With the occasion of the 142nd Supreme Convention of the Knights of Columbus, Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin issued a letter on behalf of Pope Francis, expressing his “profound gratitude” to the Catholic fraternal group for its “concrete witness to the faith that works through love.” The letter praised the Knights for their programs of catechesis and spiritual growth, for their public testimony to the centrality of the family as the fundamental cell of society, and for their philanthropic efforts: “Together with charitable activities of its local Councils worldwide, your Order continues to give outstanding support and encouragement to efforts to defend God’s gift of life at every stage of its development, to uphold the dignity of the institution of marriage, and to advance the mission of the Church in developing countries.”
The convention was held in Québec City, Canada, from August 6 to 8, and the theme chosen for this year (“On Mission”) centered on the missionary dimension of Christian discipleship that Pope Francis has emphasized from the very beginning of his pontificate. Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly announced that the organization currently has over 2 million members worldwide and that it devoted more than 47 million hours “serving and sacrificing for the sake of others” and over $190 million to charitable giving.
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