Knights of Columbus 14995: Serving Faith, Family, and Community
The Knights of Columbus was founded by Blessed Father Michael McGivney at St. Mary’s Church in New Haven, Conn. in 1882 to combat prejudice against Catholic immigrants and the resulting economic hardships faced by Catholics. It was founded on the principles of Fraternity, Unity, and Charity. From its humble beginnings, it has spread worldwide and now has more than 2.1 million members.
The Monsignor Lawrence Breslin Knights of Columbus Council 14995 strives to live out the vision of Father McGivney. It was formed at St. Charles Borromeo in 2010 and was named to honor the legacy of Monsignor Breslin, a good and holy Priest, and a longtime Pastor of St. Charles Borromeo. Council 14995 is comprised of 164 dedicated Knights who tirelessly serve the St. Charles Campus and School in activities supporting our Community, Faith, and promoting Vocations.
Faith: We lead the Rosary on the last Sunday of each month, Holy Hours for Priests and Vocations each First Friday, and Eucharistic Adoration Sunday afternoons during Advent and Lent. Additionally, this fall, we are enthroning our Council to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
Community: We host pancake breakfasts twice every year, which foster community among parishioners. Our Outreach programs include: “Bottles for Babies,” which raises more than $1,000 for Elizabeth’s New Life Center annually, 40 Days for Life and Life Chain, We financially support the Feeding Friends Food Pantry, as well as volunteering manpower, unloading trucks from the Foodbank and stocking shelves at Feeding Friends each month. Our outreach continues with the Coats for Kids initiative, which purchases coats for children within St. Charles and in Missions in Appalachia. We also actively support Special Olympics and the Measure Up Campaign.
We sponsor and lead a Squires Circle for boys ages 10-17, a faith-based organization that provides monthly opportunities for service, fellowship, and fun. We also sponsor a free-throw contest and soccer challenge every year, open to all children at St. Charles School. Vocations: We provide financial support to several seminarians through the SaveOur-Seminarians Program. Our Council actively promotes future vocations through our annual Vocation Essay Contest. The contest was started by Brother Knight Bob Shiller in 2011 and initially involved only St. Charles School. The contest has since spread to all Catholic Schools in Montgomery and Greene counties. Children in all the schools are given an essay prompt which encourages them to explore the idea of their own vocation as they write their essays.
More Than Just One Council! While this article highlights the council at St. Charles, it’s important to note that Ascension and St. Albert also have active and vibrant councils, dedicated to serving their parish campus and the larger MGFP. All three councils work in collaboration and are always ready to welcome new members. Interested in joining the Knights? Reach out to your parish office and we’ll get you connected! It’s never been a better time to say yes to brotherhood, service, and faith in action!