Good Friday Family Promotion

A Higher Purpose
Bring families into more robust practice and better understanding of the Catholic faith and the Easter services. In an effort to increase attendance and involvement, Knights of Columbus councils will conduct a promotional campaign to educate their parishes on the vital importance of Good Friday.

Overview
Despite Good Friday’s central role in the heart of Christianity, attendance at services remains low. In an effort to change this, councils will encourage participation in Good Friday services through a promotional campaign. Setting an example for their community, Knights will attend Good Friday services with their families and work with their pastors to encourage increased parishioner involvement at these liturgies. In conjunction with these efforts, councils will also work to educate their parishes about the plight of Christians in the Holy Land and other areas around the globe where Christians are persecuted for their faith.

Action Steps

  1. Working with your pastor, obtain his recommendations on conducting the Good Friday Family Promotion program.
  2. Plan a thoughtful promotional campaign to encourage parishioners and the greater community to attend church services at your parish on Good Friday. Incorporate a call to action to support Christians struggling in the Middle East today.
    Promote Good Friday in your parish and larger community through a variety of efforts:
    • Beginning on Ash Wednesday, promote Good Friday services at Friday Fish Fries and other parish and council meetings and events throughout the Lenten season. Be sure to give plenty of reminders in the weeks leading up to Good Friday.
    • Ask council members to take direct action and encourage their family and friends to attend.
    • Provide council members and the parish community a copy of Christ: Lord and Savior (#358) to help them contemplate who Jesus is and the sacrifices he made.
    • Have the Christian Refugee Relief Prayer Cards (#10340) available in the parish and council hall to raise visibility of the issues affecting the Middle East.
    • Request the contact information for elderly, sick or non-driving parishioners from your pastor and assist them in attending Good Friday services.
    • Prior to Good Friday, use the sample press release as a model to create and distribute a tailored release to local media.
    • Prominently display the Promotional Poster By Your Holy Cross (#10573) in your parish and council hall. This resource can be ordered through Supplies Online, the supply ordering portal available on Officers Online.
    • Develop bulletin announcements explaining the central nature of Good Friday.
    • Make pulpit announcements on the central nature of Good Friday.
    • Post on your council and parish website / social media pages.
  3. Set the example in your parish! Organize council members and their families to celebrate the Good Friday services together.
  4. To gain credit for your program, complete the associated reporting forms and submit them to the Supreme Council Department of Fraternal Mission. Remember to retain copies for your council records.

Please note: Conducting Good Friday Family Promotion program does not satisfy the programming requirements for the Christian Refugee Relief program. The two activities are separate and cannot be double-counted.

Resources

  1. #10638- Good Friday Promotion - Vertical Poster
  2. #10573- Good Friday Promotion - Horizontal Poster
  3. #10639- Good Friday Promotion - Press Release
  4. #10340- Christian Refugee Relief Prayer Cards
  5. #10611- Good Friday Promotion - Guide Sheet