Patrick E. Kelly, Supreme Knight of the Knights of Columbus, discusses the charitable works of the Knights and their efforts to promote the spiritual formation of men in a time of crisis, following a papal audience with Pope Leo XIV.
By Fr. Paweł Rytel-Andrianik & Wojciech Rogacin
During their Jubilee pilgrimage to Rome, the Board of Directors of the Knights of Columbus, a Catholic men’s organization, was received in audience by Pope Leo XIV on October 6.
In an interview with Vatican News after the audience, the Supreme Knight, Patrick E. Kelly, said this was his second meeting with the Holy Father, but the first audience of the Knights of Columbus Board with the Pope.
Joy of meeting the Holy Father
“It was a wonderful meeting where we were able to express our thanks to him and what he means to us,” said Mr. Kelly. “We were honored that he expressed his gratitude to the Knights of Columbus and the works that we do to support the Church, to support the Vatican and to support human life.”
Pope Leo XIV greets Mr. Kelly at the audience on October 6 (@Vatican Media)
A Pope close to Americans and to the whole world
Asked what it feels like to meet the first American Pope in history, the Supreme Knight said the experience was deeply moving.
“It was a tremendous feeling to have a Pope who grew up just a couple hundred miles from you. Maybe it’s the way Poles felt with John Paul II. But Pope Leo grew up in Chicago, and I’ve been to Chicago many times and grew up in the Midwest,” he said.
He added that the election of Pope Leo XIV is a wonderful moment for the entire Church.
“I think it’s a very exciting time for the whole Church because Pope Leo—yes, he was born in the United States—but really, he is the Pope for the entire world. He has the heart of a missionary, a heart for the poor; he really is the Pope for everyone, and it’s wonderful,” the Supreme Knight added.
Families welcomed by Pope Leo XIV
Mr. Kelly noted that it was an extraordinary experience for the entire Board of the Knights of Columbus—the largest men’s organization in the Catholic Church—to be received in audience by Pope Leo XIV together with their families.
“For me personally, it was very heartwarming that the members of our board were able to bring their families, and that they were all able to greet the Holy Father. He greeted everyone and gave us a lot of time, for which we were very, very thankful,” he said.
Mr. Kelly (R) with Fr. Paweł Rytel-Andrianik
Epidemic of loneliness
He added that, as head of the Knights of Columbus, he spoke with the Pope about the crisis among men.
“I’ve spoken with him about this—that men often feel alienated and isolated—and that the Knights of Columbus can do so much, really, to bring men together: like-minded men who have a heart for the Church and who can address that epidemic of loneliness that we’ve talked about so much. And Pope Leo has been so articulate on that,” the Supreme Knight said.
Cor Initiative
Mr. Kelly spoke about a new program recently introduced by the Knights of Columbus, called Cor, which focuses on the faith formation of men and on sharing that faith with others.
“We bring men together in an atmosphere of trust, in an atmosphere of faith,” said Mr. Kelly. “And we provide the materials where they can read and study and then come together and talk through very important issues. Obviously, it’s faith formation, but it’s also even more than that… it’s a personal encounter with one another, but also with Jesus Christ.”
As he explained, Cor began on a small scale, but now more than 5,000 councils are engaged in the program.
“I think the Knights of Columbus will be more and more seen as a way for men to come together. And I think that will naturally lead to the growth of the Knights of Columbus,” concluded Mr. Kelly.
Over the next year, another 100,000 men are expected to join the organization.
