BLESSED MICHAEL J. MCGIVNEY

Blessed Michael J. McGivney was a young Irish American priest who lived in the mid to late 1800’s.  On fire for his faith, a man of practical thought and action, Father McGivney knew that the pursuit of holiness did not consist of being separated from the people he served and their problems. As a parish priest, his primary concern was for the welfare of the largely Irish-American and immigrant Catholic population that teemed into New Haven, where he began his ministry at St. Mary’s Church in 1878.  Catholics then were especially vulnerable. Irish Immigrants often had to take the most dangerous positions in the mines, on the railroads, and in the factories. Accidents, disease and overwork often led to the family’s breadwinner suffering an early death, leaving his wife and children destitute, with no social safety nets.  As the founder of the Knights of Columbus, McGivney was a priest of strategic vision.  He had a desire to form a Catholic fraternal benefit society for men that would allow men to keep their faith, be good Catholics and good American citizens, and provide financial support for families who had lost their breadwinner.  McGivney called men to be practical Catholics with a love of home, family and church, where faith is nurtured. He called these men to care for the sick and abandoned, provide for their temporal needs, support the faith of Catholics and pass on their faith to inquirers, and live a life of prayer and virtue with love of God and neighbor.  With this vision in mind, the Knights of Columbus was born.  

Knights of Columbus

Father McGivney wanted this organization to represent the very faith he loved so much.  With that in mind the organization is based on 4 pillars that still serve as the foundation of the Knights of Columbus today - Charity, Unity, Patriotism and Fraternity.  

• Charity - Loving those in need even more than yourself and showing that love through service and goodwill. Jesus showed us to: “Love one another, as I have loved you” (Jn 13:34). Christ’s unending love inspires Knights to reach out through a variety of organized programs to help those in need next door, across town, across the country and around the world.
  
  
• Unity -  None of us is as good alone as all of us are together.  United in the Catholic faith, the Knights support one another in times of joy and grief and every moment in between.
  
  
• Patriotism - Members of the Knights of Columbus are patriotic citizens. We are proud of our devotion to God and country, and believe in standing up for both.
  
  
• Fraternity - Networks of Knights provide men with something that is too often lacking in today’s fragmented society — authentic fraternal fellowship lived out in councils, parishes, and participating in common faith-based projects. Working together, we accomplish so much.

Father McGivney’s vision for his Knights has made a difference in millions of lives and brought hope and healing to countless others. More than 130 years after his death, his vision remains our mission.  Today, there are more than 2 million members of the Knights of Columbus in more than 16,000 local councils located in more than a dozen countries around the world.

Pandemic in late 1889

Blessed Father McGivney fell ill during the pandemic in late 1889.  He developed tuberculosis and pneumonia in January 1890.  After seeking many treatments and remedies, he never regained his strength.  He was confined to his bed, but he continued to have deep concern for this congregation and his prayers for them increased.  In August 1890, he received last rites, and he passed away two days after his 38th birthday on August 14, 1890.  

Beatification 

On October 31, 2020, Blessed Michael J. McGivney was beatified during a special Mass at the Cathedral of St. Joseph in Hartford, CT.  Our students continue to pray daily for Blessed Michael J. McGivney to be declared a saint.

Father McGivney Catholic High School

FMCHS is the first U.S. high school to be named for Father McGivney. The school motto is Servire Culturae Vitae - “To Serve the Culture of Life.”    As an inspiration for Catholic priests and founder of the Knights of Columbus, McGivney stood for everything we hoped to instill in our students, hence naming the school for him and modeling the four pillars of the Knights into everything we do here.