Just a few of the many men who have chosen the Knights of Columbus as their way to support the Catholic Church and work within their Parish to help those in need.
John F. Kennedy
35th President of the United States
After World War II, Kennedy joined the Knights of Columbus in 1946 on St. Patrick’s Day. He was a member of Bunker Hill Council 62 in Charlestown, Mass. On his Knights of Columbus membership application, Kennedy noted that his present occupation was “correspondent” (he was working as a reporter for the Hearst newspapers), and in the box that asked, “Do you intend changing your present occupation?” he wrote, “not sure.” Eight years later he became a Fourth Degree Knight.
Vince Lombardi,
former coach of the Green Bay Packers
The three constants throughout Lombardi’s life were sports, particularly football, family and religion. His father was a daily communicant throughout his life and his mother’s favorite picture of him as a child was on his Confirmation. When Lombardi was 12, on Easter Sunday while serving as an altar boy, “… amid the color and pageantry scarlet and white vestments, golden cross, scepters, the wafers and wine, body and blood … that the inspiration came to him that he should become a priest …”, which when his mother, Matty, got wind of, she bragged about it to her neighbors. Lombardi attended Mass on a daily basis throughout his life.
During his tenure at St. Cecilia, Lombardi attended Mass every day and “prayed for calm and control: of his temper and …” his wife’s drinking. When Lombardi became head coach of football in 1942, he would lead his team to Sunday Mass before each home game. At St. Cecilia, Lombardi shared an office with Father Tim Moore wherein it was not unusual for Lombardi to interrupt a conversation and request to go to Confession and which Father Tim would oblige him right in the office. During his stay at Green Bay, Lombardi once emerged from his office and appeared before his secretary, Ruth McCloskey, wearing “… all these priest robes on, and he had a miter with a tassel, everything.” Each day on his way to work for the Green Bay Packers, Lombardi would stop at St. Willebrord and “offer a prayer in case of unexpected death: ‘My God, if I am to die today, or suddenly at any time, I wish to receive this Communion as my viaticum …'”. On the morning of the dedication of Lombardi Avenue, Lombardi remarked, to his 37 member entourage, he was pleased to have gotten them all up to attend morning Mass. Lombardi was also a 4th degree in the Knights of Columbus.
Babe Ruth
Baseball player for the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees.
“Catholicism” might not be the first word that comes to mind when thinking of Babe Ruth. With his copious drinking and womanizing, the baseball giant didn’t exactly lead the life of a religious conservative. He was, however, a member of the Knights of Columbus and invested much time and money in charitable activities, especially those involving the sick and the orphaned. This year, the 100th anniversary of Ruth entering the big leagues, we should remember all facets of this complicated man.
Floyd Patterson,
heavyweight world championship
Floyd Patterson (January 4, 1935 – May 11, 2006) was an American heavyweight boxing champion. At 21, Patterson became the youngest man than to have won the world heavyweight championship. He had a record of 55 wins, 8 losses, and 1 draw, with 40 wins by knockout.
Patterson was also the first heavyweight to win the world championship twice. He regained the title when he knocked out Sweden’s Ingemar Johansson in a 1960 bout that caught the world’s attention. He was also the first Olympic gold medalist to win a world heavyweight title.
Patterson firmly believed that a champion should conduct himself as a gentleman in life as well as in the ring. He was widely known as a modest man who deplored the later violence and sleaze of the boxing world.
After stepping out of the ring, Patterson continued his involvement in the sport and established an amateur boxing club. He served as chairman of the New York State Athletic Commission and was elected to the International Boxing Hall of Fame.
In retirement, Patterson and Johansson became good friends who flew across the Atlantic to visit each other every year. Patterson continued his involvement in the sport and established an amateur boxing club. Patterson became chairman of the New York State Athletic Commission, a job that he held almost to his death. In 1982 and 1983, he ran the Stockholm Marathon together with Johansson.
Patterson lived in New Paltz, New York for many years and was known as a true gentleman around town. He was a Latin Rite Catholic convert, and a member of the Knights of Columbus.
Heroes – Knights of Columbus
Below is a list of the names of several other Notable Knights you may recognize.
Samuel Alito, Justice on the United States Supreme Court
Ray Flynn, former Mayor of Boston
Al Smith, former governor of New York
John McCormack, former Speaker of the United States House of Representatives
Sargent Shriver, first director of the Peace Corps
Jeb Bush, former Governor of Florida
Sean Patrick Cardinal O’Malley, Archbishop of Boston
Father Guy Selvester, Priest and heraldic scholar
James Connolly, first Olympic Gold Medal champion in modern times
Chris Godfrey, former right guard for the New York Giants and founder of Life Athletes
Joyce Kilmer, famous journalist and poet
Daniel Daly, Gunnery Sergeant, USMC, two-time Medal of Honor winner once described by the commandant of the Marine Corps as the most outstanding Marine of all time.
