State deputies encouraged to counter the epidemic of loneliness by bringing men together for faith and charity

By Cecilia Hadley

The loneliness and perceived lack of purpose afflicting so many men today is not merely a social problem, Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly told state deputies gathered for their Midyear Membership Meeting in early November. It is a spiritual crisis — and the Knights of Columbus can be the antidote.

“Satan’s goal for men, I think, is to isolate and to neutralize men,” the supreme knight said, “because the man who’s isolated and neutralized is an ineffective man. He’s not leading his family, he’s not leading others. He’s not on mission.” 

Speaking during the meeting’s opening business session Nov. 2, Supreme Knight Kelly added, “The Knights can change this for men; the Knights of Columbus can bring light into that darkness. … We can be that place of friendship that brings men together.”

Fraternal leaders from around the world discussed these challenges and opportunities at the annual gathering, this year held Nov. 1-3 outside Washington, D.C. In addition to hearing keynote remarks from the supreme knight and from Supreme Chaplain Archbishop William Lori, the deputies took part in various workshops, fraternal events, adoration and Mass for the feasts of All Saints and All Souls.

The holiness we are called to is not “a bar too high, a bridge too far, an unattainable ideal,” Archbishop Lori told the Knights in his homily Nov. 1, All Saints Day. “The Lord is asking you and me to do what generations of countless saints, ordinary men and women have done: to open our hearts to the grace of the Holy Spirit, to allow the Lord to transform us. … That is why he put the Scriptures in our hands and its words in our ears. That is why he comes to us in sacraments. … That is why, providentially, he made us all part of the Knights of Columbus.”

Supreme Knight Kelly urged leaders to invite more men into the fraternity of the Knights, building on the historic membership growth of last year, during which 92,000 men joined the Order.

The best way to do that, he affirmed, is by an authentic witness of faith and charity, and he pointed to the Philippines, where he and Archbishop Lori traveled in August, as an example. The number of Filipino Knights has more than doubled in the last 20 years; the secret of their growth, the supreme knight said, is their deep love of God and the Church and their commitment to serving those in need.

The Order’s Cor initiative is key to bringing men together in faith and charity, Supreme Knight Kelly continued. 

“For many men, Cor might be the beginning of real friendships and a real relationship with Jesus Christ. For others, Cor might be the rekindling of that relationship with Christ, maybe a relationship that has gone cold over the years,” he said. “Ultimately, I think Cor can lead to quiet miracles, miracles of faith and friendship in the lives of men. And I think it can give a lot of men a sense of purpose and a sense of direction for their lives, perhaps that they are struggling with right now.”

One of the inspirations for Cor — Latin for heart — is the Sacred Heart of Jesus, an image of which will be the centerpiece of the new Pilgrim Icon Program beginning in 2025. Speaking about the icon on the meeting’s final morning, the supreme knight urged the state deputies to foster the devotion in their jurisdictions so that many K of C families would be consecrated to the Sacred Heart. As the meeting concluded, Archbishop Lori led the Knights in praying the Litany of the Sacred Heart.