Dear Brother Knights and Ladies of the Texas State Council:
The founding principle of our Order is Charity, fraternal charity to our brothers, their families and our communities. Charity is the Love of our neighbor. Charity is the Love of God. It is a sense of responsibility for each individual member of the faithful.
Our Supreme Knight, has stated: “My Brother Knights, we have answered our Holy Fathers call by serving the Lord and our neighbors as never before.” Charity has been at the heart of the Knights’ mission the past 142 years. You, my Brother Knights have answered this call with an outpouring of monetary donations and countless hours of volunteering your time for so many worthwhile causes throughout our state and nation. All of you are to be congratulated for an outstanding job in promoting the First Principle of our Order, CHARITY.
Each year, our Brother Knights in Texas work hard to raise money for our State Charities Program. Each council has a goal that equals $10 times the number of active members in their Council. Seventy percent of the money collected goes to the Bishop of each Diocese where the money was collected and is applied to the Bishop’s designated charity (ies). The remaining thirty percent is used by the State Charities Board to fund individual educational grants and Catholic School grants, to provide support for the Special Olympics in Texas, to provide relief from natural disasters, and to respond to requests for assistance from throughout the State. For many years Texas State Charities has provided contributions to the retired and infirm priests across our State, provided substantial support for the Catholic Archives, and supported campus ministries.
The Knights of Columbus in Texas are making a difference in our great State and we need everyone working together to raise money for the needy and other charitable causes. Please be generous in your individual charity contributions. Donations to Texas State Charities can be made online at www.tkofc.org or by mail to the Texas State Council Office. When making your contribution, please write your council number on your check and it will be credited to your Council State Charity Goal.
We must remember the reason that our charity donation grows each year is because of our yearly growth in membership. “Our commitment to Charity therefore depends upon our commitment to membership.”
As we approach the seasons of Thanksgiving, Advent, and Christmas, please prayerfully consider making an individual contribution to Texas State Council Charities so that we may continue to serve our Lord and Church by doing Christ’s work. We must lead by example to show others our principles are not merely words but part of the life we lead each day. It is up to us to spread the work of Catholicism as we try to better our community and our world.
On behalf of the Texas State Council, thank you for your continued generosity and support.