College Knights Attend Leadership Conference

College Knights Urged to Realize their Potential as Leaders of our Church

“You have a lot of decisions to make, a lot of great opportunities, and a lot of great potential. And I think many of your brother Knights will tell you that the greatest way to realize that potential, the greatest way to implement so many of those opportunities is to take seriously the vision of John Paul II, which is essentially the vision of the Catholic Church in our age,” Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson told college Knights attending the awards banquet of the annual Knights of Columbus College Council Conference, held Oct. 2-4, in New Haven, Conn.

More than 143 Knights representing approximately 65 colleges and universities in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and the Dominican Republic attended the conference.

Conference Chairman Steven D. Bierschbach of University of North Dakota Council 10829, in Grand Forks, N.D., and a seven-member coordinating committee made up of fellow college Knights, led attendees through a weekend that included seminars, an awards banquet and cultural events.

The college Knights raised more than $300 among themselves to assist relief efforts for flood victims of Tropical Storm Ketsana in the Philippines.

Knights attended two days of presentations on topics that ranged from programs and membership to the leadership responsibilities of Knights on campus. Conference delegates also toured the Supreme Council office and the Knights of Columbus Museum, and attended Mass at St. Mary’s Church, where the Order was founded in 1882. Mass was offered in memory of Kevin Sinnott, deputy grand knight of Southern Catholic College Council 14496 in Dawsonville, Ga.,  who had planned to attend the conference, but died tragically on Sept. 21.

Finally, at an awards banquet hosted at the Supreme Council office, awards were presented for outstanding college council, for membership and insurance growth, and for achievements in the “Surge…with Service” categories. (See listing below.)

The conference formally began with representatives gathering for “breakout” sessions and presentations on recruiting, Columbia magazine, Knights of Columbus programs, the Order’s investment department, leadership development and officer training, the Order’s insurance business and volunteer service.

At St. Mary’s Church, Dominican Father Joseph P. Allen, pastor of St. Mary’s, celebrated Mass along with college chaplains who were in attendance. During his homily, Dominican Father Juan-Diego Brunetta spoke about what it means to be a Knight and a practical Catholic. “. . . being a faithful and practicing Catholic is a struggle in every age and time -- for the struggle is within the human heart; [it] is what St. John depicts as the conflict between ‘those who follow the Light and those who are in the world.’ ”

At the awards banquet, Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson reflected on the need for college Knights to become the leaders of the Catholic Church and to help build a civilization of love. “Too often we think – especially in college – that our big decisions are going to come later, when we go out after graduation and then we decide about our jobs and then we decide about our careers and then we start making our decisions about getting married or not getting married. But the fact of the matter is that some of your most important decisions are being made now: decisions that will condition what your decisions later in life after you graduate will be; decisions about whether the basic insights involving the Theology of the Body are true or not; whether the ethical standard that the Church holds up for us is true or not.”

At Sunday morning’s closing session Msgr. Eduardo Chávez, who served as postulator for the cause for canonization of St. Juan Diego and co-author with Supreme Knight Anderson of the book Our Lady of Guadalupe, Mother of the Civilization of Love gave a talk on the history and significance of the tilma and the Guadalupe event. “You (college Knights) are the heart, blood, and truth of our Church ... the sign that Our Lady of Guadalupe gave to Juan Diego was the flower, which means truth,” Father Chávez told the attendees. “You are the flower, you are the truth of God.”

2009 Award Winners
Outstanding and Dedicated
Church Activity: Quinnipiac University Council 14277 in Hamden, Conn.

Community Activity: St. Anselm College Council 4875 in Manchester, N.H.

Council Activity: Father Vincent Joseph Guinan Council 13940 at University of St. Thomas in Houston.

Family Activity: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Council 2782 in Champaign, Ill.

Youth Activity: Mount St. Mary's College Council 1965 in Emmitsburg, Md.

Net Insurance Gain: Texas A&M University Council 10624 in College Station, Texas.

Percentage Insurance Gain: Ave Maria University Council 13753in Naples, Fla.

Net Membership Gain: Commodore John Barry Council 14534 at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md.

Percentage Membership Gain: Commodore John Barry Council 14534 at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md.

Outstanding College Council: John Paul II Council 14188 at Harvard University in Cambridge, Mass.

Reimbursement of Travel Expenses

If you qualify for reimbursement of your travel expenses, please consult these guidelines for submitting an expense report.

For More Information

If you are looking for more information on the Knights of Columbus College Council program, or have questions, please contact:

Michael V. Brewer
College Council Coordinator
Office:  203-752-4671
Mobile:  203-804-4005
Primary E-mail:  college@kofc.org
Secondary E-mail:  michael.brewer@kofc.org