Join Us Now If anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? – 1 John 3:17  Worthy Chaplains, District Deputies, Grand Knights, Financial Secretaries, and Membership Directors For starters, thank you for helping get Texas to 50% of our annual membership intake goal before Dec. 31. Halfway through the Fraternal Year, we are meeting our goals with your help. Thank you. And I apologize for the length of this email. This is an important topic, so please take a few minutes to read it. I’d like to address the question in the mail title. I’ve heard it more and more over the last few months. As a Former Council Membership Director, Past Grand Knight, Former District Deputy and Former Diocesan Deputy, I too have sat back at times and complained that the State Council focuses too much on membership growth. Let me explain why I personally want to give every Catholic man the opportunity to join the Knights. It is evident to me that being a Catholic man in today’s world is not easy. Indeed, we are surrounded and awash in messages contrary to our faith. If you believe marriage is a sacrament between one man and one woman, you are a “bigot”. If you believe life begins at conception and should be protected, you are called a “misogynist”. We are encouraged to embrace “diversity” – which sounds innocuous, until you realize much of what is bundled into “diversity” is anathema to our Catholic faith. We find it’s easier to just keep our mouths shut – don’t rock the boat – and let these things slide. In fact, we may rightfully fear for our jobs if we speak up for what we believe. And with this silence starts our own personal slide into apostasy. “Go along to get along” leads eventually to an abandonment of our faith. And we see this exhibited in our beloved Church by reduced Mass attendance and falling membership. But we know that, as Knights of Columbus, we are not the single strand of fiber, easily broken. We are woven together with other fibers to create a strong cable, able to withstand tremendous force. To make this cable stronger, we need more fibers. And we need to extend to every fiber the opportunity to become part of a strong cable. By asking men to join the Knights, we are giving them the opportunity to bond together with like minded Catholic men in order to withstand the forces of today’s society working to demean his faith. We do not ask men to join in order to make Star Council, or Circle of Honor. We ask them to save souls and build Christ’s church here on Earth! In short, I want to give every Catholic man the opportunity to join the Knights because I want to give him and his family the best chance in today’s world of getting to Heaven, which is what I believe the Knights gives them. It is through our spiritual and corporal works of mercy and affording ourselves of the sacraments that we attain the graces necessary for salvation. THIS is why membership growth is emphasized so much by myself and the State Council. If all our Brother Knights approached membership growth with this mindset, we would make our churches so much stronger across Texas. We would be supporting our priests and bishops more fully. Please encourage your membership to ask at least one man after every Mass to consider joining the Knights of Columbus. Encourage this at every council meeting. If every Knight in Texas adopted the mindset of inviting at least one man after every Mass we attend, we would grow the Order, strengthen our beloved Church, and meet every goal the Supreme Council can throw at us. You will be seeing a new incentive program for members coming out later today. This is meant to be a thank you to those who adopt this mindset. Once again, thank you for all you do for the Church, for your priests, and for the Order. The leadership you show in your council and parish is the true foundation of our strength. Vivat Jesus! Bill Tillotson Membership DirectorTexas State Council 817-690-0556      Ron Alonzo State Deputy 6633 E Highway 290, Suite 204Austin, Texas Call +1 512-442-1492 Talk To Us |
| Knights of Columbus- Texas State Council | 6633 Highway 290 East Suite 290 | Austin, TX 78723-1157 US |
