Some Reasons For Being A Knight

(From “The Log of the Santa Maria, Council #105, Malden, MA, Volume II, Issue No. 8, March 3, 1922)

 

        “Practically every member of the Council has been asked some time or other by non-members, friends of theirs, when membership was suggested to them, just why they should join the Knights of Columbus.  The insurance feature is a splendid argument but this is only one.

         First of all, the Knights of Columbus seeks to unite men upon a common plane of devotion to God, to Church, and to Country; to awaken in them their duty to protect and to promote the interests of the Church and the interests of Catholic men and women everywhere. 

         The principles of the Knights of Columbus are included under the headings of Charity, Unity, Fraternity and Patriotism.

         First as to Charity – the Catholic heart needs no special training or social affiliation to practice charity, and yet through the unity of membership and purpose, many things can be done that would be impossible for the individual.  Helpfulness in sickness and in death, in trouble and in distress, are things too sacred to be exploited, and only this, therefore, can be said: that the spirit of active charity permeates the Order from beginning to end.

                In Unity, the Knights of Columbus seeks to gather together men of the Catholic Faith, with a view of giving to that Faith the support which unity means and exemplifying to the public by the union of members the value and virtue of the Catholic Faith to citizenship. 

         Through Fraternity, the Knights of Columbus seeks to bring home in a practical personal way the worth and the value of mutual assistance, the duty of man to man, of neighbor to neighbor, and of citizen to his State.  It is not propaganda in any narrow sense, and teaches no narrow exclusiveness and forbids proscription.” 

         The final principle is Patriotism.  The Knights of Columbus encourages men to have pride in their nation and its’ history.  The K of C cultivates a love of country, and a respect for those who served our nation.

         Today, over a century since the founding of the Knights of Columbus, Santa Maria Council #105, the principles of Charity, Unity, Fraternity and Patriotism are still practiced with the same dedication and commitment as when those words were written in our Council newsletter.  The K of C #105 is active in the Malden community, feeding the needy once a month, promoting the interests of the Church, participating in community events, and helping people in distress.  The one reason to become a Knight that wasn’t mentioned in the article from 1922 was the feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction that a man receives from practicing the principles of the Knights of Columbus.

 Grow in Family, Grow in Faith, Grow in the Knights of Columbus