K of C honors the Clergy

“Slaves of Christ!”
This is how Most Rev. Romulo G. Valles, Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Davao, would want to characterize the role of the Knights of Columbus (K of C), as a Catholic, family, fraternal service organization.
The K of C is known as a strong ally of the Catholic Church in helping spread the Good News, in insuring the future of family members and in serving the community, the youth and human life..
In his homily during a thanksgiving mass at the Sta Ana Shrine Parish to celebrate Columbus Day, Mons Valles recalled the Knights of old as men of chivalry and bravery who stood side by side with the church in defending the faith.
For himself, he said his modern meaning of what the K of C is :” you are slaves of Christ who withstand adversity, have little sense of self-importance, faithful in the service of the Divine Master, to the end”.
While it was Christopher Columbus who discovered the New World (the Americas) in the middle centuries, and planted the seeds of Christianity to the natives, but it was a priest, Fr. Michael J. McGivney who founded the K of C in 1882 in Connecticut, USA, to protect the little Catholic community from religious persecution and discrimination. Most American communities then were anti-Catholics.
Fr McGivney, an assistant parish priest of St Mary’s Parish in New Haven, is a candidate for canonization as a saint. The K of C remembers him for protecting the poor, defending of the widow, and the orphan.
To celebrate Columbus Day last October 14, 2013, the K of C, Mindanao Jurisdiction C-95, in the Archdiocese of Davao, highlighted the “Honor the Clergy Night”, in solidarity with our bishops and priests, according to Sir Knight (SK) Gerry Eutemio T. Mission, regional deputy for Region XI, covering Davao, Digos, Tagum and Mati (DADITAMA).
“We honor our bishops and priests because the Knights is in solidarity with the Holy See, and our founder was a priest”, Mission stressed.
SK Balbino C. Fauni, the Mindanao Deputy, the highest ranking Knight in the whole of Mindanao, gave an inspirational message. He challenged the Knights to rise to the challenge of the Order for membership growth.
Msgr. Paul A. Cuison, parish priest of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Bo. Obrero, gave a warm response on behalf of the honorees, in reply to an earlier scholarly tribute delivered by SK Reynaldo G. Sorongon, Past District Deputy.
Part of the celebration was the distribution of tokens and gifts to chaplains and clergy, coordinated by the 14 district deputies and their council officers, at the Pinnacle Hotel and Suites.
Fitting entertainment numbers were rendered by the multi-awarded St Joseph Parish ensemble and a trio led by SK Mission.
A day before, some 60 new candidates to the Order were exemplified to the First Degree. An exemplification team composed of District Deputy (DD) Roger Tadura as Grand Knight, RD Mission as DGK, Provincial Deputy Jacinto Pancha as Chancellor, SK Gerardo Sumampong as Warden and DD Calixto Galagar as Financial Secretary, assisted in the ceremony.
Master of the 4th Degree, SK Rey Trinidad, helped SK Mission and DD Tadura in giving the plaques of appreciation to dignitaries. Sk Rolando Quidilla, provincial deputy south gave the closing remarks while former Mindanao Deputy SK Sofronio R. Cruz gave the closing prayer and prayer for the canonization of Fr. McGivney. The K of C Fraternal Association of the Philippines, Inc. (KCFAPI) headed by Adrian Boston in Mindanao, provided tokens for the clergy. SK Jose P.. Delda led in the singing of the closing ode.