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Painting of Father Michael J. McGivney by Antonella Capuccio A new Web site devoted to the life and legacy of Father Michael J. McGivney, founder of the Knights of Columbus, has been launched to promote his cause for canonization and spread the message of his spiritual genius. An assistant parish priest at St. Mary's Church in New Haven when he founded the Knights with a handful of laymen in 1882, Father McGivney was given the title Servant of God by the Vatican after his cause was opened in 1997. His remains are entombed at St. Mary's Church. Pope John Paul II recently praised Father McGivney's "prophetic vision," and the Vatican is investigating a possible medical miracle performed through the intercession of Father McGivney, a step toward beatification. The new Web site is hosted by the Father McGivney Guild, the official organization promoting his cause for sainthood, and by the Knights of Columbus. It is offered in three languages: English, Spanish and French. The Guild, with 85,000 members worldwide, is responsible for gathering information about Father McGivney's life and work, as well as personal testimony regarding miracles and other favors attributed to his intercession. An interactive section of the site allows users to post prayer intentions and favors received, and to read the postings of other users. Father McGivney was a deeply spiritual man who experienced the hardships common to urban families of the mid-19th century. The eldest child of a large family in Waterbury, Conn., he went to work at age 13 in a brass factory before beginning studies for the priesthood. His father died while he was in the seminary, leaving his mother to care for the family. These experiences were among the reasons Father McGivney was determined to found a Catholic fraternal benefit society that would provide for widows and children when a breadwinner died. The story of his priesthood is told under sections headed "Servant of Charity," "Joyful Celebrant," "Confessor of Souls," "Apostle to the Young," "Protector of Christian Family Life" and "Man of Pastoral Action." His greatest legacy is the growth and vitality of the Knights of Columbus, which today has some 1.7 million members in 13,000 councils throughout the United States, Canada and 10 other countries. In 2003, Knights raised and donated $130 million to charity and giving 61 million hours of service to the Catholic Church and their communities. The Order's insurance program has more then $50 billion in force covering members and their families. |
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