Pope Leo XIV appoints Knights of Columbus Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly to Vatican Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life

August 25, 2026

NEW HAVEN, Conn. — Knights of Columbus Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly was honored today to be appointed by His Holiness Pope Leo XIV as a member of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life. Formed by Pope Francis, the Dicastery’s mission is “the promotion of life, the apostolate of the lay faithful, the pastoral care of the family and its mission according to God’s plan and for the safeguard and support of human life.”

“I am deeply grateful to His Holiness Pope Leo XIV for appointing me as a member of the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life,” said Supreme Knight Kelly. “Since our founding by Blessed Michael McGivney in 1882, the Knights of Columbus has been dedicated to strengthening Catholic laymen in the faith, to supporting Catholic family life and to building up a culture of life. I look forward to supporting this vital work of the Catholic Church, and I pledge, as always, the loyalty and prayers of our 2.2 million brother Knights around the world for our Holy Father.”

Earlier this month, Pope Leo sent a video message to the Knights of Columbus 144^th Supreme Convention, in which the pontiff noted, “Building upon the efforts begun by your noble founder, Blessed Michael McGivney, the Knights of Columbus have worked together for well over a century to show Christ’s love to the unborn, expectant mothers, persecuted Christians, victims of war and human trafficking, the poor and vulnerable, and those who live on the margins of society. Through the initiatives undertaken by your local Councils as well as at the national and international levels, countless people have benefited from your kindness.”

Please click here to learn more about the Vatican’s Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life.

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 $29 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’s Form 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 June 30, 2026

**As of July 31, 2026

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