Knights of Columbus Names 2019 Family of the Year

The Krebs and their eight children make outstanding contributions to parish life

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MINNEAPOLIS – The Knights of Columbus honored the Krebs family from Albany, Ore., as the 2019 Family of the Year during the organization’s 137th Supreme Convention. Joseph Krebs is a member of Knights of Columbus Council 1577 based in Albany, and serves as the council’s family director. He and his wife, Nicole, as well as their eight children — Isabel (18), Caledon (17), Maximilian (13), Lucianna (12), Gabrielle (9), Theodore (5), Benedict (3) and Emilia (1) — are parishioners of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, commonly known as St. Mary’s.

“The Knights have really shown me an excellent path, for not only self-improvement, but for different ways I can show the family on how to be better Christians for myself and how to be a better man,” said Joe Krebs.

Since moving to the Albany area, the family has become a staple in the parish community. They are leaders and workers at several parish events such as the Shrove Tuesday Festival, Easter Egg Hunt, Summer Festival and Stations of the Cross. Some of the children are altar servers and youth group leaders at various events, including the Vacation Bible School.

As a Knight, Joe is involved in pancake breakfasts, free throw competitions and faith-based family programs such as Family Prayer Night, where families gather in a local park to pray the rosary.

In addition to caring for their own children, Joe and Nicole also sponsor two children in Guatemala and India, providing for their education, food and medicine. Additionally, Nicole established the Little Flowers Girls Club, which helps teach catechesis to girls in the parish. This year, Joe and Nicole sponsored the Little Flowers Father-Daughter Dance.

“We were awestruck,” Nicole said after learning her family won the award. “Just imagining all the incredible families across the world that we were measured with and to have the honor of that title being given to us, our responsibility is amazing.”

The Knights of Columbus is a fraternity of Catholic men striving to better ourselves and our world by building a bridge back to faith and by assisting the sick and disabled and protecting those who can’t protect themselves--whether they are next door or around the world.

We are a group of nearly 2 million men who come from many places, backgrounds and stages in our lives, but we share a commitment to investing our time, efforts and resources into activities that reflect our faith and our values. The K of C gave $185.7 million to charity and donated 76.7 million hours of hands-on service in 2018.

The Knights of Columbus is also an A+ rated, Fortune 1000 insurance company, which grew out of our founding in 1882 by Venerable Father Michael J. McGivney who sought to ensure the protection and care of our members’ families. For more information, visit www.kofc.org.