Archbishop's web site Denver Catholic Register Parishes Catholic Pastoral Center
March 27, 2002
Knights form council at Our Lady of Lourdes Parish
Pastor requests group for spiritual and practical benefits to parish
By Alwen Bledsoe
The New Year brought Denver's Our Lady of Lourdes a new take on a familiar Catholic theme. Since Jan. 1 the parish has been home to its first Knights of Columbus council, Council 13021.
Father Robert Fisher, pastor of the church and long-time Knight, is one of the council's most ardent supporters. In fact, he requested that the council be formed and has joined himself.
"I very much appreciate what they as an organization do not only locally but internationally," he said.
Our Lady of Lourde's new council joins 1.6 million other Knights in the United States, Canada, the Philippines, Mexico, and several Central American and Caribbean countries. Founded in 1882 by a 29-year-old parish priest, Father Michael J. McGivney, the Knights of Columbus is known for its charitable giving and programs of evangelization and Catholic education.
Council 13021 is still in the planning stages but so far has attracted about 32 members, Father Fisher added.
Though many only encounter Knights when their plumes, bright uniforms, and uplifted swords bring a bit of grandeur to important church services, the organization is much more than a decorative addition to the Church. For Father Fisher, the organization provides a rich resource for men's spiritual growth.
"Oftentimes I think that men in the Church don't feel like they have a place, don't have a place to be in the Church. The Knights of Columbus, in my judgment, certainly does provide an opportunity for men to belong within the Church," the priest explained. "I think oftentimes in parishes men get involved with things like a maintenance group and their spirituality isn't addressed. The Knights of Columbus also provides that opportunity. It provides an opportunity for them to be involved within the parish and in the community as well."
Grand Knight Dan Kucera also lists the revitalization of men's spirituality as a main goal of the group. While women's groups are available within the parish, he added, most of the groups for men have recently been in decline.
"One of the things I would like to see is men being active in the parish," Kucera said. "In the olden days when Our Lady of Lourdes Parish was formed there was an active core group of men that did many things around the parish. ... We're trying to rekindle that fire in the men to grow, do things for themselves as well as the parish."
As the council is still in its infant stages, it has not yet set any definite plans for service projects, Kucera said. But now that it's completed the necessary paperwork for official council-hood, Council 13021 has begun to identify some areas it wishes to address, Kucera said. Among them are supporting the church's youth and schools as well as building community within the parish.
But the main priority right now is forging a clear identity.
"Right now what we're working on is establishing our presence in the parish," Kucera explained. "We're trying to complement the various activities and communities already within the parish."
The near future will bring more membership drives as well as more concrete projects, he added.
"So far it's a lot of fun and is enjoyable," Kucera said. "The men joining are just great. They're very supportive."
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