The Knights of Columbus Msgr. Vismara Council 3725 which is partnered with Our Lady of Hope Parish is always open to welcoming new candidates for membership. Membership in the Knights of Columbus is open to men 18 years of age or older who are practical Catholics in union with the Holy See. This means that an applicant or member accepts the teaching authority of the Catholic Church on matters of faith and morals, aspires to live in accord with the precepts of the Catholic Church, and is in good standing in the Catholic Church.
If you are interested in helping those in need, serving your parish, growing in your faith, and having an exclusive access to top-rated insurance protection for your family, then the Knights of Columbus is the organization for you.
For Knights of Columbus membership information please contact either Keith LaDuke @ 295-3808, Fred Bignall @ 586-775-0232, Bob LaFave @ 321-8882 or Hank Murawski @ 294-1759.
Please considering joining us and become a Knight “ In Service To One In Service To All”.
The Knights of Columbus Order is a name known by most people, but we wanted to give the Our Lady of Hope Parishioners a brief history background on the Order, followed by a short update on our Council.
The Knights of Columbus is a Catholic, family, fraternal society, founded in 1882 by Venerable Michael McGivney, an American priest. Over the years the Order has grown and today nearly 2 million Catholic men and their families throughout the world, are united in service to our Catholic Church, our communities, parishes, schools, and the many in need whether in our local cities or across the world.
The Knights of Columbus have four principles:
Charity – This principle is the basis of all we do as Knights and as Catholics. “And now there remain faith, hope and charity,(these three),” writes St. Paul, “but the greatest of these is charity”.
Unity – No one person is as great as all of us. United as bother Knights, our efforts in support of the Catholic Church and our fellow men are focused and multiplied.
Fraternity – The Order was founded, in large part, to provide assistance to widows and children left behind when the family breadwinner died, often prematurely. The Order’s top-rated insurance program continues this tradition today, as do individual Knights, who last year gave more than 10 million hours of their time to assist sick and disabled members and their families.
Patriotism – Members of the Knights of Columbus are patriotic citizens. We are proud of our devotion to God and country, and believe in standing up for both. Whether it’s in public or private, the Knights remind the world that Catholics support their nations and are among their most devoted citizens.
Now for a short history update on our Council. Our Council was founded on November 7, 1953, and currently has about 120 members. The Council had its own building until June 1987, when financial reasons required the property to be sold. Since then, the Council had no permanent meeting location, with meetings being held at various locations with the past 10 years being held at the Lakeshore KC Council. Knights of Columbus councils are trying to partner with a Catholic Parish, which in the past was more of the norm. Therefore, in January 2014, Our Lady of Hope Parish Pastor Rev. James L. Bjorum was contacted and asked if our Council could partner with the Our Lady of Hope Parish, and Fr. Jim agreed. Our Council appreciates joining the Our Lady of Hope Parish Family and we look forward to our partnership as a community of faith in Jesus Christ called to serve.
Call To Be A Knight
We are a band of brothers dedicated to doing good in the service of God and our neighbor. If you would be interested in joining our parish knights, please contact either our Grand Knight Keith LaDuke at 295-3808 (keith_laduke@yahoo.com) or Membership Director Hank Murawski at 294-1759. Future Knights may also join via Knights of Columbus Online Membership at: www.kofc.org/joinus