As the Knights of Columbus, the Knights of Malta, and the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre fulfill their missions to defend our Catholic faith, they also set an example for every Catholic to emulate.
That was the main message Bishop Alfred Schlert delivered at a special Mass and Convocation Sept. 20 to honor and thank members of those three groups.
“It is great to be here today with three stalwart orders of our beautiful Catholic faith,” Bishop Schlert said at the gathering, which was titled “A Convocation of Knights and Orders in Defense of the Faith,” held at St. Joseph the Worker, Orefield.
“Your orders, the Knights of Columbus, the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre, and the Sovereign Order of Malta, carry with them a long and noble history. They represent a tradition of fidelity to the Catholic Church, and of courageous discipleship in the world.”
Bishop Schlert noted that he is a member of each of the three organizations, and “my membership certainly has enriched my life as a priest and a Bishop.”
The day began with a special Mass, followed by presentations on defending the faith by Gary Damich, Pennsylvania State Deputy of the Knights of Columbus, and Father Stephan Isaac, Chaplain at Bethlehem Catholic High School and at Lehigh University.
The three orders don’t gather in one place very often. The day was the idea of Knights of Malta member Anthony Carfagno. “I’m very pleased that we could organize this meeting of these three groups,” Carfagno said, “because all three share the same DNA: We defend our faith.”
Bishop Schlert also blessed and dedicated a new mobile ultrasound unit that will be used to encourage young mothers to choose life when facing a crucial decision about their pregnancy.
The Knights of Columbus is a Catholic fraternal organization for men dedicated to charity, unity, fraternity, and patriotism. Members provide support to their families, parishes, and communities through charitable works and faith-based community service.
The Knights of Malta originated in 11th-century Jerusalem as a monastic order to care for sick pilgrims. Today, it is a Catholic lay religious order of men and women focused on humanitarian aid.
The Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre is a Catholic order of men and women established to support the Christian community of Jerusalem. Members demonstrate their commitment through spiritual life, moral conduct, and financial support for charitable institutions and communities in the Holy Land.
In his keynote address, Father Isaac urged all Catholics to defend their faith by knowing it and by living it. Careful listening, he said, is the first step to promoting understanding about Catholicism, and also the first step to evangelization. Listening to young people is the key to keeping them engaged and helping them on the road to being lifelong, engaged Catholics, he said.
Father Isaac provided a list of reference books and websites for those who wish to know more about how to defend the faith. “Catholicism is an ocean of knowledge that needs to be explored,” he said. “Take the plunge.”
A link to the materials provided by Father Isaac is at https://www.allentowndiocese.org/knightsandorders.
By Paul Wirth
Photo by Nick Chismar.
