With nearly 2 million members in more than a dozen countries, the Knights of Columbus is one of the largest Catholic fraternal service orders in the world.
Its new supreme knight, Patrick Kelly, seeks to continue the charitable outreach the Knights are known for while strengthening another pillar of Catholic life: the family.
PATRICK KELLY
Supreme Knight, Knights of Columbus
“Families are really struggling. Sometimes that struggle is silent. But it's a hard culture to raise children in and to be a strong Catholic family.”
“I don't think it is an exaggeration to say it is under a systematic attack.”
Among the ways Kelly hopes to strengthen Catholic families is by bringing together men of faith to support each other in community.
PATRICK KELLY
Supreme Knight, Knights of Columbus
“Men today I would say are more isolated than ever.”
“I think particularly the family man who is very busy with his job and very busy raising his family, he has a lot of responsibilities, and he often tends to neglect the friendship of other men which is really an important dimension to who we are.”
By restoring the bonds between Catholic men and families, the Knights of Columbus aim to spread Jesus' message of love and unity to communities around the world.
PATRICK KELLY
Supreme Knight, Knights of Columbus
“Christ comes to unite and I think it's very important that we as Christians, as Christian men, are united. We're not called to live in isolated existence, we're called to live together in communion.”
Last October the founder of the Knights of Columbus, Fr. Michael McGivney, was beatified in Hartford, Connecticut, bringing him one step closer to sainthood.
JM
