October 2025 | VOLUME 18, NUMBER 10 | KOFC.ORG/CHAPLAINS

By Fr. Jonathan D. Kalisch, O.P.

Director of Chaplains and Spiritual Development

A palpable sense of Blessed Michael McGivney’s presence still pervades Thomaston, Connecticut, where he was pastor from 1884 until his death in 1890. His image still greets visitors to the Thomaston Opera House, where Father McGivney directed young adults in patriotic and cultural plays, and the town proudly claims him as their own. Marriage licenses signed by Father McGivney are displayed in the city clerk’s office, and pilgrims can visit the spot where his parish church and rectory once stood, though both were torn down and rebuilt elsewhere after his death.

Perhaps the most poignant memorial to Blessed Michael’s priestly presence is the St. Thomas Parish cemetery. There, pilgrims can climb the hill where Father McGivney would have accompanied dozens of his parishioners on their last earthly journey. Dates on the headstones identify members of the Body of Christ who would have heard Blessed Michael preach the Gospel and received the sacraments from him. Truly, from this cemetery, the faithful witnesses of Blessed Michael await the general resurrection.

As November approaches, we should encourage our brother Knights and their councils to take an active part in tending graves and cleaning up local cemeteries and neglected gravesites in need of care. In doing so prayerfully, we not only honor those who have gone before us but also exercise a spiritual charity toward the souls in purgatory. This may provide an opportunity for catechesis on the last things and the Church’s teaching about death, which can help prepare our brother Knights for this encounter. May Blessed Michael, whose prayers often accompanied his parishioners on their final journey to eternity, continue to inspire us to lead our brother Knights into the kingdom that awaits us all.

Vivat Jesus!

This month, which is dedicated to the holy rosary, Supreme Chaplain Archbishop William Lori challenges Knights to pray five decades of the rosary daily, asking God for humility and mercy.

Blessed Michael McGivney's Corner

Oct. 31 marks the fifth anniversary of the beatification of our founder, Blessed Michael McGivney. Celebrate the beatification anniversary — wherever you are — by reciting the prayer for Blessed Michael’s canonization. Other resources to help you and your council deepen devotion to the founder include:

• The Blessed Michael McGivney Cor session guide
• Votive Mass of Blessed Michael McGivney
• Themes for Preaching
• Father Michael J. McGivney Guild

Ukrainian Knights Find Spiritual Protection in Cor

As Ukraine continues to face the brutal reality of war, Christians in the country are called to fight even greater spiritual battles. Father Vitalii Martsyniuk, associate state chaplain for the Greek Catholic Church in Ukraine, brings the mission of Blessed Michael McGivney to his people, who are tormented by the horrors of conflict. For him, the Cor initiative plays a vital role in his ministry. “Cor offers the opportunity for a mystical brotherhood — not merely one of shared actions, but one rooted in the mystery of life in Christ, all united together,” said Father Martsyniuk in a recent interview with K of C staff. Read the full interview here.

Oct. 7 — Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary

On Oct. 7, the Church celebrates the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary. This year, Pope Leo XIV has asked every Catholic to pray the rosary daily for peace during the month of October. The Knights of Columbus has a long history of devotion to the Virgin Mary through the rosary. During an exemplification, each new Knight receives a rosary, which he is urged to pray as often as he can, and the K of C rosary program promotes the devotion in families and parishes. The Knights of Columbus Catholic Information Service’s A Scriptural Rosary for the Family is a helpful resource to encourage Knights to make the rosary a regular part of their prayer life.

Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly, Supreme Chaplain Archbishop William Lori of Baltimore, and Supreme Secretary John Marrella joined leaders of the Catholic Near East Welfare Association–Pontifical Mission on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, the Palestinian West Bank, and Israel from Sept. 2-6. The journey was an expression of solidarity with Catholics and all those suffering from the effects of the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. Visiting sacred sites and war-affected communities, they sought to support local Christians and witness their resilience. Read the supreme chaplain’s homilies from Masses celebrated in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the Basilica of the Nativity and the Basilica of the Annunciation. “For us, it was a mission of hope and of solidarity with those who are suffering, and I think it’s especially poignant that we’re here in the Jubilee Year of Hope,” said Supreme Knight Kelly. You can read an article covering the Holy Land pilgrimage here.

This month, we remember the legacy of Pope St. John Paul II in a special way. Oct. 16 marks the anniversary of Karol Wojtyła’s election to the See of Peter and Oct. 22 is his feast day. The Saint John Paul II National Shrine has prepared a week of events, including a celebration of his papacy, the annual walking pilgrimage, and a commemoration of the anniversary of the martyrdom of Blessed Jerzy Popiełuszko, one of more than 3,000 priests martyred in Poland under the Nazi and Communist regimes. More information and registration details are available here. Our Order has always maintained a close relationship with the papacy. Watch greeting messages addressed to the Knights of Columbus by Pope St. John Paul II and Pope Leo XIV.

God called Blessed Bartolo Longo from spiritual death to sainthood. A former satanic priest, he was saved through the intercession of the Blessed Mother and by the holy rosary. After his conversion, he became a Dominican tertiary and dedicated his life to the Virgin Mary through her rosary. Longo is known for founding the Shrine of Our Lady of Pompeii and composing the 54-day rosary novena in her honor. He died in 1926 and was beatified in 1980 by Pope St. John Paul II. He will be canonized by Pope Leo XIV on Oct. 19 and you can watch his canonization Mass — together with that of six other blesseds — live from St. Peter’s Square at 10 a.m. local time here.

The beginning of November reminds us of our true calling — eternal life with God. All Saints Day and All Souls Day are a great opportunity to perform works of mercy by offering prayers for the deceased. Catholics in many countries — including Poland, Lithuania and Ukraine — have special traditions during this time, such as cleaning family graves and decorating them with flowers and candles. Masses and other devotions are celebrated in cemeteries for the faithful departed and youth scouts often visit and tend to the graves of national or local heroes.

As Knights, we are called to implement the Order’s new initiative, the Remembering Our Faithful Departed program. Chaplains are also encouraged to remind the faithful that a plenary indulgence can be obtained by visiting a cemetery and praying for the dead between Nov. 1-8, under the usual conditions. 

The gift of an apostolic blessing, formally inscribed on parchment and sent from Rome, is a traditional way to mark milestone events such as wedding anniversaries, baptisms, other sacraments and significant birthdays. Papal blessings on parchment are distributed by the Office of Papal Charities in the Vatican, and new designs are available for the Jubilee Year 2025. You can find more information and submit an application here.

October Jubilee events include:

• Oct. 4-5: Jubilee of the Missions
• Oct. 4-5: Jubilee of Migrants
• Oct. 8-9: Jubilee of Consecrated Life
• Oct. 11-12: Jubilee of Marian Spirituality
• Oct. 18: Jubilee of the Roma, Sinti and Traveling Peoples
• Oct. 24-26: Jubilee of Synodal Teams and Participatory Bodies
• Oct. 27 – Nov. 1: Jubilee of the World of Education
• Oct. 31 – Nov. 1: Days for the Promotion of Holiness

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