The Knights of Columbus is a global fraternity of Catholic men who dedicate themselves to serving their parish and community. The brotherhood — which is united by the principles of charity, unity, and fraternity — was initially created by Fr. Michael McGivney to take care of widows and the poor. Today the mission continues through a worldwide network of local councils.
Council 13227 calls St. Michael the Archangel home. It is a strong council with many active members who regularly partake in service projects and fundraisers. David Aragon is the Grand Knight who oversees the council and makes sure that the group is accomplishing its mission of community outreach.
“There are four ‘faith in action’ categories that are worked on each year for our council — faith, family, community, and life,” David says.
The Knights’ service and fundraising efforts are reflected through these categories and help them serve many facets of our parish and local community.
Our Knights council members are very active in our parish. To fulfill their “faith” action item, they lead the Novena to Our Lady of Perpetual Help during Wednesday Adoration at 4:30 p.m. They also support and have active members in many parish ministries, including Donut Ministry, and as lectors, ushers, and sacristans, just to name a few.
Additionally, the Knights support the local community through donating to and volunteering at the food bank and Special Olympics.
The “life” category of their service efforts is extremely important. Here they work towards raising money to support the right to life and assist women who choose life over abortion.
“Our council participated in the ASAP (Aid and Support After Pregnancy) and raised $5,190 to support activities in our parish for single mothers,” David says. “Since the council was formed in 2003, we have supported the Pregnancy Center and have been able to donate two ultrasound machines.”
The ultrasound machines are important tools to help mothers connect with their children and track the child’s development. The Knights are proud to support mothers and do all that they can to provide for those who are in need and courageously choose life during a crisis pregnancy. These efforts complement the other ministries in our parish that help and support women to care for their children.
To keep all their charitable foundations and service projects organized, the Knights meet every second Monday of the month at 6 p.m. at the Grace Parish Center. The meetings are a time for the Knights to plan upcoming events, deliberate on how to allocate funds to the ministries and charities, and socialize with each other.
In addition to their various service projects, the Knights also prioritize cultivating a brotherhood that inspires faith and lives of virtue.
“Joining the Knights of Columbus has allowed me to serve our priests, our parish, and our community,” David says. “I have built friendships and relationships within our church community that I would not have without being involved with the Knight of Columbus.”
For many Knights, joining and participating in the fraternal prayer and service projects results in becoming better men, husbands, and fathers. The act of giving generously in various ways to support others and seeing their brother Knights grow in holiness encourages men to be more holy as well.
All men are welcome to join the Knights of Columbus. Getting involved is simple, just reach out to David Aragon at [email protected] or attend a meeting.
