Texas Knights of Columbus homepage
Finish Line 2020-2021 Texas Knight Read the latest issue Meeting Registration Register for upcoming meetings and events State Per Capita Dues Pay State Per Capita Dues Online Mid-Year Meeting Presentations (English) Donate Now Donate to State Council Charities Faith In Action Resources
Texas Knights of Columbus
  • Home
  • About
    • About Us
    • Our History
    • Message from the State Deputy
    • Why Join the Knights of Columbus?
    • Administrative Assignments
    • State Officers
  • Star Guide
    • Membership
    • Star Councils Awards
    • Council Growth
    • Programs
    • Education, Training & Communications
    • Charities
    • Football Sweepstakes
    • Texas State Council Office
  • News
  • Blog
  • Events

How Knights Added “Under God” to the Pledge

Posted Aug 20, 2020
by Andrew Fowler

Share        

Patriotism and faith compelled Knights to petition U.S. government to make addition in the early 1950s

The Pledge of Allegiance has undergone several revisions since it was initially written back in 1892 by Baptist minister Francis Bellamy. The last significant change came in 1954 during the midst of the Cold War, when President Dwight Eisenhower signed a congressional resolution adding the words “under God.”

This revision would have never happened without advocacy by the Knights of Columbus.

In a letter thanking the Order, President Eisenhower stated that these words “remind Americans that despite our great physical strength we must remain humble. They will help us to keep constantly in our minds and hearts the spiritual and moral principles which alone give dignity to man, and upon which our way of life is founded.”

The original Pledge had no references to God. However, the Knights personally inserted “under God” into their recitations at the opening of Fourth Degree assembly meetings in 1951. Momentum grew within the Knights to petition the United States Congress to revise the Pledge.

At the time, Supreme Knight Luke Hart was president of the National Fraternal Congress of America, which adopted “under God” into its own Pledge recitations in 1952. From that year until 1954, the Supreme Council repeatedly sent copies of their resolutions to members of Congress, U.S. senators, Vice President Richard Nixon and President Eisenhower.

The appeals received generally positive feedback, with Rep. Louis C. Rabaut of Michigan introducing one of 17 eventual congressional resolutions to officially add “under God.” Significant support for the movement grew when Presbyterian minister George Docherty preached about the words, saying, “To omit the words ‘under God’ in the Pledge of Allegiance is to omit the definitive character of the American way of life.” President Eisenhower was in attendance and heard the sermon.

The congressional resolution was adopted by the House and Senate, and President Eisenhower signed it on June 14, 1954. Several years later, St. John XXIII “expressed his gratification” to the Knights of Columbus for their advocacy because “some 30 million children, at the beginning of each school day, acknowledged the existence of God and their dependence upon Divine Providence.”

Share your story of how your council is helping strengthen people’s faith and offering support during this time. Email knightline@kofc.org.

Originally published in a special bi-weekly edition of Knightline, a resource for K of C leaders and members. To access Knightline’s monthly archives, click here.

 

Back to News

 

Recent Articles

  • DSC9513 copy Convention 2022 Photos Available! Posted May 05, 2022
  • Strickland11111 Tyler Diocese Knights Recognized Posted Mar 31, 2022
  • Mcgivney Texas Knight Available Posted Feb 26, 2022
  • Ultrasound for saving unborn Texas Knights Deliver their 100th Ultrasound... Posted Feb 18, 2022
  • Leo Three Sir Knights Posted Feb 18, 2022

Monthly Archive

  • May 2022
  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • December 2021
  • November 2021
  • October 2021
  • September 2021
  • August 2021
  • July 2021
  • June 2021
  • May 2021
  • April 2021
Finish Line 2020-2021 Texas Knight Read the latest issue Meeting Registration Register for upcoming meetings and events State Per Capita Dues Pay State Per Capita Dues Online Mid-Year Meeting Presentations (English) Donate Now Donate to State Council Charities Faith In Action Resources

Subscribe to Email Updates

Want to be notified when news, blogs, events, and prayer requests are posted?

Something went wrong

Thanks for subscribing!

Texas Knights of Columbus Logo

TEXAS STATE COUNCIL OFFICE
6633 Highway 290 East, Suite 204
Austin, Texas 78723-1157
Phone (512) 442-1492
Fax (512) 326-1492

TKofC Facebook TKofC Twitter

Navigation

  • Home
  • About Us
  • Star Guide
  • News
  • Blog
  • Events
  • Downloads

Submissions

  • Submit a News Story
  • Submit an Announcement
  • Submit a Calendar Event
  • Submit a Prayer Request
  • Submit a Download

Flickr Photos

©2017-2022 Texas State Council. All content on this website is copyrighted and the sole property of Texas State Council and only can be used by the express permission of the Texas State Council. (512) 442-1492

  • Home
  • About
    • About Us
    • Our History
    • Message from the State Deputy
    • Why Join the Knights of Columbus?
    • Administrative Assignments
    • State Officers
  • Star Guide
    • Membership
      • Membership Recruitment
      • Membership Awards
      • Church Drive/Blitz
      • All Councils Active
      • Membership Retention
      • Ceremonials
      • Online Membership
      • “Father Wants You” Letter
    • Star Councils Awards
      • Awards
      • STAR COUNCIL AND LONE STAR AWARD CHECKLIST
      • Star Tracker and Goals
      • Submission of Forms
    • Council Growth
    • Programs
      • Faith
      • Faith In Action Resources
      • Family
      • Community
      • Life
      • Culture of Life
      • Other State Sponsored Activities
      • State Athletic Activities
      • State Awards – Due by March 1
    • Education, Training & Communications
      • Presentations & Social Media
      • Financial Secretary Trainers:
      • Texas Knight & tkofc.org
      • Awards
      • Form Submissions
      • Award Applications
    • Charities
      • Charity Fundraising Team
      • The Charity Pin
      • Bishop Thomas J. Flanagan Fund - Grants for Retired Priests
      • Cardinal Medeiros Fund
      • Special Olympics
      • Emergency Response
      • Educational Grants
      • Wheelchair Program
      • Charity Awards
      • Diocese receiving Charity Funds
    • Football Sweepstakes
    • Texas State Council Office
  • News
  • Blog
  • Events