11th Sunday A
100th Anniversary Bethlehem Knights of Columbus Council #2605
Our Lady of Hope, Dundalk
June 14, 2026<\/p>\n
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Introduction<\/p>\n
It is a pleasure to return to Our Lady of Hope\u00a0and on this occasion to celebrate with you\u00a0the 100th anniversary of K of C Bethlehem Council #2605.\u00a0My special congratulations to the Grand Knight, Tom Tompsett,\u00a0to the Council Officers and to all the members of Bethlehem Council.\u00a0And my warmest thanks to you, the wives and families of the Knights,\u00a0for your support and participation in the mission of this Council.<\/p>\n
In today\u2019s homily, I hope to show how today\u2019s Scriptures shed light\u00a0on the history and mission of Bethlehem Council.\u00a0But even if you are not as yet a Knight\u00a0or if your family doesn\u2019t have connection with the Knights of Columbus,\u00a0I hope these few reflections will be helpful in your spiritual journey.<\/p>\n
Choosing the Twelve<\/p>\n
And let\u2019s begin with this.\u00a0In today\u2019s Gospel, we see how Jesus\u2019 heart was moved with pity for the crowds,\u00a0\u201cbecause they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd.\u201d\u00a0What did Jesus do?\u00a0Having appointed the Twelve Apostles, he summons them\u00a0and sends them on a mission, a mission to bring healing and peace\u00a0to the many people who suffering from illness and unclean spirits.\u00a0Jesus also gave them instructions about where to go and what to say.\u00a0Above all, he told them to be generous in their love.\u00a0\u201cWithout cost you have received; without cost you are to give.\u201d<\/p>\n
Reflecting on this Gospel, I thought of Blessed Michael McGivney,\u00a0who founded the Knights of Columbus.\u00a0He was a saintly parish priest serving at St. Mary\u2019s Parish in New Haven, CT.\u00a0His priestly heart, like the Lord\u2019s own heart, was moved to pity\u00a0at the plight of so many families in his parish.\u00a0In those days, industrial accidents were common\u00a0and often the breadwinner died prematurely,\u00a0leaving behind a wife and children with no means of support.\u00a0Fr. McGivney also saw that the men of his parish were drifting from the faith.\u00a0His response was like the Lord\u2019 own response in today\u2019s Gospel.\u00a0He summoned twelve men to the basement of St. Mary\u2019s Church\u00a0and founded the Knights of Columbus with charity as its first principle.\u00a0It was to be a mutual aid society\u00a0to support families in the event that the husband and father died.\u00a0It was to be a fraternal society to help men stay strong in their faith,\u00a0to be better Catholics, husband, and fathers.<\/p>\n
It took a lot of courage and hard work to start the Knights of Columbus.\u00a0But soon it began to spread rapidly through the United States and Canada,\u00a0and then to many other countries.\u00a0The Knights received strong support from Cardinal Gibbons of Baltimore\u00a0and his successor, Archbishop Michael Curley.\u00a0Less than 40 years after the Knights were founded,\u00a0the Bethlehem Council was established at St. Luke\u2019s Catholic Hall,\u00a0with J. E. Sullivan serving as the first Grand Knight.\u00a0This council would grow rapidly and be active in its service\u00a0to the mission of the Church and the needs of the wider community.\u00a0For example, this Council started a scholarship program\u00a0to benefit local Catholic schools.\u00a0It built a monument to the unborn, bearing witness to the sanctity of life.\u00a0It participated in the Coats for Kids program of the Knights of Columbus.\u00a0And it won numerous awards for membership and service \u2013\u00a0often being designated as a star council.<\/p>\n
Charity<\/p>\n
So far, I have just scratched the surface.\u00a0Only the Lord knows how much has been accomplished\u00a0by the dedication of you, the knights, your wives, and your families.\u00a0Many have been helped and comforted.\u00a0Many have been brought closer to the Lord and to the Church.\u00a0It is a legacy of service to one and service to all,\u00a0so characteristic of the Knights of Columbus all over the world.<\/p>\n
But what is at the heart of this legacy?\u00a0What prompted Fr. McGivney to found the Knights of Columbus\u00a0and what has sustained the Knights for more than 140 years \u2013\u00a0and Bethlehem Council now for a century?\u00a0The answer is found in today\u2019s second reading from Paul\u2019s letter to the Romans.\u00a0There St. Paul speaks to us about the depth and generosity of God\u2019s love.\u00a0\u201cGod proves his love for us,\u00a0in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.\u201d\u00a0St. Paul focuses our gaze on just how much God truly loves us.<\/p>\n
Fr. McGivney founded the Knights on the very love we celebrate at every Mass:\u00a0God\u2019s infinite love which he generously lavishes upon us,\u00a0a love we did not earn, a love we do not deserve, a love God freely gives.\u00a0Fr. McGivney wanted the Knights of Columbus to reflect that love\u00a0and for that reason, he made charity the first principle of the Order.\u00a0That principle is lived out in many different ways \u2013\u00a0as the history of the Bethlehem Council illustrates.\u00a0It is a charity that bears witness to the boundless love\u00a0that we find only in the Sacred Heart of Jesus.\u00a0Today, I want to thank you, the members of the Bethlehem Council,\u00a0for a century of service, for a century of bearing witness to Christ\u2019s love.<\/p>\n
Conclusion<\/p>\n
As we mark this anniversary year, let us look forward in hope.\u00a0Let us imitate the Lord in his concern for those in need.\u00a0Let us make our own what St. Paul teaches about God\u2019s generous love.\u00a0And let us follow the lead of Blessed Michael McGivney\u00a0in living the principles of charity, unity, and fraternity,\u00a0for the glory of God, the good of the Church, and the salvation of souls.\u00a0And may God bless us and keep us always in his love!<\/p>\n
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