As the Knights of Columbus approaches historic levels of growth, Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly urged state deputies to maintain the momentum amid new challenges. Fraternal leaders representing nearly 70 jurisdictions gathered in Denver Nov. 14-16 for the annual Midyear Membership Meeting of State Deputies. In addition to business sessions, they participated in Mass, workshops and other opportunities for prayer and fraternity.
In his address during the opening business session Nov. 15, the supreme knight announced that the Order is on pace to welcome more than 100,000 new members by the end of the calendar year — even as the fraternal year continues.
“There’s no silver bullet for bringing men into the Knights of Columbus; there’s no quick fix,” he said. “We bring men in, one man, one Knight at a time, and it takes a lot of hard work — a lot of grit.”
Growth, he emphasized, stems from fidelity to the vision of Blessed Michael McGivney, who “built the Knights to strengthen the faith of Catholic men and to help them put that faith into action.”
Father McGivney’s vision, he added, offers an answer to a dominant culture in which many young men suffer from a crisis of isolation — a crisis now abetted by artificial intelligence.
“We connect our brother Knights with God and with the Church — and, importantly, with a group of other like-minded men who share that mission,” the supreme knight said. “And that’s why we’re growing.”
He also highlighted a 25% increase in online membership applications in the month following this year’s Supreme Convention, where he encouraged Knights to embrace the Go for Two initiative — a challenge to every Knight to recruit two new members. The figure marked an increase over the same period last year.
Quoting Pope Leo XIV, who recently told a gathering of young people in Rome not to let “an algorithm write your story,” the supreme knight emphasized the importance of Cor, the Order’s spiritual initiative designed to foster authentic male friendships rooted in faith. With more than 6,200 councils and about 100,000 men participating, Cor is helping to draw younger men to the Knights — and still has room to grow.
“We built Cor for men of all ages, but Cor is especially powerful in attracting young men,” the supreme knight said. “It’s a gateway to those genuine friendships and those real encounters that the pope is talking about.”
“If each of you makes Cor and Go for Two a priority in the next six months, we will finish this year stronger than we can imagine,” he added.
The supreme knight further emphasized the unique role of the Knights in responding to the loneliness many young men experience today.
“The dominant culture ... has no real answer to this, and that’s because [it] created this crisis,” he said. “But we in the Knights, we have an answer. … We help young men find mission and meaning in their lives. And men, specifically, are hardwired for that — for connection and for purpose.”
That sense of purpose, he said, is found especially through works of charity — the “way we bring the love of Christ to those who need it.”
Reflecting on his recent trip to the Holy Land with Archbishop William Lori and Supreme Secretary John Marella, he described a visit to the Holy Family Center in Bethlehem, where the Daughters of Charity care for about 50 orphaned children. Like those religious sisters, he said, the Knights are meant to serve those in need.
“As Knights, we serve a king, and our king is Christ — and he calls us to protect the most vulnerable,” the supreme knight said, highlighting several charitable milestones the Order reached in the past year, including: 2,000 ultrasound machines donated through the Ultrasound Initiative; 2 million coats distributed through Coats for Kids; and 150,000 wheelchairs delivered in partnership with the Global Wheelchair Mission.
The supreme knight also affirmed that Father McGivney’s mission to protect the financial security of Catholic families is inextricably tied to the Order’s charitable and fraternal mission.
“Our charitable reputation,” he explained, “is grounded in the strength of our insurance program, and our insurance program is grounded in the strength of our fraternal organization and its ability to bring in new members. We need both lungs — fraternal and insurance — to breathe together, so that we can best fulfill our mission.”
Ten top general agents from around the United States, special guests at the Midyear Meeting, participated in workshops and regional breakout groups, sharing their insights with fraternal leaders.
“Our insurance mission … was fundamental to Father McGivney’s founding vision,” Supreme Knight Kelly said. “Insurance is core to who we are, and it’s core to who we always will be.”
To sustain growth, the supreme knight emphasized the need for closer collaboration between fraternal and insurance leaders. Councils, he added, must “up their game in supporting our field agents.” The Order’s 1,000 agents, who serve 1.6 million members in the U.S. and Canada, rely on the full support of councils and brother Knights, he said.
“2026 is a year where we’re focusing and putting a great deal of energy toward agent manpower,” he concluded. “Protecting Catholic families is not just a field agent’s job — it’s everybody’s job, and it has been since the very beginning.”
A
lso speaking Nov. 15, Supreme Chaplain Archbishop William Lori acknowledged a climate of political polarization, yet observed a hopeful increase in conversions to Catholicism among younger generations.
“Many dioceses report an increase of young people, especially young men, coming back to the Church or entering the Church for the first time,” Archbishop Lori said. “As the spiritual sons of Blessed Michael McGivney, this is our moment to shine — this is our moment to attract to our ranks the young men … who are seeking a relationship with God and healthy friendships.”
He also noted that July 4, 2026, will mark the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, adding that the Order’s founding principles are themselves powerful sources of civil renewal.
“Blessed Michael McGivney has placed in our hands the keys to the renewal of our wounded political culture,” the supreme chaplain said. “Those keys are charity, unity, fraternity and patriotism — our time-honored principles.”