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PA PA L G R E E T I N G S
A ‘Witness of Unity in Service to the Gospel’ H
is Holiness Pope Francis was pleased to learn that from 6 to 8 August 2019, the 137th Supreme Convention of the Knights of Columbus will assemble in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He has asked me to convey his warm good wishes to all present, together with the assurance of his closeness in prayer. The theme of this year’s convention — Knights of Columbus: Knights of Unity — calls to mind the inspiration that led to the founding of your Order as a fraternal association of mutual assistance and commitment to the Church’s apostolic mission. In the vision of Father Michael McGivney,
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OCTOBER 2019
unity and charity were to be the hallmark of the Knights of Columbus. Over the years, in fidelity to that vision, the Knights have distinguished themselves in service to families, in concern for the poor and underprivileged, and in efforts to contribute to the building of a just and virtuous society, for the extension of Christ’s kingdom and the salvation of souls. In a world devastated by violence, injustice and growing polarization, this witness of unity in service to the Gospel has become all the more timely and urgent. For this reason, the Holy Father is pleased that this year’s Supreme Convention has chosen to
emphasize its centrality to the identity and apostolate of your Order. On the eve of his death, our Lord prayed for the unity of his disciples, precisely “so that the world may believe� (Jn 17:21). The Church’s communion in charity is the wellspring of her mission to proclaim the reconciling power of the paschal mystery, to lead the nations to faith and to be a prophetic sign of God’s will that the human family, wounded and estranged by sin, be restored to unity and peace (cf. Lumen Gentium, 1). It is that mission which the Knights are pledged to advance through their daily pursuit of holiness and their efforts to imbue
Greetings from Pope Francis sent to the Supreme Convention by Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin