Knights Mourn the Death of Cardinal Francis George

The Knights of Columbus mourns the death of a great friend, Cardinal Francis E. George, archbishop emeritus of Chicago, who passed away April 17 after a prolonged and heroic bout with cancer. He was 78 years old and served as archbishop of Chicago for more than 17 years until his retirement in September 2014. A member of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate, he also served as archbishop of Portland in Oregon and bishop of Yakima, Wash.

A Knight of Columbus since 1991, he served as the Order's state chaplain for the state of Washington, in addition to serving as host ordinary for the Supreme Convention in Chicago in 2005. The cardinal also presided over the Knights’ Eucharistic Congress following that convention, and was a keynote speaker at Supreme Conventions in 2002 and 2009.

On Jan. 30, 2015, Cardinal George received the Knights of Columbus' highest honor, the Gaudium et Spes Award. Supreme Knight Carl Anderson said on that occasion: “In his brilliant speeches, homilies, letters and books, and in the brave witness to the faith that he has shown to the world — in sickness and in health — Cardinal George has proven over and over again one of the leading voices in the Catholic Church in the United States, and the Knights of Columbus is pleased to be able to honor him in this way for the great work he has done for so long."