12/08/2026
Concluding Message of Supreme Knight Patrick E. Kelly during his State of the Order Report at the 144th Supreme Convention of the Knights of Columbus.
Video Courtesy of Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN)
Full Transcripts Below.
The U.S. bishops invited us to reflect on this truth
in June. In preparation for the nation’s 250th
anniversary, they consecrated the United States to
the Sacred Heart of Jesus. It’s fitting, really. The
Sacred Heart was a beloved devotion for many of
the immigrants who came to these shores. Father
McGivney himself grew up in a home with an image
of the Sacred Heart, and the devotion was central
to his priesthood. In our time, the Sacred Heart
speaks to Knights around the world — from France
to Mexico to the Philippines. And now this devotion
has taken on new significance for Americans.
We were honored to support the national
consecration. And thanks to our French Knights,
we were able to provide a special grace. They brought
us the major relics of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque,
the great visionary and apostle of the Sacred Heart,
from the shrine at Paray-le-Monial. We brought her relics to Orlando for the national consecration.
We also brought them to the Saint John Paul II
National Shrine for the Fourth of July, and now
the relics are here with us in Denver.
In light of the national consecration, I have called on
every U.S. council to offer 250 hours of Eucharistic
adoration and 250 works of mercy in the coming
year. I also urge every family to enthrone an image
of the Sacred Heart in their home. And I encourage
you to participate in our Sacred Heart Pilgrim Icon
Program. Nearly 2 million people have already prayed
before that image.
The Sacred Heart is where we find the courage to
serve and the strength to love, as Christ did. And one
brother Knight especially embodied that courageous,
sacrificial love. His home was Colorado. His name was
Kendrick Castillo.
Seven years ago, Kendrick went to class like any other
day, with a rosary in his pocket. He was a high school
senior, and in less than a week he would graduate.
Life was full of promise for that young man. But as
he sat in class that morning, another student came
in and pulled out a gun.
Kendrick had only a second to decide. He could dive
under his desk and save himself. Or he could dive in
front of the shooter and save everyone else. In that
moment, Kendrick Castillo made his choice. And in
the moment that followed, he gave his life so that his
friends would live.
We soon learned that Kendrick had always wanted
to be a Knight, just like his father. He volunteered
with us whenever he could — pancake breakfasts;
council fundraisers. His dad’s council became like
an extension of his family.
But Kendrick had only just turned 18. And he
died before he could join us. But make no mistake:
Kendrick Castillo lived like a Knight. At our Supreme
Convention in 2019, we posthumously welcomed
him into the Order.
I am so grateful his parents could join us today.
John and Maria, we will always look up to your son,
our brother Knight, Kendrick Castillo!
Kendrick gave his life for the sake of others. And
that’s what Father McGivney did. He died young,
at just 38 years old, after exhausting his strength in
tireless ministry. He poured out his heart to build up
his parish, his community and his brother Knights.
And now Blessed Michael McGivney is guiding us.
He is united with our Lord. And we are building on
the foundation he laid — a foundation of unity in
our faith.
We pray today for Father McGivney’s intercession
— and for his canonization. We pray for the strength
to follow in his footsteps as we serve the Church.
Everything we do, we do out of love for Jesus Christ.
And everything we are, we attribute to his grace
and guidance. He is the source and summit of our
lives. And as Pope Leo reminds us, “In the One,
we are one.” Today, we turn to the Lord in celebration
and thanksgiving. And we pledge anew to serve and
to sacrifice — as brothers in Christ and as Knights of
Columbus. Vivat Jesus!
