Author: Chris Losack
Brothers All
As we begin this new Fraternal Year, I just wanted to take a moment reflect back on the past two Fraternal Years and to say thank you for every ones hard work and support over the past two years during my term as State Deputy. There were so many successes that we saw within North Carolina that I dare to call them out because there is no way that we could have enough room in this article to list all of them. But I will have to say that during this time each and every one of you demonstrated the core principles of our organization. All of you were charitable in one way or another. Whether that was to your fellow man, or to your family, or to your brothers, or to those that are unborn; you all showed a great amount of charity to them. We had the opportunity to start some new programs this year to provide additional charitable opportunities, including things such as Sleep in Heavenly Peace, ASAP, and the baby box program. This is a wonderful example of the huge Catholic hearts that each of you have and how each of us live out every day the spirit of our founder Blessed Fr. Michael McGivney. Additionally, there was a lot of unity shown throughout the state. Councils came together to help each other when they were in need, and councils also came together to further the charitable activities when there were times of devastation. I can’t help but think of the example of council 17501 in Charlotte. They rebuilt a house when it burned down and a brother and his son lost their lives. This program was recognized at the international level as the program of the year for family. When it comes to fraternity, we could see that fraternal heart in everyone as we traveled throughout the state. Everyone was welcoming to both Knights and Non-Knights, women and children and to those of all races and creeds. What a wonderful example of what we as Catholics are called to be. The addition of the COR initiative in North Carolina was foundational and helping bridge those faith gaps between the Knights, their church, and others within the church. These actions led to record membership growth within the state and pushed our total membership number to almost 19,000 members. What a wonderful testament to the various programs that are conducted within the state of North Carolina. And finally, patriotism. In conjunction with our Fourth Degree members, the Councils across the state helped grow the Fourth Degree to record levels. They also combined efforts within joint programs in order to provide a greater impact to those that they were serving. So in the end, I just want to say “Thank You” for everything that you have done in North Carolina, “Congratulations” to all the leaders over the past two years for a job well done, and a hardy “Welcome” to all the new leaders across the state as they take on new roles to pick up where we left off. I know everyone’s gonna do a fantastic job over the coming year and I cannot wait to see where North Carolina goes in the future because I know that the future is bright and Catholicism is growing in North Carolina and we have the ability to really provide the leadership required to make that happen. I have loved every minute that I have had the opportunity to spend with you and I will truly miss those interactions. I am sorry that I was not able to visit every single Council across the state, but I hope to get to many more in the next coming years. If there’s anything that I can ever do for any of you, please do not hesitate to reach out. So go and “Be the Light” of Christ and know that I truly call you brothers.
Vivat Jesus
Chris Losack, IPSD
“Be the Light”