An Invitation to All Married Couples

As a part of the Domestic Church initiative, Knights are asked to attend Mass together with their fellow council members and families on June 19, which marks the celebration of Father’s Day in the United States and many countries. During or immediately following Mass, Knights and their wives — along with all the married couples of the parish — should have an opportunity to publicly witness to their commitment to marriage and to affirm their wedding vows.

In the February issue of Columbia, Supreme Knight Carl Anderson shared his vision that all of the Knights’ Domestic Church programs, including the Father’s Day affirmation of wedding vows, will become annual events in all the countries in which the Order is active. These types of events provide great opportunities to promote fraternity among your council and parish families.

Sponsoring the event will also serve to make your council and its members visible to the parish community.

When planning the event, be sure to:

• Ask your pastor’s permission to conduct the event, and discuss what time the Mass will be held. If his schedule permits, ask your pastor if he would provide a brief catechesis to the parish, explaining the Catholic understanding of marriage and the strength of the sacramental bond.

• Promote the event several weeks before it occurs. Prepare flyers for distribution at Masses and council meetings. Be sure to post the details on council and parish bulletin websites, as well as on social media.

• Make a pulpit announcement on the day of event just before Mass begins.

Be sure to specifically invite all married couples — not simply Knights of Columbus members and their wives — to participate.

When planning the event, keep in mind that some couples may not wish to participate. Respect their decision, but encourage each couple to take a program with details of the ceremony so they may review it and determine whether they feel comfortable participating.

After the event, host a reception. Some councils may wish to hold a brunch or supply simple light refreshments, while others may wish to supply wedding cake in honor of the ceremony. No matter what your council chooses, don’t forget to congratulate each couple and thank them for their witness.

A printable program booklet and other information on the event will be available on www.kofc.org/DomesticChurch