Apr 19, 2008 / 11:47 am
During his homily Saturday morning at the Mass for Clergy and Religious at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Pope Benedict XVI made special mention of “that exemplary American priest” Venerable Michael J. McGivney, founder of the New Haven, Connecticut-based Knight’s of Columbus.
On March 15, Pope Benedict declared Father McGivney a “Venerable Servant of God.” The priest’s cause for canonization is presently being considered at the Vatican. Father McGivney founded the Knights of Columbus in 1882 in New Haven to strengthen the faith of and to provide financial assistance for Catholic men and their families.
In his Saturday morning homily, Pope Benedict told America’s clergy that the “secret of the impressive growth of the Church” was a “unity of vision and purpose – rooted in a faith and a spirit of constant conversion and self-sacrifice.”
“We need but think of the remarkable accomplishment of that exemplary American priest, the Venerable Michael McGivney, whose vision and zeal led to the establishment of the Knights of Columbus,” Pope Benedict said.