Dear Bishop Rhoades, Thank you for your recent letter in support of the Knights of Columbus. We are privileged to have the opportunity to support the Church and the community of the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend. We, as the Knights of Columbus Council at the University of Notre Dame, are proud to echo your call to serve students on campus and in the broader South Bend community. Council 1477 welcomes Catholic men, whether students, faculty, staff or community members, to join our council and to participate in our mission of putting our faith in action. We also invite Catholic women to join the Ladies of Columbus, a women’s organization on campus which shares our mission.Our community of Knights and Ladies is one steeped and driven by tradition. Our council was chartered in 1910 and is the oldest and largest college council in the United States. Since our chartering, we have dedicated ourselves to building a community of gentleman who seek to deepen and live out their Catholic faith together and in service to others. Our organization transcends race, ethnicity, wealth and party affiliation to come together around our principles of charity, unity, fraternity and patriotism. Together, we seek to serve all people to the best of our ability. Our gameday Steak Sales fundraisers have raised $1.5 million since 1968 to support charities in South Bend and across the country including organizations that feed and house the poor, provide education for the less fortunate, care for those with special needs and support women in choosing life for their children. Our many volunteering programs serve many of the same organizations on a weekly basis. Meanwhile, we offer opportunities for men on campus to pursue their faith through communal prayer and Bible studies. On a lighter note, our building offers a social space for members and their guest to socialize, relax and get to know one another. Please feel free to stop by our building at the corner of God and South quads or email us at knights@nd.edu to learn more about our organization or to discuss joining. Sincerely yours in Christ,
Jimmy Ryan, Grand Knight
Notre Dame Knights of Columbus Council 1477
Feb. 13
