January 13, 2013

Knights of Columbus Fourth Degree Assembly celebrates 100 years of service to ‘God and country’

 

REGIONAL

Story and photos by Terence Hegarty

SPRINGFIELD – Celebrating a century of service to “God and country,” members of the western Massachusetts contingent of the Fourth Degree of the Knights of Columbus gathered in St. Michael’s Cathedral here Jan. 13 for a special 1:30 p.m. liturgy.

The Fourth Degree Archbishop Williams Assembly of the Knights of Columbus, a sub-group of the international, Catholic, fraternal, family, service organization, was established Jan. 12, 1913. The assembly was named in honor of Archbishop John Joseph Williams (1822-1907), the first Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Boston.

Thomas Vyzga, who serves as Faithful Navigator (chairman) of the Archbishop Williams Assembly of the Fourth Degree, said the centennial milestone was a great accomplishment mainly because of all of the service that the organization has provided over that time.

Vyzga, a parishioner of St. Thomas the Apostle Parish in Palmer, said that he is an active member of the K of C because he has always, “depended on my faith in hard times.” He said that he wants to keep the church strong.

In the Knights of Columbus (K of C), there are a total of four ritual degree ceremonies in which Catholic men can participate. Fourth degree assemblies meet separately, in addition to the regular local council meetings. The K of C is open to practicing Catholic men 18 years of age or older. Each degree ceremony is designed to imbue in members a principle of the organization. The first three principles are charity, unity and fraternity.

As part of the Fourth Degree, members are urged to practice patriotism. Fourth Degree members pledge to serve “God and country” through their fraternal service efforts. They also pledge to stand up for and protect the Catholic faith, something most visible in the public by the presence of the Fourth Degree Color Guard.

Color guard members, wearing colorful capes and chapeaus and sporting white gloves and ceremonial swords, are present at many diocesan Masses as well as at the wakes and funerals of Fourth Degree K of C members. Vyzga said that the color guard is designed to “bring honor to our church and God and show…our dedication to the church.”

Springfield Bishop Timothy A. McDonnell said that the world was a much different place a century ago. “In 1913, anti-Catholicism was rampant. Many believed it was impossible to be a good Catholic and a good American,” the bishop said.

“The Archbishop Williams Assembly was founded to show that one could be a good Catholic and a good American. And, in fact, the two complement each other.”

Bishop McDonnell went on to thank the K of C members for their dedication to the church and to him. He said that the Mass was a way of trumpeting, “One hundred years of spreading the Good News, of acting on behalf of God and country.”

Asking the members of the assembly to stand, Bishop McDonnell said, “May God bless the endeavors in which you are engaged and may God help you to continue showing love of God and love of neighbor.”

Representatives from both the Massachusetts State Council and what is known as the Supreme Office, the headquarters of the organization, were present at the Mass. The K of C was founded in 1882 in New Haven, Conn. by Father Michael J. McGivney, a local Catholic pastor.

For more on this story, tune in to the Jan. 19 edition of “Real to Reel,” the diocesan weekly television newsmagazine that airs Saturday evenings at 7 on WWLP-22NEWS.