The Annual Pilgrimage in honour of Our Lady of Boulogne, will take place from 22 - 24 August this year. The weekend will see a number of pilgrims from as far apart as Birmingham, Leeds, Newcastle upon Tyne, St Albans, Wandsworth, Welling and Whitehaven assemble at Dover, where they will join the pilgrims from Knights of St Columba Province 27 East Anglia, on their annual pilgrimage to Boulogne.

A happy relationship exists between the church in Boulogne and Walsingham / Lowestoft dating back to the pilgrimage of the crosses in 1948, after WW 11. With a statue of Our Lady of Boulogne in the church of Our Lady Star of the Sea, Lowestoft and a statue of Our Lady of Walsingham permanently installed in the Cathedral in Boulogne.  Contact Chris Brooks 01502 563208 for details.

It gives me great pleasure to announce that Brother John Doran, Immediate Past Supreme Knight has been made a Knight of St. Gregory.

The Investiture Mass will take place at St Begh’s Church, Coach Road, Whitehaven, CA28 7TE. (Tel: 01946 692342) on:   Saturday 28th February 2009 at 12.30pm.

The Chief Concelebrant will be Bishop Malcolm McMahon

Bro. John has requested me to extend an open invitation to any Brother and their family who wish to attend the presentation. Please advise if you are able to attend.

Jonjo McDonagh

Supreme Knight.

Jonjo McDonagh has been elected as the new Supreme Knight of the Knights of St Columba, by the delegates of Supreme Council 2008. He is the 28th Supreme Knight since the organisation's founding in 1919. Supreme Knight is the title of the chief officer of the 5000 member Catholic fraternal organisation.

Jonjo, a member of Council 474 (Viewpark) in Province 16, joined the Board of Directors six years ago. A native of Coatbridge, in Lanarkshire, he previously served the Order as Deputy Supreme Knight, Supreme Action Convenor and in various offices at Local and Provincial level.

In addition, Supreme Council delegates elected four supreme officers and one new member to the board of directors:

• Bertie M Grogan, a member of Council 963 (Yeading) in Province 30, was elected as supreme director for membership and development and also elected deputy supreme knight.
• Harry Welsh, a member of Council 299 (Rhyll) in Province 37, was elected as supreme director for action and youth.
• William Gallagher, was re-elected as supreme chancellor. He is a member of Council 128 (Wandsworth) in Province 12.
• Eddie Alcock was re-elected as supreme director for finance and administration. He is a member of Council 302 (Chelmsford) in Province 10.
• Frank Stanley, a member of Council 632 (Hartley) in Province 12, was elected as a new member of the board of directors.
• Hugh Carroll, was appointed as recording secretary. He is a member of Council 564 (Darlaston) in Province 18.
• Peter McGarry, a member of Council 350 (Port Glasgow) in Province 28, was re-elected to the board of directors.

• David O'Neil, a member of Council 33 (Newcastle upon Tyne) in Province 4, was re-elected to the board of directors.

The UN will celebrate the 60th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights this December 10th. To celebrate this occasion, radical pro-abortion groups intend to present the UN General Assembly with petitions calling for a universal right to abortion. The largest, richest and most powerful pro-abortion groups are even now planning their attack on the unborn at the General Assembly.
   
We must stop them this December. 
   
Sign a petition calling on UN Members States to interpret the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as protecting the unborn child from abortion. Did you know that the Universal Declaration calls for a right to life? Did you know that UN committees now interpret that as a right to abortion? We can stop them. 
       
Please go HERE to sign the petition which will be presented at the UN on December 10th, the celebration of the 60th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. At the very least we must match what the pro-abortion advocates will present to the UN that day! Our goal is to present 50,000+ names to the General Assembly. We need your help right now to block the pro-aborts from making huge progress for abortion at the UN. This campaign will run for the next six weeks. There is plenty of time to get this petition to everyone in your address book and all around the world. This is an international right. Please help us now.
   
     Sign the petition now

As part of our campaign to maintain a religious focus on the season of Christmas, the Knights of St Columba have made available one million 'Keep Christ in Christmas' stickers which can be used on Christmas cards, packages and other literature during the Christmas season. These are an excellent way to publicise the true meaning of Christmas to our family and friends and demonstrate to the public at large that we are celebrating a Christian Festival.

The stickers are available from Head Office, at a nominal cost of £4.50 per 1000 including postage, and may be obtained by downloading an Order Form here

The Director for Action and Youth and Deputy Supreme Knight, Jonjo McDonagh hopes that the Order and its members encourage this initiative, he said: “In these increasingly secular times the true meaning of Christmas is in danger of being marginalised as a Christian festival. Society is increasingly worshipping at the altar of commercialism and the beliefs of committed Christians are at best dismissed and at worst attacked as in some way discriminating against people of other faiths and none. This is patent nonsense and the Order is determined to play its part in keeping the birth of Our lord, Jesus Christ, central to the Christian celebration. It is no less than our duty to do so and we have the right to attempt it.” 

It gives me great pleasure to announce that Brother Tony Britten KSG, KHS has been awarded the “Knight Commander of the Order of St. Gregory the Great”.

We are delighted that he has been thought worthy of this award, and also for the recognition it shows to our Order and the work we do for our Holy Mother Church.  I’m sure you will all join with me in congratulating Brother Tony.

The award will be presented at a time and venue decided by Brother Tony.      We wish Brother Tony and Molly every happiness and joy on being thought worthy of this prestigious award to go with his other Papal Awards.

John Doran

Supreme Knight.

