The Life of Father Michael McGivney

Oct. 31 Beatification Will be Livestreamed at kofc.org By Joyce Bibey He was a roll up your sleeves, face adversity head-on, thick-skinned kind of guy. He worked hard for the Church and the faithful during a time, when an anti-Catholic and anti-immigrant movement was rampant throughout New England. It is because of this one man’s determination and forward-thinking actions that more than two million men from many nations work together for a stronger community and better world today. Now, 130 years after his death, the Church is preparing to celebrate the beatification of Venerable Father Michael McGivney, founder of the Knights of Columbus and model priest, on Oct. 31 during a special Mass at the Cathedral of St. Joseph in Hartford, Connecticut. He was born on August 12, 1852, the first child of Patrick and Mary McGivney, of Waterbury, Connecticut, who like hundreds of thousands of their countrymen immigrated to North America from Ireland during the Irish Potato Famine. Father McGivney had 12 siblings, six of whom died as babies or in their youth. He learned at a young age to cherish family, honor God, and never give up on doing good. He saw first-hand the unfair reality of social injustice, religious persecution, and financial disadvantages. The normal age for finishing school at the time was 16. Father McGivney was so advanced academically, he graduated at 13. He wanted to begin seminary immediately, but because of the family’s financial needs, he had to put that on hold and work at a brass factory. Three years later he was able to leave home to begin his studies for the priesthood. Throughout his formation years he was taught by the Vincentians, known for their charitable focus; the Jesuits, known for their academic and intellectual approach; and Sulpicians, known for their commitment to ongoing education of priests. When he was 20, his father died. So, he left his Canadian seminary to return home and help his mother and siblings. Once they were on their feet, and with the help of the bishop of Hartford, McGivney was able to enter St. Mary’s Seminary in Baltimore. He was ordained in 1877, and celebrated his first Mass at his home parish, Immaculate Conception Church in Waterbury with his mother and family present. The hardships he experienced in his youth did not make him bitter or angry, but instead made him an empathetic and strong-minded priest. He was assigned to the newly erected St. Mary’s Church, the first Catholic church, in New Haven. From the start the church was unwanted by the community. The New York Times featured an article calling it the “Monstrosity on Hillhouse Avenue,” because it was located in the most affluent neighborhood among the mansions of New Haven. Residents berated the Catholic church and the “undesirables – the poor and disease-ridden Irish Catholics” it would bring to the area. This didn’t intimidate McGivney. He didn’t stay confined to his rectory or church. He went out into the protestant and Catholic communities, becoming a living example of the commandments “love God and love your neighbor.” He organized baseball games and youth outings. He made the church the center of activity for families. He visited prisons and sat with prisoners, sharing the Word of God, mercy, and the importance of responsibility. His priority was to evangelize, bring people into the church, and strengthen the faith of his parishioners. During this era, if a woman was widowed and did not have financial means to care for her family the state would take her children and place them institutions. This ripped at his heart. Father McGivney intervened for these women in the local courts and in one instance became the legal guardian for a boy after the death of the father. The Irish priest could not sit idle. In fall of 1881,he gathered the men of his parish and shared his idea of a catholic men’s group. A group for charity, unity, and fraternity focused on keeping families Catholic and together, while also serving the community. The organization would also provide insurance to Catholic families and financial support for widows. On May 15, 1882 the official charter was signed, naming them the Knights of Columbus. The group took the name of the revered Christopher Columbus, who was celebrated by both Protestants and Catholics as the founder of the America’s the land of renewed hope. McGivney knew Columbus was Catholic and selected him as their namesake, believing the name would help bridge the division between Irish immigrants and other nationalities living in Connecticut. McGivney died at the age of 38, after suffering from tuberculosis and pneumonia during the Russian/Asiatic flu pandemic. Pope Benedict XVI declared, Father Michael McGivney Venerable on March 16, 2008. To find out more about Father McGivney and to watch the Beatification Mass live at 11am, Oct. 31st from Hartford visit kofc.org.