I heard the Knights were a ‘secret society’?..
The Order is not and never was a ‘secret society.’ It is true that in the early days of the Order, sectarianism and social conditions at that time prevented the Order from openly promoting its Catholic values and principles. During its first years, the activities and energies of the Order were established to banish, or at least diminish, that sense of personal inferiority that had haunted many generations of Irish Catholics on this Island.
For some, it is hard to understand, that in previous years the Order could not promote itself openly, but thankfully this is not the case today. Thankfully, times have changed, and in today’s society, we can happily declare our love for our faith and promote our Christian works without fear or question…..however, the real problem is will that last in today’s Ireland….??
I heard it’s a club for the ‘holier than thou’ brigade…
Nothing could be further from the truth. There is a deep sense of Brotherhood within the Order, made up by members who all want to give something back to Christ and their communities. It really is that simple. The Order encourages its members to do that little bit extra, to promote, live and share our Catholic faith as best we can. It is our responsibility as we live out our dedication and commitment to Christ, to make a difference in our communities. We must stand firm against a tidal wave of liberal extremism, and reject a world of fast-eroding Christian principles and moral values, and protect and help build a Christian future for our children and nation.
These efforts within our communities, lead to a great sense of identification and purpose within ourselves as individuals as we aim to fulfil the main objectives of our Order.
I heard it’s only for older men, I’m too young…
Absolutely not! There are many men of various ages within the Order, and we are keen to hear from men of all ages who are interested in our works. Recently we saw the addition of our Queens University Belfast Associate Knights, who were inducted as full members of the Order at the beginning of the year.
We recently had fourteen young men from the University, along with their Chaplain, Fr Dominic McGrattan, who committed themselves to the Order’s objective ‘to restore all things in Christ.’
Through prayer and apostolic service, these and all Knights, seek to defend and promote our Catholic faith, foster fraternity among members and reach out to those in need. This University-based Council of Knights is unique on the Island of Ireland, yet ties with Queen’s extend back to the Order’s foundation in 1915.