United in Christ: Knights of Columbus Open Supreme Convention in Denver
- André Escaleira, Jr.
- 8 minutes ago
- 6 min read
Archbishop James Golka welcomed thousands of Knights from around the world as the Catholic fraternal order highlighted unity, evangelization and record charitable service.
In a moving display of the Catholic Church’s unity, thousands of Knights of Columbus from around the world gathered in Denver on Tuesday for their 144th Supreme Convention. With some members traveling from as far as the Philippines, South Korea, Ukraine, Poland, Latvia, Lithuania and Spain to attend, the convention sought to focus on Pope Leo’s unifying episcopal motto: “In the One, we are one.”
Coming together in the order’s principles of charity, unity, fraternity and patriotism, the gathering represented the Knights’ commitment to spreading the Gospel and building up Christ’s Church, even to the ends of the earth.
‘Help God care for his children’
The 144th Supreme Convention of the Knights of Columbus opened with a special Mass celebrated by Denver Archbishop James Golka, along with dozens of bishops, hundreds of priests and deacons, and thousands of Knights and families from around the world.
For the archbishop, the liturgy was personal: he is a fourth-degree Knight; his six brothers are Knights; and his late father, Robert, was a Knight, too. In fact, in 2021, the year Archbishop Golka was named Bishop of Colorado Springs, his family was named Family of the Year by the Knights of Columbus Nebraska State Council.
“The Knights of Columbus exists to help our men grow in their faith, and they sure did for my dad,” Archbishop Golka said in his homily.
Recounting his own journey of faith and vocation, the archbishop highlighted God’s providence in each of our lives and in the Knights of Columbus's work. Facing a $252 car repair while in seminary, a young Jim Golka didn’t know where to turn except to God. After a quick, simple prayer, he checked his seminary mailbox to find a letter from the Knights of Columbus in Ogallala, Nebraska — a council he’d never visited. They had hosted a pancake breakfast and decided to split the proceeds between him and another seminarian. Archbishop Golka’s share? $253.
“If you listen to God's will for you and say yes, God will absolutely take care of you, amen? And he’ll even give you an extra dollar for a cup of coffee,” he said with a chuckle. “And God wants the Knights of Columbus to help him care for his children. God wants the Knights of Columbus to help carry out God's purposes. God wants the Knights of Columbus to live for God and God's purposes, not ours. And when we do that, we care for the people of God.”
(Photos by André Escaleira, Jr./Denver Catholic)
A Charity That Evangelizes
Later Tuesday afternoon, Archbishop Gabriele Caccia, the papal nuncio to the United States, opened an afternoon session with words of reflection on the Knights of Columbus' mission in this apostolic age. He also introduced a special video message from Pope Leo XIV, encouraging the Knights and calling them to deeper unity and charity.
Following the pope's message, Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly of the Knights of Columbus took to the dais to deliver his annual report, a comprehensive summary of the worldwide activity of the Knights of Columbus over the past year.
Amid a lengthy litany of the Knights’ good works was a profound commitment to charity, service and love for neighbor — with over 48 million hours of volunteer service and more than $200 million given to charity worldwide, a new record for the organization. That charity was made possible, in part, due to a near record-high number of new Knights, with 105,000 men being welcomed into the order worldwide — many of them men under 35. That number of new Knights, Kelly said, is rivaled only by the post-World War II boom of new membership.
“Just as Christ came to serve, we devote our lives to serving others, especially the vulnerable,” Kelly said. “All of our charity reflects the love of God. It’s a charity that evangelizes.”
That charity was made manifest in many forms: gifted wheelchairs and warm coats to those in need; emergency response to the horrific shooting at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis and the natural disasters in Venezuela and Hawaii; support for persecuted and war-torn communities in the Holy Land, Ukraine, Benin and Nigeria; religious liberty advocacy; aid for wounded warriors; and partnerships with the Special Olympics and pro-life clinics.
No matter the particular location or character of their charity, one thing was clear: in the last year, as throughout their history, the Knights have put their money where their hearts are.
“We are not just another charitable organization. We are not a social club,” Kelly emphasized. “We are a global brotherhood of Catholic leaders — and we are united in Jesus Christ. He is the source of our strength. And as we reflect on the past year, we give all the glory to God.”
Listen Before Serving
That charity, both Archbishop Golka and Kelly emphasized, flows from communion with God — Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Apart from him, all charitable works come to nothing.
“We could be busy about many, many good activities, but if they have not been planted by God, they're going to fail,” the archbishop said in his homily. “We can have good intentions, but if it's not God's plan, it's going to fail, so what must we do before we do anything? Listen to God, beg God for clarity on what is his plan.”
Emphasizing that God already has a plan for the Knights of Columbus, for individuals, families and marriages, Archbishop Golka exhorted those gathered to become experts in listening to God.
“My brothers and sisters, whenever I look at Jesus to find out his plan, he is never anxious. He is never afraid. He's excited to show us who he is,” the archbishop said. “So let us open our ears and our hearts and our eyes so we can know better his plan for you, for our life, for the Knights of Columbus, for the entire world, so that God can get his world back through our humble service.”
To bolster Knights’ faith and help them better hear the voice of God, the Knights of Columbus launched Cor, a small-group program meant “to give young men exactly what they are looking for — a community centered in Jesus Christ.” In addition, Kelly announced a new video retreat in partnership with ACTS XXIX and a new video series in partnership with Denver-based Christ in the City, with reflection and practical tips to serve the homeless.
In these ways, Kelly said, the Knights of Columbus “are rising to meet this moment,” in which interest in the Catholic Church has grown sharply, with some parishes and dioceses seeing record-high numbers of converts.
“These converts are searching for compelling answers. They are fleeing the isolation and incoherence that define our time,” Kelly explained. “They need real friendship and real connection — and they are finding it in the Catholic Church.”
Kendrick Castillo: A Model for Our Times
Kelly concluded his report by lifting up Kendrick Castillo as a perfect exemplar of this youthful zeal for faith and service. A living witness to Jesus’ own words in John 15:13 — “Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends” — Castillo jumped in front of a gunman at the Highlands Ranch STEM School, offering his life to save those of his classmates.
“In that moment, Kendrick Castillo made his choice. And in the moment that followed, he gave his life so that his friends would live,” Kelly said.
Known for his service to the community through the Knights of Columbus, Castillo had always desired to join the order, but had only just become old enough at the time of his death. So, in 2019, the Knights of Columbus posthumously welcomed him.
“We will always look up to your son, our brother Knight, Kendrick Castillo!” Kelly promised, turning to John and Maria Castillo, Kendrick’s parents, who were present in the audience.
More than Good Works
As the Knights of Columbus continue their 144th Supreme Convention, coming together in charity, unity, fraternity and patriotism, Archbishop Golka encouraged them and their families to see their work as something deeper than activity alone.
“May this convention be a place for Jesus Christ to unveil to us his reign so we can live more for that, and less for everything else,” he prayed. “May every pancake feed, every fish fry, every free-throw shooting contest, every Tootsie Roll drive, every gathering of men to study their faith in Cor, every opportunity to raise money to help others, every ultrasound machine that we buy to support pro-life, may every one of those things be in our heart a place where we allow and ask Jesus to unveil for us his way.
“That way, a pancake feed is much more than just feeding people,” Archbishop Golka continued. “It's a gathering of fraternity and unity where God's charity is present. So we need and we expect and desire for God to help us show us what is his way.”
