RICHARD A. SOKERKA
The Knights of Columbus are continuing to devote significant resources in their collaboration with the Church on the Year of St. Joseph, which will conclude Dec. 8 on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception.
At the semi-annual meeting of state deputies of the Knights of Columbus in Nashville, Tenn., Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly introduced the order’s new pilgrim icon prayer program, which features an icon of St. Joseph holding the child Jesus from St. Joseph’s Oratory in Montreal, Canada.
The pilgrim icon prayer program is a longstanding tradition for the Knights, in which every few years a new icon of a saint is selected to inspire the Knights and their communities. The icon is distributed to each of the Knights’ more than 75 jurisdictions and travels from council to council. Councils at parishes across the nation will use the icon as centerpieces for “rosary-based” prayer services.
Kelly said the St. Joseph icon was inspired by Pope Francis’ Apostolic letter, Patris Corde, which announced the Year of St. Joseph. Kelly, who received a private audience with Pope Francis last month, said that the Holy Father was grateful that the Knights chose St. Joseph to be “a central focus of our spiritual efforts.” The choice for the newly commissioned icon of St. Joseph is no surprise, as Kelly has advocated for devotion to the saint since his installation as the Supreme Knight. During his June installation, Kelly consecrated his administration to St. Joseph. “The example of St. Joseph teaches us how to be Knights of the Eucharist. He was the guardian of the first tabernacle — beginning with Mary herself when she bore Christ in her womb, and then in the home where he and Mary lived with Jesus,” he said at his installation address.
Furthering their contributions to the Year of St. Joseph the Knights also released a new documentary on St. Joseph, inspired by Pope Francis’s declaration of the Year of St. Joseph.
Kelly encouraged Knights and their communities to again entrust themselves to St. Joseph, imploring the men to “give thanks to God for the gift of his fatherly example and ask St. Joseph to be a father to us” as we seek to “grow in our own imitation of St. Joseph’s quiet strength, integrity, and fidelity.” Founded on the principles of charity, unity, and fraternity, we applaud the Knights of Columbus for their continual spiritual and temporal work for their parishes, communities, and the Church, most especially in this Year of St. Joseph as they follow his example in their lives.