Order Mourns Passing of Supreme Secretary Emilio Moure

The Knights of Columbus mourns the loss of Supreme Secretary Emilio B. Moure, who passed away at his Connecticut home on July 23rd after a battle with cancer. He was 54 years old and had served as Supreme Secretary of the Order of the Knights of Columbus until his death.

Moure joined the Knights in January 1985, and was a member of James Cardinal McIntyre Council 6332 and Santiago de Compostela Assembly in California. He served in all elected offices of the California jurisdiction, and as state deputy from 2006-2007. In 2006, the delegates to the 124th Supreme Convention in Orlando, Florida, elected him to the Board of Directors.

He began working at the Supreme Council headquarters in April 2007 as Executive Vice President for Business Process Management. In that position, he oversaw the updating and modernizing of business practices at the Supreme Council. In October 2009, he was appointed Supreme Treasurer, and then in September 2010 he was named Supreme Secretary.

“We mourn deeply the loss of an exemplary Catholic gentleman and proud Knight of Columbus, who was also a dedicated husband, father and grandfather” said Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson. “Emilio was a trusted colleague and a good friend who always had the growth and welfare of the Order at heart. In his time at the Supreme Council headquarters, he was a dynamic force for improving and updating all of our operations. His business expertise, wise judgment and, most of all, his collegiality, kindness and deep faith will truly be missed.”

Born in Havana, Cuba, Moure came to the United States at the age of 11 with his family. He received a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a major in accounting from the University of Long Beach and a master’s degree in business administration with a concentration in executive management from the University of La Verne. He enjoyed a successful 23-year career with the Emerson Electric Co., holding senior management positions in accounting, marketing, operations and general management in domestic and international locations.

He spoke Spanish and helped to organize and implement the Order’s Hispanic programs, such as the Marian Congress on Our Lady of Guadalupe and the Guadalupe Festival, held at the conclusion of the 2009 Supreme Convention in Phoenix, Arizona. He was the Supreme Council’s liaison to the Order’s councils in Cuba, and helped revitalize the Knights of Columbus there in time for the centennial of Columbianism in Cuba in 2009. He was instrumental in the Supreme Council’s support for the construction of San Carlos y San Ambrosio Seminary, the first new seminary to open in Cuba in half a century. A lifelong dream of his was realized when, in November 2010, Moure was part of a delegation from the Supreme Council which traveled to Cuba to participate in the dedication of the seminary.

Moure was also instrumental in forging the Order’s relationship with the Global Wheelchair Mission, which provides free wheelchairs to needy individuals in many countries around the world, and also was a leader in the Knights’ recovery efforts in Haiti after the devastating earthquake in January 2010. He served on the boards of National Fraternal Congress of America (NFCA) and KWTV in Mexico, where he helped to develop a positive television alternative for the Mexican market.

Moure was invested in 2001 to the Order of the Holy Sepulcher of Jerusalem. In 2005, he was presented with the Pilgrim Shell by The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, His Beatitude Michel Sabbah in Jerusalem, and in 2008, he received the rank of Knight Commander with Star from His Eminence John Patrick Cardinal Foley, then Grand Master of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulcher of Jerusalem.

Moure is survived by his wife of 31 years, Rebeca, their two sons, and two grandchildren, one grandson and one granddaughter.

The Mass of Christian Burial was offered by Supreme Chaplain, Bishop William E. Lori of Bridgeport on Tuesday July 26, at 10:00 a.m. at St. Mary's Church in New Haven.  A memorial service was also held on Thursday, July 28 at 6:30 p.m. at Santiago de Compostela Church in Lake Forest, CA.

Expressions of sympathy can be sent to:
Mrs. Rebeca Moure
c/o Office of the Supreme Knight
1 Columbus Plaza
New Haven, CT 06510