Knights of Columbus honor Pope Francis, celebrate milestones in charity work at convention

Washington D.C., Aug 6, 2025 / 13:47 pm

At the first Knights of Columbus Supreme Convention since Pope Francis’ death, Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly offered a tribute to the former pontiff’s legacy and celebrated the growth of the organization and its charitable accomplishments over the past year.

The Knights of Columbus began their 143rd annual convention on Aug. 5 at the Washington Hilton in Washington, D.C., where thousands of members of the organization — including Archbishop William Lori, the Knights’ supreme chaplain of 20 years — gathered for the occasion.

Kelly, who has served as supreme knight since 2021, remembered Pope Francis’ dedication to the most vulnerable — a hallmark of the Knights of Columbus’ global charity work — and the late pontiff’s close relationship with the fra