Awards Session Kicks off Knights of Columbus 144th Supreme Convention

Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly recognizes outstanding Knights, councils, and announces International Program Awards

August 4, 2026

Denver, Colorado — The Knights of Columbus welcomed more than 2,100 Knights and their families, members of the Catholic hierarchy and special guests from 13 countries to its 144th Supreme Convention in Denver, Colorado, for the Supreme Knight’s Award Session. The annual awards ceremony recognizes individual Knights, councils, assemblies and jurisdictions throughout the world who have faithfully carried out the mission of the Order’s Founder, Blessed Michael McGivney. These honorees exemplify how Knights live their faith in service to their family, parish, community and country through charitable outreach, fraternal leadership, membership growth and retention, and insurance sales and service.

In addition, Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly presented the annual International Program Awards. The International Program Awards competition recognizes councils that conduct an outstanding program in each of the Faith in Action program categories: faith, family, community and life. State Council winners are eligible to compete at the Supreme Council level. The first-place winners and a brief description of their activity can be found below:

Faith Programs

St. Demetrius Council 17293

Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine  
Pilgrimage to Poland for Families of Fallen Ukrainian Soldiers  

Council 17293 coordinated a transformative pilgrimage to Poland for the widows and orphans of Ukrainian men who died defending their country. More than 45 participants found spiritual solace by praying at pilgrimage sites throughout Poland including Jasna Góra in Częstochowa, the McGivney House in Radom, the Presidential Palace and Knights of Columbus Mercy Center in Warsaw, and the Divine Mercy Shrine in Kraków. Through shared prayer, spiritual formation, and fraternal support, the families deepened their solidarity and found strength and peace. This pilgrimage was carried out in conjunction with Knights from Radom, Poland, who welcomed, lodged and assisted the pilgrims throughout their journey.

Family Programs

Sta. Maria Della Strada Council 8444

Quezon City, Luzon North, Philippines  
Covenant of Love: Paris0h-wide Weddings and Consecration of Families 

Council 8444 restored 18 couples to full communion with the Church through the Sacrament of Matrimony. Working closely with the parish, council officers and members took active roles in forming and preparing the couples for the Sacrament, who were previously only civilly married or living together unwed. The program included a four-Sunday marriage preparation program, spiritual guidance from personal sponsors and 18 pairs of “godparents” from the council and parish, and a wedding Mass for the couples. During the wedding Mass, Knights were servers and ushers, and the council and its mission partners removed financial barriers by providing wedding rings, bouquets, cakes, and photography for the occasion. The 18 couples and their families were consecrated to the Holy Family, and thanks to the council’s efforts, two participants converted to Catholicism and three men became members of the Order. This program serves as a witness to the dignity and importance of the Sacrament of Matrimony.

Community Programs

Monsignor McCarthy Council 5902

Carbonear, Newfoundland & Labrador, Canada 

Disaster Relief: Hospitality for Firefighters  

Council 5902 provided support and hospitality for 50 firefighters and volunteers during the Kingston wildfire in 2025 that destroyed hundreds of homes and buildings in the area. For nearly a month, more than 45 members cooked meals and provided lodging at the council’s Camp McCarthy facility, offering responders a place of rest as they worked to contain the fire. The council also distributed necessary supplies and collected donations from neighboring councils and community groups to ensure firefighters were well equipped for their grueling and hazardous work.

Life Programs

Brother Felix Council 6667

Gladstone, Michigan  
Pregnancy Center Renovation  

Council 6667 led the extensive renovation of Pregnancy Services of Delta County, a local pregnancy resource center. Thanks to council members’ expertise, labor, and tireless efforts, the former credit union building was transformed into a sanctuary of hope and support for women and families in need. Knights drafted the plans, acquired the necessary permits, secured building materials, and contributed over 1,000 hours of work, saving the center nearly $90,000 in labor costs. These savings have allowed the center to focus its resources on the life-saving services it provides to its clients. Throughout the renovation, the council also scheduled inspections from building, electrical, and plumbing officials to ensure full compliance with local and state standards. This project continued the council’s support of the center — in 2023 they worked with another council to fund their ultrasound machine. Since the machine’s installation in January 2024, the center has performed 88 ultrasounds, of which 82 mothers have chosen life for their baby.

The Arlinghaus family of Clarksville, Md., stands with Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly, his wife, Vanessa, and Supreme Chaplain Archbishop William Lori after being recognized as the 2026 Knights of Columbus International Family of the Year at the Supreme Knight’s Awards Session, held on the eve of the 144th Knights of Columbus Supreme Convention in Denver on Aug. 3, 2026. (Photo by Paul Haring)

International Family of the Year

St. Louis the King Council 11898

Clarksville, Maryland 

Francis A. Arlinghaus; Wife – Susan; Young Adult Children – Francis J. (and wife, Theresa), Theresa, Elizabeth, Peter, Mary; Grandson – Francis M.

Francis (Frank) has been a Knight for 36 years and has served in several leadership roles for his council, including grand knight. Both of his sons, Frank Jr. and Peter, are also Knights, with Frank Jr. serving as the council’s chancellor, helping to lead their parish’s Cor group, “Men of Virtue.”

