Knights of Columbus Council Grows in Faith through Service

For decades, the Knights of Columbus have been well-known for the good work they do in local communities, across the nation, and around the world. Not only that — the Knights of Columbus also serves as a way for men to grow in fellowship and fraternity with others who share their Catholic values.

“It’s a group of regular, Catholic men, who are 18 and older and who practice their faith,” says Jaime Elizaldi, Grand Knight of the parish’s Knights of Columbus council. “We do community service and charity events to serve our parish and the community within, and it’s also a way to build community for Catholic men. I think that men can struggle with that a bit, so it’s great to have a group of guys from all different walks of life with the same beliefs, and same principles.”

Jaime first joined the Knights when the nearest council was St. Rose of Lima, Fr. Michael O’Reilly’s former parish.

“After Fr. Michael became the pastor here, I asked him if there was a Knights of Columbus council here at the cathedral. He looked at me and said, ‘No, but you can make one!’” Jaime says. “I was taken aback because I had never done anything like this, and the St. Rose council was very old and well-established. It was a good two-year journey to get enough men to sign up as Knights to have a council here.”

Jaime is also active within the parish’s Spanish-speaking community and was able to slowly build up the parish’s council with men from that community.

“It started out being primarily Spanish, but I also had some friends join from the English-speaking community, and now it’s growing on the English side, too,” he says. “It’s evolving and helping to bring our communities together.”

Prior to the pandemic, the Knights held a successful fundraiser, borrowing a fellow Knight’s taco truck for a taco sale. The proceeds from the event went toward providing a Thanksgiving dinner for 50 families and carried over to the Knight’s Christmas food drive as well. Although the pandemic has halted fundraisers, for the time being, they hope to continue to do more in the future.

In service to the parish, the pandemic provided an opportunity for the Knights to help out.

“Since the Spanish Mass didn’t have a welcoming committee, they asked us to help,” Jaime says. “We served as ushers at the Spanish Mass, provided hand sanitizer, and made sure people followed the rules. We also helped with things like cleaning, seating people, and handing out umbrellas for outdoor Masses.”

“Being a part of this group has helped me to become a better Catholic and has given me the opportunity to extend myself by using my talents to serve others,” he says. “It’s something where I know that if I wasn’t a Knight, I wouldn’t necessarily do these things – but having a group of guys to push me to do that has really made a difference. The key thing is serving, and it’s really helped me to grow closer to God to tie my faith to service. When you’re in the Knights, you’re constantly reminded that you are here to serve.

“It’s also really nice for families to see the dads involved as leaders in the faith, and they encourage their wives and kids to participate,” he adds. “My wife is a catechist, and my kids now volunteer with Sunday school – so they are able to see from both of our examples that it’s good to be volunteers. It’s a real family mentality.”

Jaime hopes that the Knights will be able to meet in person and resume activities soon, and continue to grow the council.

“We really miss the days of gathering together and having our meetings – being in person helps the gentlemen to share their thoughts and voice their ideas,” he says. “It’s a great group of guys, and they give all their efforts and talents. They are great to be around.”

For more information about the Knights of Columbus, visit their website at www.kofc.org or contact Jaime Elizaldi at 916-935-1924.