Relevant

Born in Waterbury, Connecticut on August 12, 1852, Michael J. McGivney was the the son of Irish immigrants.  He was the first of thirteeen children born to Patrick and Mary.  Growing up in the working-class neighborhoods of Waterbury, Connecticut, he was known as an excellent student.  After the Civil War, at the age of 13, he went to work in a local brass factory in order to provide a bit more money for his family's survival.

In 1868, at the age of 16, he left the factory and travelled to Quebec, Canada in order to attend the College of St. Hyacinthe, in order to prepare for the seminary.  After the death of his father in 1873, at the request of the bishop of Hartford, he entered Saint Mary's Seminary in Baltimore, Maryland.  Four years later he was ordained.  On Christmas Day in 1877, he began his priestly duties at St. Mary's Church in New Haven, Connecticut.

 

 

It was during this time in history that there were a great number of Irish immigrants settling in the northeastern section of the United States.  Father McGivney witnessed first-hand the discrimination and severe hardship that those immigrants were put through.  He worked with many Catholic laymen in the New Haven area in developing the idea of creating a Catholic fraternal organization whose goal was to strengthen religious faith and to help meet the financial needs of the families that may have lost the bread winner of the family due to death or illness.

In 1882, with the blessing of Bishop Lawrence MacMahon of Hartford, he began the Knights of Columbus.  The initial principles of the Order were "Unity" and "Charity".  It was later that the concepts of "Fraternity" and "Patriotism" were added.  Each of these themes plays a major role in each of the Order's ceremonies.  It did not take long before the councils began forming throughout the northeast and evetually the entire U.S.  It was just as the growth of the Order began to really take off, Father McGivney began to have serious health problems.

On August 14, 1890, at the age of 38, Father McGivney passed, but left behind a legacy that will endure forever.  His inspiration and leadership were the driving force for what has become one of the most successful charitable organizations in the world.  Today, nearly 1.7 million Knights contribute nearly $130 million and 61 million hours of volunteer service through the work of over 12,000 fraternal councils in 13 countries.

In March of 2008, Pope Benedict XVI bestowed the title "Venerable Servant of God" upon Father McGivney, an important step on his journey to beatification and canonization.  You can learn more about Father McGivney at the website for the Father Michael J. McGivney Guild, www.fathermcgivney.org.