Over 400 attend Knights of Columbus convention
JACKSON — On Saturday morning, April 25, Archbishop Thomas Rodi of Mobile was supposed to be in Birmingham for the Alabama State Council Knights of Columbus Convention. Instead he was the principal celebrant at the Memorial Mass for the Knights of Columbus 105th State Convention in the Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle.
“These people are tremendous,” said Archbishop Rodi, during the pancake breakfast following the Mass. “I thought it was important to be here to say to them one more time, Thank You.”
Archbishop Rodi served eight years as bishop of Biloxi before his appointment last year as archbishop of Mobile.
During his homily at the Mass, where the names of deceased knights and ladies were read, Archbishop Rodi said Catholics don’t always know why they “do what they do during the Liturgy.
“Because the Gospels tell us Jesus rose from the dead, we rise during the proclamation of the Gospel as a profession of our faith.”
“In remembering our deceased loved ones, we remember they are alive,” he said.
Archbishop Rodi said death is a transition, a going forth, not an end. “If we believe in life after death, it affects the way we live, the way we treat others, the way we live our values.”
Over 400 knights and ladies from both state dioceses spent Friday to Sunday, April 24-26, attending business meetings of various committees, celebrated Mass, and attended lunches and banquets.
Knight Peter Sukanek of the Jackson diocese was voted state deputy-elect as of July 1 succeeding current State Deputy Daniel Lechner of the Biloxi diocese.
Founded in 1882, the Knights of Columbus is the world’s largest Catholic fraternal service organization.
Named in honor of Christopher Columbus, there are over 1.7 million members in the United States, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, Central America, the Philippines, Guam, Saipan, Japan, Cuba, and Poland, according to data from the Knights of Columbus.
