57th Annual College Councils Conference

– Brothers, it is my honor to welcome you to the birthplace of our order as we commence the 57th Annual College Councils Conference. It is a joy to gather here once again with College Knights from across the country for the first time in three years. – This is a weekend where college councils

Across the United States, Canada get to meet each other. We get to build fraternity together. We celebrate Mass together. We had Rosary and Adoration together. We have a lot of breakout sessions to learn to grow our own councils, how to grow as an organization,

And just how to grow as Knights and as Catholic men. – It’s really refreshing to see all these young, Catholic guys that are really motivated about their faith. And I feel like I’m really making connections with guys I just met. – The difference between the students that are

In my Knights of Columbus council versus your average student on campus who does not have faith, it is visible. You can see in their eyes, in the way they carry themselves that one group has a meaning and a purpose, has a joy, has a lightness to them, and the other is just unsure

What they’re doing and why they’re doing it. And you see guys wanting it, desiring it but have no idea how to live it out and to find it. – The Knights of Columbus has always been driven by a sense of defending the faith. No longer can we take our faith for granted.

Father McGivney was savvy enough to say, “We gotta bring our men together,” making sure that the faith was strong and vigorous within them so that they could defend it beyond. – There’s been an attack on men of God. The man of faith is slowly disappearing from our culture.

So it’s really important that, as men, we grow and stick together to spread the fire that is the Knights of Columbus and that is the Catholic Church. – We’re facing insurmountable odds with the current campus climates. We have to take Christ with us in our own spiritual warfare

And remember that the devil does not have the last say. – One of the things that’s constantly being thrown at men is to just choose a life of comfort and ease and just constantly fill ourselves with what we want and what we desire.

But being a follower of Christ means to take up our cross and to follow Him. We have to step up and strongly identify with our Catholic faith and be that example in our communities. – To see the hope and the optimism and the promise in the cohesiveness here in this beautiful gathering

Of young Knights from 60 college campuses, hallelujah! – It’s so good to be with all of you in person. As you all know, this is not just any church basement. This is really a sacred place for us as Knights because in this basement is where it all began 140 years ago.

– Being at St. Mary’s, the birthplace of the Knights of Columbus where Father McGivney celebrated Mass, where he prayed, where he founded the Knights, it’s truly such a profound and moving experience. So the Eucharistic procession occurred right after Mass. We took Christ around our neighborhood here

At St. Mary’s in New Haven so that we can evangelize. – And I’m glad we get to do that as part of this conference so that the young men here can experience God speaking to them. I think that’s one of the best places to listen

To God, be in front of the Blessed Sacrament. – Part of our mission in the Knights is to make the case for our Catholic faith and to communicate our Catholic faith. And you’re doing that on college campuses and I know that that’s not easy.

– We talked a lot about the idea of excellence in leadership and that when one man leads, others will follow in order to create a better vision for both our campuses, for the Knights of Columbus, and for the Church as a whole. I’m really looking forward to bringing that idea back

To my Knights at home who couldn’t make it. – The College Councils Conference means a lot to me because I’ve really been able to encounter other Knights from other colleges and to know that there are other councils out there who are really trying to grow in their faith.

Trying to follow that example of Christ really gives you motivation to do it yourself.

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