At the 143rd Supreme Convention of the Knights of Columbus, Drew Mariani welcomed Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly to reflect on a year filled with both challenge and providence. From his meeting with Pope Leo to the Knights’ efforts to restore Catholic manhood, Kelly offered a vision marked by clarity, conviction, and deep hope for the Church.
The meeting between Patrick Kelly and Pope Leo took place on July 4, a date chosen not by the Knights but by the Vatican. In a moment rich with symbolism, the Supreme Knight presented the Holy Father with a rare collection of St. Augustine’s writings from the 17th and 18th centuries, along with a photograph of the Navy ship on which Pope Leo’s father served during the Normandy landings. The Pope was visibly moved and asked, “Where did you get this?” The photo sparked a heartfelt exchange about his father’s military service, one that reminded both men of the sacrifices behind true freedom.
Pope Leo, Kelly noted, is a calm and thoughtful leader, deeply concerned about the rise of artificial intelligence and the growing division in both society and the Church. Yet, he is also a Pope centered on unity. In their conversation, he quickly drew connections between the Knights’ core principles—charity, unity, and fraternity—and the Augustinian charisms of truth, unity, and charity. Kelly believes unity will be a defining theme of Pope Leo’s pontificate, offering a response to a fragmented world.
This theme of unity carries into one of the most pressing issues facing Catholic men today: the crisis in masculinity. “There’s a crisis of masculinity in our society,” Kelly said bluntly. Many men feel isolated, spiritually untethered, and unsure of their purpose. But the Knights are stepping into this void with renewed clarity. Over 96,000 men joined the Knights last year. There has been a steady rise in adult baptisms and a visible return of men to the Church. Kelly’s invitation is firm but hopeful: “If you’ve looked at the Knights before and thought it wasn’t for you… look again.”
Defending life remains another pillar of the Knights’ mission. Through their Ultrasound Initiative, Knights councils have now placed 2,000 ultrasound machines in pregnancy resource centers across the country. Each machine offers women in crisis pregnancies a clear image of the life within them. The process is simple yet effective: local councils raise the funds, the national organization matches them, and the equipment is donated to where it’s most needed. Behind each machine is a witness to the dignity of life and the love of the Church for every unborn child.
The 2025 Supreme Convention carries the theme “Service, Unity, and Hope”, an appropriate banner for a time marked by deep change and deeper promise. Kelly reflected on how the year began with the opening of the Holy Door and the Jubilee Year declared by Pope Francis. Just months later, the Church mourned his passing and welcomed a new Pontiff. This sequence of events, both sobering and providential, serves as a reminder of the Church’s enduring mission and the grace that sustains it.
In the face of cultural confusion, the Knights of Columbus are holding firm to the pillars of faith and fraternity. Under Patrick Kelly’s leadership, they are not only responding to the needs of Catholic men, but pointing them toward a clearer, holier path forward.