International Program Awards Recognize Exemplary Service

Annual Supreme Knight’s Awards Session celebrates the achievements of the past fraternal year on the eve of the 143rd Supreme Convention

By Columbia staff

Aug. 20, 2025

Individual Knights, councils, assemblies and jurisdictions from around the world were celebrated for outstanding achievements during the Supreme Knight’s Awards Session hosted Aug. 4 before the official start of the 143rd Supreme Convention in Washington, D.C.

Welcoming nearly 2,000 Knights and their families, priests, bishops and special guests from 10 countries to the convention, Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly presented awards in each of the Faith in Action program categories: faith, family, community and life.

Guests at the awards session also enjoyed a performance by The Vigil Project, a nonprofit Gospel music group established in 2016 by a community of music artists with a common vision to restore excellence in Catholic music.

Faith Program of The Year

A family at St. Andrew Catholic Church in Coral Springs, Fla., prays before the Eucharist as Father Milton José Martínez, vocations director for the Archdiocese of Miami and brother Knight, kneels with the monstrance. *(Castletown Media)*

For more than a year, Coral Springs (Florida) Council 8838 has organized monthly Holy Hours geared toward the parish youth, with about 700 people, including 250 youth, gathering on average for Eucharistic adoration. The Holy Hours also include a procession around the church, escorted by a Fourth Degree honor guard, as well as praying the rosary, opportunities for confessions and praise and worship. The council also helped form a youth choir to sing during the Holy Hours, consisting of 30 children and led by a brother Knight. After adoration, attendees gather for fellowship, for which Council 8838 provides food and refreshments. Thanks to these monthly events, nearly 20 men have been inspired to join the council, and the program has strengthened the faith of young people by creating opportunities for authentic connections with God.

Family Program of the Year

Children competing in the Knights of Columbus Cup in Ivano-Frankivsk on Oct. 5 say a prayer before the games begin. — Children competing in the Knights of Columbus Cup in Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine, say a prayer before the games begin Oct. 5, 2024. *(Photo courtesy of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Archeparchy of Ivano-Frankivsk)*

Andrey Sheptytsky Council 15804 in Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine, hosted its fourth annual Knights of Columbus Cup athletic competition for more than 50 orphans and internally displaced children in October 2024. Council members collaborated with a local sports complex, local teachers and a pediatrician to organize the event, and before the games, participants received medical examinations to ensure they were in good health. Father Yurii Fedorchak, council chaplain, began the event with prayer and blessed all the participants. The Knights set up equipment for the competition, prepared the children for each event, timed the activities, and ensured each child felt supported and encouraged throughout the games. The council also presented participants with awards after the games and hosted a lunch for the children. As a result of these events, 20 men have joined the Order.

Community Programs of the Year (TIE)

Aidan Reed (left) and Kevin Briner of St. Joseph Council 11370 in Maumee, Ohio, deliver a mattress for Off the Streets Toledo during one of their weekly deliveries to people in need. *(Photo by Chloe Valladares)*

St. Joseph Council 11370 in Maumee, Ohio, helped establish the Toledo chapter of Off the Streets in 2021 to help both individuals and families move from homelessness to stable housing. Since its launch, the chapter has helped more than 1,000 men, women and children move into safe, dignified homes. As volunteers, council members meet with clients, provide security deposits, manage warehouse inventory, deliver furniture and other household essentials, pray with recipients and offer them a Bible and crucifix for their new home. More than 175 crucifixes hang on the walls of participating families as a result. In addition, Council 11370 regularly hosts fundraisers to support Off the Streets; in 2024, the council contributed $10,000 toward the purchase of a new delivery truck, donated another $5,000 for operational costs and helped purchase 20 microwaves for families in need.

A member of Curé Roland Ouellet Council 11078 in Val d’Or, Québec, presents a young boy with a new winter jacket. *(Castletown Media)*

Like many communities in Québec, Val d’Or has seen an increase in the arrival of immigrants and an accompanying increase in the number of individuals and families in need. Curé Roland Ouellet Council 11078 in Val d’Or, Québec, met this need by establishing a thrift store to distribute clothing, shoes and other necessities. The council partnered with a local business, which provided a free space for the thrift store, and through the Knights’ outreach, a local chain discount store donated racks, boxes, hangers and units to display and store inventory. The council offers all items free of charge, and in 2024, met with 100 families — many of whom experienced their first cold winter — to distribute approximately 4,000 items of clothing.

Life Program of the Year

Knights from several councils in Michigan join athletes from Clinton Valley Little League Challenger Division Senior League, for the dedication of Blessed Michael J. McGivney Field, a new baseball diamond at Neil Reid Park in Clinton Township on June 15, 2024. *(Photo by Jonathan Francis)*

St. Mary of the Hills Council 13950 in Rochester Hills, Michigan, spearheaded a collaboration between 43 councils within the Archdiocese of Detroit to raise $65,000 for a new baseball field that serves people with disabilities. Named in honor of Blessed Michael McGivney, the accessible baseball field is primarily used by members of the Clinton Valley Little League Challenger Division Senior League, which is for people with disabilities ages 16 and up. It features large dugouts to accommodate wheelchairs and rubberized paths that make it easier for wheelchairs and walkers to maneuver. During the dedication ceremony in June 2024, Fourth Degree Knights processed onto the field, leading members of the contributing councils. A Knight’s daughter who has Down syndrome sang the national anthem, and Auxiliary Bishop Robert Fisher of Detroit offered a prayer of dedication and blessing over the field.