The family is heavily involved in yearly council and parish fundraising activities, dedicating hundreds of volunteer hours to a White Elephant fundraiser that produces roughly $70,000 in donations annually. Other activities include operating a council concession stand at Baltimore Ravens games, organizing Food for Families drives, providing seminarian support, and donating to the Little Sisters of the Poor. Susan (Sue), Elizabeth, and Mary also organize the parish’s Advent Giving Tree, which raises over $20,000 in donations annually for needy families and charities.

The Arlinghaus family also has a strong pro-life commitment. Frank and Sue have served as the Maryland State Council’s Pro-Life Chair-couple for the past six years and have led the parish Respect Life group for even longer. They volunteer with the Maryland March for Life, with Sue participating on the steering committee and organizing the pastorate buses, and Frank leading council support for the event. Frank has given personal testimony against pro-abortion legislation in Maryland, and both Sue and Theresa serve on the boards of local pregnancy help organizations.

The entire family is deeply involved in faith-based activities like Bible studies and adoration. In addition, Sue, Frank, and Theresa have all taught Confirmation classes, and four family members have served on a combined fourteen ACTS retreat leadership teams. Sue started and led a monthly Holy Hour of Reparation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and as part of a Seven Sisters group, she prays a weekly holy hour for their associate pastor. Frank has led a large volunteer effort for the Maryland Men’s Catholic Fellowship Conference.

In addition to their charitable work, Frank and Frank Jr. work for the U.S. Department of Defense. Theresa is an emergency room nurse at a Catholic hospital and teaches clinicals at The Catholic University of America, and Elizabeth also teaches at a Catholic school.

Blessed Michael McGivney Medal

This award is given annually to a Knights of Columbus chaplain whose priestly zeal and exemplary service are in the finest traditions of our Founder.

The 2026 recipient of the Blessed Michael McGivney Medal is:

Rev. Robert F. Higgins

State Chaplain and District Friar

South Carolina

Father Higgins is the Parochial Vicar of St. John Neumann Parish in Columbia, South Carolina, the South Carolina Knights of Columbus District Friar, and the South Carolina Knights of Columbus State Chaplain— a role he has held for 19 years.

Father Higgins has served as the Chaplain to the Ralph H. Johnston VA Medical Center in Charleston, Chaplain to the Port of Charleston, and, following closely in the footsteps of Father McGivney, served as the diocese’s first Vicar of Prisons, ministering to souls in four federal prisons, 24 state prisons, and 48 county jails.

Fluent in both English and Spanish, Father Higgins has served many people in Hispanic communities. During his appointment at St. Mary of the Angels Catholic Church in Anderson, Father Higgins worked with the local council to start a round table for Spanish-speaking members. He also began offering the first Mass in Spanish on the peninsula of Charleston and established a Knights of Columbus Hispanic roundtable at St. Patrick’s Church..While at St. Patrick’s, a historically Black Catholic Church, Father Higgins was instrumental in developing a working relationship between the local Knights of Saint Peter Claver and the local Knights of Columbus council.

Father Higgins is now in the process of learning to speak Vietnamese. His goal is to offer the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass in Vietnamese.

A product of Catholic schools himself, Father Higgins started, and built, Holy Trinity Catholic School, in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

He has attended every Supreme Convention since 2008. He also participated in the Warriors to Lourdes pilgrimages in 2014 and 2015, and has led pilgrimages of Knights through Italy and Mexico.

About the Knights of Columbus

In 1882, Blessed Michael McGivney, a young parish priest in New Haven, Connecticut, founded the Knights of Columbus to serve the needs of a largely immigrant Catholic community. What began as a small fraternal benefit society has since grown into the world’s premier lay Catholic men’s organization, with more than 2.2 million members in over 17,000 local councils. As members of one of the world’s leading charitable organizations, Knights donated more than 48 million service hours and over $200 million for worthy causes in their communities in 2025. The Knights of Columbus also offers a range of life insurance products to members and their families. Knights of Columbus has more than $124 billion* of life insurance in force. In addition, the organization offers investment services in accord with Catholic social teaching through its wholly owned subsidiary, Knights of Columbus Asset Advisors, which holds more than $30 billion** in assets under management. Guided by the principles of charity, unity, fraternity and patriotism, the Knights of Columbus is committed to strengthening Catholic families and parishes, by enabling men to grow in their faith and put that faith into action through service to all in need. To learn more or to join the Knights of Columbus, please visit kofc.org/join.

Investments are offered through Knights of Columbus Asset Advisors (“KoCAA”), a wholly owned subsidiary of Knights of Columbus. KoCAA is an SEC registered investment adviser. For more information, consult KoCAA’sForm ADV disclosure documents at adviserinfo.sec.gov.

Life insurance, annuities, long term care insurance and disability income insurance is offered through Knights of Columbus, 1 Columbus Plaza, New Haven, CT 06510.

*As of March 31, 2026

**As of April 30, 2026

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