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By Fr. Jonathan D. Kalisch, O.P.
Director of Chaplains and Spiritual Development
As Knights of Columbus chaplains, we may have the experience of often seeing the same men attend council meetings and activities and thus maintaining the “glue” of the council. These brother Knights may even go largely unnoticed because of their regular participation. While some of these men may be involved in other activities to serve the Church outside of the Knights, it is also true that for many, the Order is the primary vehicle through which they exercise their baptismal commitments and responsibilities through charitable, fraternal and faith formation activities. For these men, the Knights of Columbus — and the charism of Blessed Michael McGivney — is their spiritual refuge in the exercise of the faith.
In recent years, studies continue to reveal that most men have difficulty maintaining friendships and personal connections outside of their family and work responsibilities. Health also declines precipitously as one ages and the less one engages with others — and perhaps the less one sees a reason to give of oneself. Sadly, in the United States, the mental health crisis affects middle-aged and older men the most. According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, cited in a recent article in The Wall Street Journal, the suicide rate for men overall is between three and four times as high as that of women. As this mental health crisis continues, it should be noted, and shared widely, that the phone number for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is 988.
Can we encourage our brother Knights to deepen their Catholic fraternity by listening to one another and supporting those who may be experiencing a mental or personal crisis? We may lament the fact that certain brother Knights never seem to show up to events or communicate with the council. But as the new year begins and winter darkens the horizons for many, can we renew efforts to reach out personally to all members of the Order — to check in and see how they are doing, to find out if they need anything, to ask if a brother Knight can drive them to the next council meeting?
The spiritual refuge that a council can be is another good reason to persistently invite other men of the parish to consider engaging in the Order’s fraternal, spiritual and charitable activities. Men who are actively disengaging from contact with the world — which can lead to a tragic downward spiral in their lives — desperately need a personal encounter in order to “give their life a new horizon, a decisive direction” (Deus Caritas Est, 1). Every K of C council is particularly suited to offer the encounter that will lead men to deepen their relationship with, or meet for the first time, the person of Christ.
Vivat Jesus!
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