Michael J. McGivney | |
|---|---|
 Fr. Michael J. McGivney,c. 1890 | |
| Born | Michael Joseph McGivney (1852-08-12)August 12, 1852 Waterbury, Connecticut, U.S. |
| Died | August 14, 1890(1890-08-14) (aged 38) Thomaston, Connecticut, U.S. |
| Venerated in | Catholic Church |
| Beatified | October 31, 2020, Cathedral of Saint Joseph,Hartford, Connecticut,United States byJoseph Cardinal Tobin (on behalf ofPope Francis) |
| Majorshrine | Church of Saint Mary,New Haven, Connecticut,United States |
| Feast | August 13 |
Michael Joseph McGivney (August 12, 1852 – August 14, 1890) was an AmericanCatholic priest based inNew Haven, Connecticut. He founded theKnights of Columbus at a local parish to serve as a mutual aid andinsurance organization, particularly for immigrants and their families. It developed through the 20th century as the world's largest Catholic fraternal organization.
The cause for hiscanonization started in theArchdiocese of Hartford in 1996; in March 2008,Pope Benedict XVI declared McGivney "Venerable" in recognition of his "heroic virtue".[1] On May 27, 2020,Pope Francis announced that McGivney had been approved for beatification, which officially occurred on October 31, 2020.[2]
He was born to Irish immigrant parents, Patrick and Mary (née Lynch) McGivney. He was the eldest of 13 children, six of whom died in infancy or childhood. His father worked as a molder in aWaterbury, Connecticut,brass mill. Michael attended the local Waterbury district school but left at 13 to work in one of the brass mills' spoon-making departments.[3]
In 1868, at the age of 16, he entered theSéminaire de Saint-Hyacinthe inSaint-Hyacinthe,Quebec,Canada. He continued his studies atOur Lady of Angels Seminary, nearNiagara Falls, New York[3] (1871–1872) and at the Jesuits' St. Mary's College, inMontreal, Quebec. While in seminary, he and other seminarians formed abaseball team and McGivney was a "naturally talented ballplayer."[4] He had to leave the seminary, returning home to help finish raising his siblings after his father's death in June 1873.[5] McGivney later resumed his studies atSt. Mary's Seminary, inBaltimore, Maryland; he was ordained a priest on December 22, 1877, byJames Gibbons,Archbishop of Baltimore at theCathedral of the National Shrine of the Assumption.[3]
From his own experience, McGivney recognized the devastating effect on immigrant families of the father and wage earner's untimely death. Many Catholics were still struggling to assimilate into the American economy.[5] On March 29, 1882, while an assistantpastor atSaint Mary's Church inNew Haven, Connecticut, McGivney founded the Knights of Columbus, with a small group of parishioners,[5] as a mutual aid society, to provide financial assistance, in the event of the men's deaths, to their widows and orphans. The organization developed as afraternal society. McGivney was also known for his tireless work among his parishioners.[1]
McGivney spent seven years at St. Mary's, then became pastor of St. Thomas Church in Thomaston in 1884. He died frompneumonia at the age of 38 in Thomaston on the eve of theAssumption in 1890.[6]
The Knights of Columbus was among the first groups to recruit blood donors, with formal efforts dating to 1937 during theGreat Depression. As of 2013, the order had more than 1.8 million member families and 15,000 councils. During the 2012 fraternal year, the order donated $167 million and 70 millionman-hours to charity.[7]
By 2020, the order reached the 2 million member mark.[8] During the 2022 fraternal year, the order donated $185 million and 49 millionman-hours to charity.[9]
In 1996, theRoman Catholic Archdiocese of Hartford opened the cause for canonization, an investigation into McGivney's life with a view towards formal recognition by the Catholic Church of his sainthood. Gabriel O'Donnell is the postulator of McGivney's cause. He is also the director of the Fr. McGivney Guild, which now has 150,000 members supporting his cause.[10]
The diocesan investigation was closed in 2000, and the case was passed to theCongregation for the Causes of Saints in theVatican City. On March 15, 2008,Pope Benedict XVI approved a decree recognizing McGivney'sheroic virtue, thus declaring him as "Venerable."[5]
As of May 5, 2015[update], a miracle attributed to McGivney's intercession was under investigation at the Vatican.[10] On May 27, 2020, the miracle attributed to the intercession of McGivney was approved by Congregation for the Causes of Saints and authorized by Pope Francis.[2] The Miracle involved the healing of Michael "Mikey" Schachle in his mother's womb after being given a zero percent chance of survival by doctors at Vanderbilt Medical Center in 2015.[11]
On October 31, 2020, thebeatification Mass of Michael McGivney was celebrated at theCathedral of Saint Joseph inHartford, Connecticut with CardinalJoseph W. Tobin presiding on the Pope's behalf.[12][13]
Media related toMichael J. McGivney at Wikimedia Commons
