Chairman: Markus Brister
Consecration to The Holy Family – To help families live out the joy of Christ, Supreme Chaplain Archbishop William Lori has composed a prayer through which families will come together to consecrate themselves under the protection of the Holy Family. In this prayer, we ask for the aid or intercession of the perfect son Jesus Christ, Mary the perfect mother, and Joseph who is a model for every father. Councils will guide their parishes and community to understand and offer this prayer. Preparing for the Consecration to the Holy Family is not a single event. It is choosing a way of life for your family. Through this consecration, each participant is consciously choosing to be a beacon of God’s love through His Church.
To view the Preparation Guide. . . click HERE!
To view the Consecration Prayer. . . click HERE!
Food for Families – Knights of Columbus are committed to helping end hunger through the Food for Families Program which has donated millions of dollars and millions of pounds of food toward this cause. Council and parish families will raise funds to support their local food pantries, food banks and soup kitchens. Though in-kind donation of food is valuable, leaders of hunger-relief organizations often comment that financial contributions can be stretched even further and allow nonprofits to procure the exact items needed by the organization and its clients.
Family Fully Alive – During his visit to the Philippines, Pope Francis cited the need for “holy and loving families to protect the beauty and truth of the family in God’s plan and to be an example for other families”. This Program asks families to invite God into their homes and cultivates each family as a miniature domestic church.
To this end, this Program provides monthly themes, scripture verses and activities. Through prayer and reflection, each family has the opportunity to grow in holiness together. This is a flexible program that can be started at any time of the year and continues year-round.
Family of the Month / Year – Each month, the council Family of the Month committee selects one parish family that models Christian family values and visibly lives them every day. Once a year, each our Council also selects one of the previous twelve Family of the Month winners to represent the council/parish as the potential international Family of the Year. The Knights of Columbus Family of the Year is chosen by the Supreme Council and recognized each year at the annual Supreme Convention.
Family Prayer Night – Catholics often struggle with the reality that they do not have the opportunity to socialize and/or pray with other faith-filled Catholic families. It can be quite a challenge to raise our children in the faith when their only exposure comes from Mom and Dad. Put plainly, the majority of our time can easily be spent in secular circles unless we intentionally create ways to live out the domestic church.
Family Prayer Night – is an opportunity for children to be exposed to regular people living their faith in a casual setting. Families of council members, as well as other Catholic families within the parish and community, will gather for prayer, dinner and fellowship. Multiple groups can be formed and families are encouraged to rotate between these groups.
Family Week – Our Council dedicates a special week of the year to recognize the vital importance of families as the foundation of our domestic church and to promote Catholic family values.
Good Friday Family Promotion – Despite Good Friday’s central role in the heart of Christianity, attendance at services remains low. In an effort to change this, our Council encourages participation in Good Friday services through a promotional campaign. Setting an example for our community, We attend Good Friday services with our families and work with our pastor to encourage increased parishioner involvement at these liturgies. In conjunction with these efforts, we also work to educate their parishes about the plight of Christians in the Holy Land.
Keep Christ in Christmas – The Knights of Columbus offers multiple activities that promote Christmas and the season of Advent in their proper context: Journey to the Inn, Spread the Light of Christ, Crèche or Advent Wreath Blessing, and the Christmas Poster Contest. These programs are centered on the example of the Holy Family and the Nativity of Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Keep Christ in Christmas (KCIC) Program – The Program brings all KCIC activities together under one umbrella. We encourage our neighbors to shift from a preoccupation with materialism to the light of Christ and the spirit of giving. KCIC activities include whatever efforts best suit our parish and community.