State Deputies Gather in New Haven

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State deputy-elects spent Thursday morning touring the Supreme Council headquarters and attending an orientation session with Supreme Knight Carl Anderson on their new leadership. The session was held just prior to the annual Organizational Meeting of Knights of Columbus State Deputies, June 3-7.

During the orientation session, Supreme Knight Anderson reviewed the 10 Keys to Success explaining how the state deputy-elects should work together with each other, their fellow officers and home office staff to ensure that each has his best year as a member of the Knights of Columbus.

Following their meeting with the supreme knight, the state deputy-elects joined Supreme Council officers and staff for the celebration of Mass in the building’s chapel. Supreme Chaplain Archbishop William Lori of Baltimore was the celebrant for the Mass.

In his homily, Archbishop Lori spoke about the message of the day’s Scripture readings: that love, whether it be for God or neighbor, involves risks, but is a challenge worth taking. “St. John Paul II said that our lives make no sense without love. He didn’t merely mean receiving love but giving and receiving love. Nothing satisfies the human spirit except God’s infinitely self-giving love, a love that prompted God to risk everything for us and for our salvation,” the supreme chaplain said. “We are not happy until we take the risk of loving God totally. And we will not love God totally unless we love our neighbor, even when our neighbor makes himself or herself quite unlovable.”

“Turns out Father McGivney made a good bet when he based our Order on charity,” Archbishop Lori added. “In the end, there are three things that last: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love (cf. 1 Cor. 13).”

Following the Mass, the state deputy-elects had the opportunity to meet one-on-one with their Membership and Programs Consultants to discuss action plans for their jurisdictions. They will join the re-elected state deputies arriving in New Haven for other events of the Organizational Meeting of Knights of Columbus State Deputies as well.

Among the topics to be addressed throughout the meeting are membership growth, setting a growth plan, the fraternal-insurance partnership, charitable programs and their ability to help recruit and retain members, ceremonials and home corporations.

Along with workshops and presentations, the state leaders and their wives will come together for social and religious events.