IWKnights Corner for September 17, 2023

Did you know this about the IW Knights of Columbus? 

    The Knights of Columbus 141^st Supreme Convention took place during the first week of August.  We are publishing some of the annual Convention Resolutions.  The resolution we feature in this week’s column is entitled: In support of the national Eucharistic revival.

“WHEREAS, the Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that the Eucharist "is the source and summit of the Christian life," and that all the sacraments and works of the Church are, "bound up with the Eucharist and are oriented toward it.  For in the blessed Eucharist is contained the whole spiritual good of the Church, namely Christ Himself;" and

WHEREAS, a September 2019 study by the Pew Research Center found that 70% of U.S. Catholics either do not accept, or do not fully understand, the Church's teaching that the Eucharist is "the body and blood, together with the soul and divinity, of our Lord Jesus Christ;" and

WHEREAS, Mass attendance in the United States has been declining for the past several years and suffered even further following the abatement of the COVID-19 pandemic; and

WHEREAS, in response to these realities, and recognizing a clear need and opportunity to evangelize all people, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops announced a three-year National Eucharistic Revival which has included spiritual and catechetical programs at the parish and diocesan levels, and which will feature the 10^th National Eucharistic Congress to be held July 17-21, 2024, in Indianapolis, Indiana; and

WHEREAS, in his address to the 139^th Supreme Convention, Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly called on all brother Knights to be Knights of the Eucharist and committed the Order to fully supporting the National Eucharistic Revival; and

WHEREAS, the Supreme Council has developed resources to support this initiative, and the evangelization of all communities, including The Eucharist: Source of Our Healing and Hope, an inspirational and catechetical video about the gift of Christ's Real Presence; videos explaining the significance of various portions of the Holy Mass; and resources demonstrating how to properly organize eucharistic processions which have been central to the revival; and

WHEREAS, as the revival enters its parish year, councils throughout the United States have stepped up to support the efforts of their pastors to host eucharistic adoration, eucharistic processions, and other catechetical and liturgical events focused on increased reverence for the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist; and

WHEREAS, next year, four national eucharistic processions will be undertaken to lead the faithful to Indianapolis from the four corners of the United States, with the Seton Path from the Eastern part of the country beginning at the tomb of our holy Founder at St. Mary's Church in the new Blessed Michael McGivney Parish.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Knights of Columbus fully commits itself to Eucharistic renewal throughout the Universal Church by answering the Supreme Knight's call to be Knights of the Eucharist; and

FURTHER RESOLVED, that we are fully committed to the National Eucharistic Revival in the United States and will support programs sponsored by our parishes and dioceses; and

FURTHER RESOLVED, that we will work with our pastors and local dioceses to support eucharistic processions in the communities we serve so as to provide a special witness to the power of Christ's Real Presence and the hope that it will inspire a new fervor in all of God's people and an atmosphere of charity and peace in communities throughout the world.”

Find a list of all this year’s resolutions at facebook.com/IWknights9981 on IWKnights9981.com/bulletin, on facebook.com/IWknights9981, on Twitter at twitter.com/IwKnights and now in the Friday Flocknotes.