Blessed Michael McGivney

Feast Day Friday August 13th. 

The Knights of Columbus was established in 1882 by Father Michael J. McGivney, assistant pastor of St. Mary's Church in New Haven, Conn., and a group of parishioners. The intent was to bring financial aid and assistance to the sick, disabled and needy members and their families.

Father McGivney spent seven years at St. Mary’s, being assigned pastor of St. Thomas in Thomaston in 1884, where he died in 1890 at the age of 38. In 1982, his remains were reentombed at St. Mary Church. In 1997 Archbishop Daniel Cronin opened the cause for Father McGivney; in April 2008, Pope Benedict XVI declared him Venerable. On May 26, 2020, Pope Francis approved a decree for a miracle attributed to his intercession, opening the way for Father McGivney to be beatified on October 31, 2020. A second approved miracle is needed for him to be canonized as a saint of the Catholic Church.

Today, the Knights is the largest Catholic fraternal benefit society in the World, with 1.9 million members around the world investing their time, effort and resources into the core values of charity, unity, fraternity and patriotism since 1882.

https://www.kofc.org/en/events/father-mcgivney-beatification/index.html