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Archives Offer Untold Stories of Fr. McGivney

As the eyes of the faithful turn toward Hartford, CT in preparation for the beatification of Rev. Michael McGivney, a historian in the School of Theology and Religious Studies at The Catholic University of America (CatholicU) shares a lesser-known look at the American parish priest.

McGivney is widely regarded as the founder of the Knights of Columbus, the world’s largest lay Catholic organization for men; however, a special collection on his legacy held in the American Catholic History Research Center and University Archives examines his lasting impact on 20th-century women, known today as the Catholic Daughters of the Americas.

Passionate about providing opportunities for fellowship beyond the parish boundary, McGivney sought morally-positive alternatives to secret societies of the time.  The first Knights of Columbus council not only received sick benefits and life insurances, but they also enjoyed the fraternal benefits of socialization organized by a priest deeply involved in parish life.  The energy McGivney poured into the Knights can be encountered in a collection of writings from the Catholic Daughters of America, a women’s organization formed in 1903 under the same principles that guide the Knights: “Unity and Charity.”

Praise the Lord

Read the Whole Article at https://zenit.org/