The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1910-01-31
KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS PLAN
To MAKE NOTED PILGRIMAGE
Many Members Of the Catholic
Order Will Take Trip to
Rome and Genoa.
NOW OVER 100000 MEMBERS

A recent census OF the Knights Of
| Columbus shows n membership of
23O.922 in the United States and Can
ada. At present every council has one
live topic that interests all of its
members. the forthcoming pilgrimage
To Rome and Genoa under the aus
pices Of the original incorporators.
The pilgrimage is being organized
from the main offices in the Metropoll-
tan building, New York. Daniel +.
Tooney is the general manager and
Bishop Keane of Cheyenne, Wyo, Will
be the spiritual director.
The pilgrims will remain several
days in Genoa. where arrangements
are now being made to receive them.
one of the features includes a celebra-
ton and visitation to the tomb Of the
dlscoverer of America, Christopher
Columbus.
At Rome they will be received by
Pope Plus X. to whom will be related
the growth of the knights, brief
sketch being here given:
During the summer of 1872. the
Sarsfield Guard. composed of young
Catholics. entertained at New Haven
company of the famous Sixty-ninth
regiment of New York. joint par
AIDE was held. followed by a very en-
jOyable picnic. on returning to the
armory IL was proposed that a smok-
er be held; a collection was taken up
and Sergt. #. ]. Duffy was detailed to
procure the supplies. AS soon as
Sergt. Duffy had left the room it was
suggested by Lieut.. Mullen that we
form n Knights Of Malta lodge and
that we initiate the sergeant on his
return. The suggestion was at once
agreed to, and then came the problem
Of how we were to proceed. The KNAPP
sacks to which were strapped the red
blankets of the men were awaited Of:
each man seized one and wrapping Il
about him waited eagerly for the
return of Duffy.
When the sergeant entered the room
he was roughly seized. hustled before
a mock tribunal and solemnly charg-
ed with nearly every possible infrac-
ton of military law and rule. He was
convicted and the sem
tence was that he run the gauntlet.
Accordingly two lines were formed,
and an accelerating committee de-
tailed to see that the prisoner got
all that was coming to him (and he
did. A very merry time was had and
at its close the smoker proper began
with James r. Mullen i'm the chair. We
discussed only the subject of Duffy's
and the jolly time IL afford
ed. SO thoroughly was it enjoyed that
il was then and there agreed that the
impromptu organization be made a
permanent one. 1t was so voted and
the name adopted was the Red
Knights"
The Red Knights after its estab-
llshment became the most popular So
cial organization of our people in the
state. It's doors were open to the
best only. and men from neighboring
cities, realizing its popularity, sought
to have it extended to other places.
This, however, was refused, and here
again we have another item in the
forming of the knights of Columbus.
Spacious rooms were secured which
were fitted up in regulation club
style Entertainments were given, but
by invitation only, no charges being
made; lectures, concerts. reading and
occasionally a hop followed in an en-
joyable manner. For eight years the
society was in the public eye and in
1880 il ceased to be. Many of it's
members sought long and hard to
reorganize it as a fraternal society but
without avail. It's career, however,
served to disclose to the Catholics OF
New Haven that there was not only n
need for a general society in their
interest, but that there was a mag
nifcent field and an abundance of ma
terial ready at hand that wanted only
the proper appeal to mould it into n
grand success.
1t was the experience and training
Of the members of the Red Knights
that enabled some of them a few years
later to plan, devise and whip into en-
bryo form the splendid and vrile
order of the Knights of Columbus.