Window honors founder of Knights of Columbus

Intermountain Catholic

+ Enlarge

The Most Rev. John C. Wester, Bishop of Salt Lake City, blessed the Fr. Michael J. McGivney memorial window at Holy Family Church. Courtesy photo/Andy Airiess

SOUTH OGDEN — The Most Rev. John C. Wester, Bishop of Salt Lake City, on Aug. 18 blessed a stained glass window in Holy Family Catholic Church that depicts Venerable Father Michael J. McGivney, founder of the Knights of Columbus.

"This is a wonderful tribute to the Knights of Columbus," an organization that "serves the Church in more ways than one could count," Bishop Wester said during the Mass at which the window was blessed.

Fr. McGivney founded the fraternal Catholic organization in 1882, while he was assistant pastor of St. Mary’s Church in New Haven, Conn., to unite Catholic men and provide for families of deceased members. Their founding principles were charity and unity; by 1900 the principles of fraternity and patriotism had been added. Today, the 130-year-old organization has 1.8 million members in chapters worldwide.

In addition to supporting their local parishes, Knights worldwide volunteer with organizations such as Special Olympics and Coats for Kids. The Holy See bestowed the title of "Venerable Servant of God" on Fr. McGivney in 2008, one of the initial steps toward the declaration of sainthood.

The stained glass window on the south side of Holy Family Church depicts Fr. McGivney standing in a cassock, with the Knights of Columbus crest above his head. The window is by Rambusch Company, which is based in New York City with a design studio in New Jersey.

"To my knowledge there’s not another stained glass window that bears Fr. McGivney’s image west of the Mississippi," said Joe Hudak, immediate past Grand Knight of the Holy Family council. "We feel like trailblazers ... and we believe that this particular image, this icon, if you will, of the Venerable Fr. McGivney in our church will spark further interest in the Knights of Columbus. It may even spark vocations to the parish priesthood."

The catalyst for the window was the parish’s pastor, Father Patrick Elliott, himself a Fourth Degree Knight, Hudak said. "Even though we knew this was a very expensive proposition, we got our heads together and put together a plan to buy this window."

To raise funds, the Knights cooked monthly breakfasts for the parish, sponsored Bingo, and organized a golf tournament.

"All of us felt that it would be a two-year proposition to pay for it, but as it is we brought the funds together and paid for the window in 12 months. Brother Alvin Jellema was 92 years old and wanted this window so bad, he personally donated $1,000 toward this window," Hudak said.

Jellema, who had been a Knight for 53 years, died on July 15. At the dedication ceremony, Hudak said that Jellema "wanted so much to see this dedication ceremony of the Michael J. McGivney memorial window, and I believe that he witnessed it with Fr. McGivney today."

When Holy Family Church was built in 2008, a set of windows depicting the Luminous Mysteries was installed on the street side of the church. Fr. Elliott has encouraged his parishioners to donate other windows to decorate church’s as well. The Fr. McGivney image joins one of Saint Stephen, donated by Deacon John Thaeler and his wife, Marcy, in honor of the diocese’s permanent deacons, Fr. Elliot said.

At the end of the Mass during which Bishop Wester blessed the window, Knights of Columbus Council 14399 was presented with its third consecutive Double Star Council Award, for doubling its membership quota and meeting other criteria, such as involvement in the parish. At Holy Family, Knights serve in various ministry roles, purchase flowers to give on Mother’s Day and raise thousands of dollars for causes that include support of the diocesan seminarians, the parish youth group and Catholic Community Services.

"We started with 39 members, that was our charter.... and in five years we’ve grown from 39 to 93 Knights," Hudak said. "These guys, there’s nothing they won’t do. If there’s a plan to do something, they show up, they work together and make it happen."