The Knights of Saint Columbanus are involved in multiple aspects of evangelisation; both a local and national level. In placing our Order under the patronage of St. Columbanus, our founders were mindful of his missionary zeal to bring the good news of salvation to all.
Formed in 1915, our Order was established as a response to the social conditions persisting at that time. Our growth at both national and local level was achieved through co-operation with the hierarchy, and this approach was taken in order to ensure tight alignment of the goals of the Bishops and those of the Order. That close alignment and partnership model persists right up to the present day.
The fundamental insight of Catholic social teaching, is that the Gospel invites us to engage and transform the world we live in. We aim to sow and cultivate the seeds of our Catholic faith in our words and deeds. Our goal is to proclaim the work of our Church, proclaim the Covenant’s fulfillment, and proclaim the sacraments. In our efforts, we extend the work that Christians have been engaged in since the resurrection. It is precisely in this way we look towards Pope Paul VI and his encyclical on apostolates, Apostolicam Actuositatem for guidance,
‘Christ’s redemptive work, while essentially concerned with the salvation of men, includes also the renewal of the whole temporal Order. Hence the mission of the Church is not only to bring the message and grace of Christ to men but also to penetrate and perfect the temporal Order with the spirit of the Gospel. In fulfilling this mission of the Church, the Christian laity exercise their apostolate both in the Church and in the world, in both the spiritual and the temporal orders. These orders, although distinct, are so connected in the singular plan of God that He Himself intends to raise up the whole world again in Christ and to make it a new creation, initially on earth and completely on the last day. In both orders the layman, being simultaneously a believer and a citizen, should be continuously led by the same Christian conscience.’
As an Order, we consciously engage in a process of continual improvement so that we are prepared for new challenges and directions in the apostolate. We always seek to ensure we communicate a refined message, fit for a modern era
We consider it an apostolic duty is to guard against aggressive secularism’s continuous move towards a totally Godless society. As an Order, we must be aware of the dangers of relativism and systematic erosion of all faith based views, where our moral principles and ethics are being steadily eliminated.
