Brothers, in this modern age of smartphones, tablets, and electronic communications of all kinds, we are constantly bombarded by change.  We hear that we must embrace change or be left behind.  Change has become so common, and the expectation of nearly instantaneous transition so prevalent that I begin to wonder, with all that “change” are we leaving something important behind?  Have we lost sight of who we are and what we believe?  Do we really believe what we say we do?

“Change” has become so ubiquitous that most of us have become extremely resistant to real and needed change.  So when we talk about change we really need to stop and ask:   is needed?   does it serve a higher purpose? does it make us better, or just different? Does it accentuate or obscure what we believe?  So why am I talking about change?  Over the past few years we have seen some very significant changes in the way our order expects local councils and us as Knights to operate.  The good news is that for most of our councils in Tennessee, there really has been little change from the way we have operated for years.  The majority of our councils have been focused on the parish in which they operate, they have been “a part of the parish” instead of being “apart from the parish”.

But again, why am I talking about change?  Before I get to that, permit me to ask you one more question, Why was our order founded?  If you answered:  “To protect Catholic families from the loss of the breadwinner”  you are halfway there, what is the other half?   To provide a means for men to support each other in their faith and keep from being pulled away from the church.  As part of that Fr. McGivney envisioned our order as being organized in every parish to support our priest in their mission.

Now for the answer I promised, Why am I talking about change?  There are more “changes” coming this year, but these are necessary changes, ones that take us back to our original mission as Knights and emphasize what we believe.  First our service program model is being reinvented (more accurately reorganized) to focus on living our faith.  The new model is called quite accurately “Faith in Action”.  While there is not wholesale change, the new model places the emphasis where it should be on living our faith, and participating in the offices of Christ, as he called us to.  There is a new way for men to join our order, Online.  This is a great way for us to reach men who don’t have or take time to learn about us and join in the traditional way.  Online membership allows a man to join, learn about our order, what we stand for, and what our order has to offer him and his family, So that when we talk to him his is ready to join our council and truly participate.

So I challenge each of you to take the time to better understand our mission and vision as Knights of Columbus so that you can help mold your council into what Fr. McGivney envisioned when he founded our order.

Must we change?  Of Course, but we do so prayerfully and in a manner that constantly strengthens our relationship with our Lord and Savior!

Vivat Jesus!

Tracy