International Church Activity Awards

Top Finishers  • 2nd – Council 12167, Kannapolis, NC  • 3rd – Council 8780, Jerome, ID  • 4th – Council 7923, Lilburn, GA  • 5th – Council 7530, Washington, DC

First Place
Father Simpson and Father Dwyer Council 6191
Edinboro, Pennsylvania
Building the Church of God

Building a church is a labor and time-intensive process that eventually pays off when the project reaches fruition and Mass can be celebrated in the new space. In 2007, Knights of Father Simpson and Father Dwyer Council 6191 in Edinboro, Pennsylvania, saw the efforts of a decade worth of work reach its culmination as their new church, Our Lady of the Lake parish, was consecrated. 

It took more than $1 million and thousands of volunteer hours, including more than 2,000 hours this fraternal year, to accomplish this task. More than 35 Knights volunteered their time and craftsmanship to build the altar, crucifix, tabernacle, ambo, places for the Holy Oils, the Presider’s chair, statue bases and tables. Knights also spent 150 hour landscaping and planting. Overall, roughly half of the council’s 70 members have been active in this difficult, but rewarding project, which has benefited the entire parish.

Additionally, the council had to help relocate a social concerns group’s used clothing store into the old church, which needed renovations. This project required $56,000 to complete, and more than 200 man hours from Knights over a six-month period.

Second Place: St. Joseph of Kannapolis Council 12167
Kannapolis, North Carolina
DVDs to Our Homebound

Through the efforts of the Knights of St. Joseph of Kannapolis Council 12167, homebound parishioners can now witness the Mass without leaving home. To accomplish this, the council provided the funding and labor to relocate the existing soundboard in their parish to create a new recording room. Seven high resolution cameras were installed in the church to record all aspects of the Mass without needing to move them. The Mass is produced in both English and Spanish and copies are available for distribution within 15 minutes after Mass. The DVDs work on all players and include the church announcements.

Back to Top

Third Place: Jerome Council 8780
Jerome, Idaho
Holy Cow 2007

Holy Cow 2007 was St. Jerome Council 8780’s way of raising funds to help support the construction cost of the second phase of a building project at their parish. The Knights purchased 30 heifers at $1,000 per head and, through their raffle and sale of these animals, they raised more than $137,000 to give to the building fund. The parish was hoping the Knights could donate $100,000 over a five-year period, but with this one event, they accomplished their goal.

Back to Top

Fourth Place: Archbishop Thomas A. Donnellan Council 7923
Lilburn, Georgia
Financial Planning Seminar for Priests

A friendly conversation revealed to the Knights of Archbishop Thomas A. Donnellan Council 7923 that priests were in need of financial direction, especially to help prepare them for retirement. The council held the seminars in their hall and the speakers, all of whom are Knights, were licensed professionals in their area of expertise. Knights volunteered more than 100 hours in presenting valuable information to the leaders of their local parishes.

Back to Top

Fifth Place: St. Josaphat Council 7530
Washington, D.C.
Bell Tower Restoration

Knights of St. Josaphat Council 7530 were “challenged” in 2005 by their archbishop at the council’s twenty-fifth anniversary to raise the funds to repair and restore the bell tower of the Ukrainian Catholic National Shrine of the Holy Family. Since then, the Knights have raised more than $37,000 from 150 individual donations. With these funds, plus matching donation from the archbishop, the tower has been cleaned, and the bells have been refurbished and rewired.

Back to Top