Blessed Michael McGivney

Life story

Michael Joseph McGivney was born on 12 August 1852 in Waterbury, Connecticut, the eldest of a large family of Irish immigrants. His father worked as a moulder, and Michael himself took a factory job as a teenager to help the family. He then entered the seminary and was ordained in Baltimore in 1877. He served as an assistant priest at St Mary's parish in New Haven.

In his pastoral work he saw how Catholic working families were left in hardship when a father died young, because there was no insurance. He also wanted to keep Catholic men tied to their faith at a time when many fraternal societies were hostile to Catholics or secret. On 29 March 1882 in New Haven he and a group of laymen founded the Knights of Columbus, a fraternal society that supported the widows and orphans of its members.

In 1884 he was named pastor of St Thomas parish in Thomaston, Connecticut. He died there of pneumonia on 14 August 1890 at the age of 38. The Knights of Columbus later spread to many countries. He was declared venerable in 2008 and beatified on 31 October 2020 in Hartford, with Cardinal Joseph Tobin presiding on behalf of Pope Francis. His feast day is 13 August.

Works and witness

• Ordained a priest in Baltimore in 1877
• Assistant priest at St Mary's, New Haven
• Founded the Knights of Columbus on 29 March 1882
• Pastor of St Thomas, Thomaston, from 1884
• Beatified on 31 October 2020

Saints from the same country

Saint Kateri Tekakwitha, Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, Saint Katharine Drexel, Blessed Solanus Casey

References

• Douglas Brinkley and Julie M. Fenster, Parish Priest: Father Michael McGivney and American Catholicism (William Morrow, 2006)
• Dicastery for the Causes of Saints: beatification records, 31 October 2020
• Knights of Columbus historical archive

Written by Anawim from documented history. Some details about ancient saints rest on tradition and are marked as such.