Johnny
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SCO Article by the Supreme KnightBrothers,
Does anyone have a link or a scan of the article by our Supreme Knight that appeared in last weeks Scottish Catholic Observer
Thanks
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inchcolm
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Brother, Johnny asked if anyone could scan the article. I could not however, I have typed out the article in full. May be some one can scan in the picture.
John Brennan
Scottish Catholic Observer Friday 31 July 2009
Jonjo McDonagh, the Supreme Knight of the Knights of St Columba, is a man with a mission. In this, the order’s 90th year, he is determined to bring in a new generation of members to keep the ideas of charity, unity and fraternity alive.
Founded in Glasgow in 1919, the Knights of St Columba are the largest order of Catholic Knights in the UK. Today there are more than eight thousand members in 340 councils across Britain.
A personal journey
While Mr McDonagh, from Coatbridge, became head of the UK order last year he clearly remembers joining the Knights thirty years ago.
“My Dad gave the form, it was just after I’d become a teacher, and I didn’t really know what it was all about but I decided to go for it and I never looked back,” he said.
Mr McDonagh’s father and brother became Knights at the next installation three months later and between the three of them they have racked up more than a hundred years with the order.
“Because I was a teacher I was quickly made a youth officer, running sport and art competitions for kids,” Mr McDonagh said.
He progressed through the order’s ranks and became the 28th Supreme Knight last year.
Bonds of brotherhood
To be part of the Knights is to be part of an international brotherhood because the order has links to fraternal organisation all over the world. Some of the groups, such as the Knights of St Columbus in the United States, have millions of members.
However, it is the good work these orders do rather than their size that impress Mr McDonagh.
Project work
During his long service to the Knights Mr McDonagh said he is particularly proud of the order’s National Action Projects.
“Each council of the Knights doesn’t conform to a parish so it’s not like the St Vincent de Paul Society,” he said. “Each council will have numerous local projects and concerns.”
Each year the Knights work collectively with great success on large projects. The most ambitious of these undertakings has been to provide the equivalent of at least 2000 bore-wells, supplying fresh clean water where none exists at present, in Africa and India. This was seen as a tangible way of marking the 2000 years since the birth of Christ and as a consequence the project was called The Jubilee Experience.
“Thanks to the generosity of local council members, their families, friends and other members of local communities we raised more than £250,000,” Mr McDonagh said. “I think that’s a great example of what we do—of how Catholic men can extend their faith through action and work. It’s good to serve others and to be service.”
Social issues
In addition to the Knights’ charity work, the Supreme Knight is aware that his members cannot always stay silent on more contentious issues.
“The Knights are not a political organisation,” he said. “However politics affects all our lives and as practising Catholic men we can’t be expected to act against our own conscience. We do have to be aware of the unfortunate direction in which our society appears to be moving.”
Membership
Mr McDonagh’s primary goal is to bring more men into the Knights, and with them their talents and fresh ideas.
“It wasn’t that long ago that we had 20,000 members and the challenge now is to find and identify those men, especially younger men who are potential members,” he said.
“There’s only so much I can do so much on my own but there’s far more if can do together, we’re far greater together. I want to increase numbers because the more we are the more good we can do.”
Originally the order had its roots in the working class descendants of Irish immigrants who had their roots in the West of England and Scotland. However over time that has changed and their current leader is happy for it to continue to evolve.
“We would welcome members of immigrant communities like the Polish,” he said. “The only condition of membership is you have to be a Catholic and a man over 16 years—the installation ceremonies are open and take place at Mass—so if you meet those requirements anyone can join.
“The brotherhood you get within the order is terrific. You get a charity, unity and fraternity that really does help people extended themselves in the Lord.”
John Brennan
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Johnny
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SCO ArticleExcellent.Many Thanks Bro John.
Let's hope it generates some membership enquiries
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