The group of young men and women who took part in the very successful Seminar at Hinsley Hall in Leeds in July 2008. The group includes Brothers Jonjo McDonagh, D.S.K., Roy Smith, Tony Britten, Terry Mann, Paddy Spiller (wife of Brother Colin) and Rt. Hon. John Battles MP who led one of the sessions.             (read more)

On Thursday 10^th July 2008 the Supreme Knight Bro. John Doran presented Baroness Nicky Chapman or Nicky as she prefers to be called The Michael Bell Memorial Award awarded by IACK for her outstanding fight for Pro-Life Issues.    (read more)

It is with great sadness that we announce the death of Rev. Bro. Tony Bateman, after a prolonged illness. Bro. Tony was a Past Supreme Knight of the Knights of St. Columba, having served from 1990 to 1993. He was also a Deacon of the Church and IACK Secretary for Life Issues for many years.

Brother Tony’s body will be received into St. Joseph's Church, Church Street, Darlaston on Sunday 27th July at 4.00pm.  The Requiem Mass will be celebrated in St. Joseph's and will take place on Monday 28th July at 11.00am.

The Re-erection of Dartford Council 108 took place at Mass in the Church of St Vincent’s, Temple Hill, Dartford, on Saturday 5th April 2008. The mass was celebrated by; Rev. Patrick Zammit, Parish Priest of St Vincent’s, assisted by Rev. Deacon Michael Hale, Chaplain to Council 108 Dartford.

Following Mass, the Council which has been dormant for 18 years, held its First Council Meeting, opened by Brother Henry Brand PGK. The Order wishes this new young Council every success and is delighted at the re-erection of this Council in Southwark Province 12.     (read more)

By: G Abrahams (KSC Council 579 Bletchley)

I must admit that at first glance; the organisation called the “Knight’s of St. Columba”, appeared a bit of a mystery to me.  My first encounter with it’s members was with them wearing their collars festooned with various medals and pins which to be honest made me feel a bit wary like it was some sort of Catholic Masons and it appeared that it was only reserved for; how shall we say, gentlemen of a certain age.

But upon some investigation and digging on the internet I found out that the organisation has a very proud and noble history and that without the Knight’s of St. Columba; which by the way; happens to be the largest Catholic lay order in the UK, we as Catholics would still be suffering from many anti-Catholic laws and policies.         (read more)

Visitors to the 'online' website of the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King, Liverpool can now experience a virtual tour of the small St Columba's Chapel. The chapel dedicated to our Patron Saint has been sponsored by the Knights of Saint Columba since its opening in 1969. In addition to its everyday use St Columba's Chapel houses the Knights of St Columba Memorial Book recording the deaths of all former members of the Order    (view)

It is with great sadness that we announce the death of Bro. Anthony J Rouse, after a prolonged illness. Bro. Tony was a Past Supreme Knight of the Knights of St. Columba, having served from 1978 to 1981. He was also a founder member of IACK and its Secretary General from inception in 1979 until 2005. His abiding love for and dedication to the Knights was exceptional and will always be remembered.

Brother Tony’s body will be received into St. Mary’s Church, Grimsby, England on Sunday 3rd February at 7.00 pm.  The Requiem Mass will be celebrated in St. Mary’s and will take place on Monday 4th February at 12.15 pm followed by internment at the local crematorium.      (read more)

Last year the Knights of St Columba launched a new National Youth competition aimed specifically at young people of secondary school age, a prayer competition. This years theme is FAMILY as it was felt that this would be an appropriate theme at a time when millions in our nation have so little faith in God.      read more

The Knights of St Columba in Province 4 have launched a new Schools Fraternal Cross as part of a programme to promote Catholic Education. A number of comprehensive schools in the Diocese will be participating.      read more

The Order has signed up to an initiative begun by the Hierarchy of England and Wales called 'LiveSimply'. This takes its inspiration from the Encyclycal written by Pope Paul VI entitled Populorum Progressio  or 'On the Development of Peoples'.

The Director for Action and Youth hopes that Brothers, Councils and Provinces in England and Wales will follow the link to the LiveSimply web site and perhaps consider signing up to it. In an increasingly complex and wasteful world this is an appeal to try and create a less stressful, demanding and complicated way of life, while at the same time puting less strain upon the resources which we as individuals and the world at large require to develop. Simplicity or complexity? Which is the easier state  to live with?        read more

Brother Francis Redmond KSG, has been awarded the “Knight Commander of the Order of St. Gregory the Great”

The presentation of the award will be by Bishop Philip Pargeter, Auxiliary Bishop of Birmingham assisted by Rev. Thomas Wood Parish Priest and Provincial Chaplain Prov.2 Liverpool and will take place during Mass at Our Lady, Star of the Sea Church, Seaforth, Liverpool 21 on Saturday18th August 2007 at 14.00

Bro. Frank has extended an open invitation to any Brother and their families who wish to attend the Mass and Presentation. If you are able and wish to come please notify Kathleen Welsh at Head Office. Letters and Cards of best wishes to be sent to 12, Tithebarn Grove, Lance Lane, Wavertree, Liverpool, L15 6TG

The National Action Project which saw the Knights of St. Columba launching a life-saving partnership with the Samaritans, through a three-year fundraising scheme, is now closed. 

The ‘Unsung Heroes’ campaign which ran from October 2005 to October 2008 with the Knights of St. Columba raised funds for Samaritans in excess of £68,000

The emotional support charity Samaritans is staffed by 17,600 volunteers in 183 branches nationwide  and money raised by the Knights of St. Columba will go towards training of volunteers which costs Samaritans £1 million every year.

The Samaritans have acknowledged the first donation generated by members of the Knights of St Columba and their friends, via an article on page 3 of their January Newsletter.