Supreme Knight Speaks on Membership Growth
At the Membership Seminar for Knights of Columbus state and district leaders, Supreme Knight Carl Anderson said that the Order has a “historic opportunity” with the election of Pope Francis.
Since his election in March, the pope has “captured the imagination of the world” through his simplicity of life, pastoral manner, and calls for Catholics to engage in personal service to the most needy and forgotten of society. “He is going to lead a tremendous renewal of Catholicism, especially in the Western Hemisphere,” Anderson said. Knights are called as individuals and as an Order to stand “shoulder to shoulder” with the pope to “advance a great chapter of Catholicism in our lifetime.”
The supreme knight also said that to live up to its reputation as “the strong right arm of the Church,” the Order must grow in numbers. More members mean more charitable works, more needy people helped and a greater ability to assist the Church at the local, diocesan and universal levels.
“The Church needs that right arm more than ever today,” he said.
Also speaking at the seminar was Deputy Supreme Knight Dennis Savoie, who said that the great benefits the Order provides to men and their families should spur Knights to recruit every eligible Catholic man. He outlined three major benefits of the Order: guidance for growing in the faith that will make men “better Catholics, better husbands, better fathers, better grandfathers and better citizens”; a strong fraternity that offers members support, friendship and inspiration; and a top-rated insurance program providing financial protection to members and their families.
“There is enough reason in any one of these three benefits for all of us to offer membership to every eligible Catholic man,” Savoie said.