ who can hold each other accountable, boost each other in spirit, and help build a good, solid, foundational faith life,” says Bryan. Are you interested in participating in a fraternal service organization bound in the Catholic Faith? Bryan offers, “To get involved, all you need to do is to approach a gentleman with a blue shirt or blue badge at Mass or anywhere on campus and ask about becoming a member. You can also join online. To become a Knight, you only need to be a ‘practical’ (confirmed and practicing) catholic man who is at least 18 years of age. Consider expanding your faith journey by being a Knight of Columbus!
