Excerpted from The Supreme Knight's Address to the 130th Supreme Convention

Our country's foundational documents, the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, were born in Independence Hall in Philadelphia. It is also home to the famous Liberty Bell. Inscribed on that bell, and doubtless an inspiration to our founders, are these words from the Book of Leviticus: "Proclaim liberty throughout all the land, unto all the inhabitants thereof."

We meet today not far from Mission San Juan Capistrano, founded in 1776 by Blessed Junipero Serra. This mission, and the others along California's El Camino Real, remind us of the foundations of our Christian continent. The missions were critical to the evangelization of this hemisphere and are reminders of our own responsibility. Following in Father Serra's footsteps, we are called to preach the Gospel in word and deed, building up the civilization of love.

And so as we meet in this 130th Supreme Convention, we echo the words of our nation's founders with their same dedication and resolve: "Proclaim Liberty Throughout All the Land."