Annual Review and a Fresh New Start

What a great year we had! We set new records in Charity – our first and defining principle. Led by five dioceses, we exceeded our State Charity goal and led the Order among all jurisdictions for dollars and hours of service donated. We welcomed 4,500 new men and their families into our brotherhood to help us grow these results even larger in Texas. We achieved over 107,000 total Knights. We started 12 new councils and reactivated six more. We established a new prestigious award - the Archbishop John Carroll Defender of Religious Liberty Medal - and bestowed it upon Archbishop William Lori, the head of the USCCB’s effort to defend religious freedom, and the Order’s Supreme Chaplain. We made 62 episodes of the Faith & Freedom Minute available to Catholic Radio stations in Texas and nationwide. Our State Family of the Year was honored by the Order as its International Family of the Year. How special that is!

Head of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston Daniel Cardinal DiNardo, current President of the USCCB, our State Chaplain Bishop Joe Vasquez, and Associate State Chaplain Bishop Brendan Cahill joined us in St Louis MO for the Supreme Convention, along with the full delegation we elected at our convention in Dallas in May and a total of about 60 Texans. Bishop Rodriguez, Emeritus of Lubbock and Monsignor Louis Brum of McAllen, two-time past Associate State Chaplain, joined us as well. We hosted the “Taste of Texas Hospitality Suite” that each year welcomes over 400 guests from around the world to sample our famous homemade Texas chili and Shiner Bock beer. I was honored to serve on several convention committees and had a role in liturgies and in making motions during business sessions. Once more, in many ways, we made our presence felt as we influenced positively the direction of our beloved Order.

On the Episcopal front last year, we welcomed Bishop Edward Burns to Dallas (from Alaska), new Bishop Robert Coerver to Lubbock (from Dallas), and new Bishop Michael Boulette to San Antonio (from San Antonio). Earlier in the year we celebrated Father David Konderla (from Austin) as Bishop of Tulsa OK and Monsignor Louis Kihneman (of Corpus Christi) as Bishop of Biloxi MS. And in June Father Bill Wack, our Texas State Council Assistant to the State Chaplain, was named by Pope Francis as the new Bishop of Pensacola-Tallahassee in Florida. The Holy Spirit is very active and moving mightily in Texas!

Please go to our website to read the Supreme Knight’s message and challenge to us to rebuild a rescued city in Iraq that was destroyed by ISIS; to reach 1,000 ultrasound machines in pregnancy help centers; to welcome new councils in the Ukraine, Lithuania (since last year) in Korea and France (new this year). He further challenges us to exceed all prior benchmarks in charity, membership, and insurance. In FY 2016-17, Texas set new records in charity and insurance in force. The only area we came up short of our goal was in recruiting new members. While we added 4.500 new men, our goal was 5,050 and there really is no reason we can’t exceed that this fraternal year. We have the charitable programs to attract men and their families. We have the spiritual programs to strengthen and keep them. We have the track record of growing accomplishments to challenge and make them proud. What’s missing is the regular invitation.

My personal commitment this year is to ask just one man each weekend before or after Mass to join the Knights. Every Bishop in Texas is proud to be a member of our Order and wants all good Catholic men to join with them in strengthening our parishes and communities. What are we waiting for? Invite them!

Viva Jesus! Viva Cristo Rey! Doug