Knights In Action

Scot Catlin
Sep 2, 2016
2 min read

Pope John Paul II Council 13812 in Durham won the Service Award for

State, National and International this year.

Here are the details of why they won the award:

Assisting Our Brother Knight in an Emergency

Being a Knight of Columbus means heeding a call for help that might otherwise go unanswered. Such was the case in Durham, North Carolina, when Council 13812 discovered that one of their brother Knights had been suffering from serious physical ailments. He was soon to be evicted from a home that had become unsanitary and unsafe.

When first hearing of the state of their brother Knight, Grand Knight Chris Cushing and his wife, Marcia, both registered nurses, quickly paid a visit. At the man’s home, they found soiled linens, dog feces and filthy bathroom conditions. They quickly realized that their brother Knight was exhibiting signs of dementia and congestive heart failure. He was unable to stand, walk or think clearly. Chris and his wife cleaned and cared for him, and they later relayed the situation to the council. An urgent appeal was made to the children of the man, one of whom agreed to travel from New Jersey to see her father. Upon the daughter’s arrival, she realized the seriousness of the situation, and steps were taken to transport her father to the regional hospital. His stay would last 13 days, during which the council was vigilant in visiting and making sure proper care was provided.

While the man recovered his health, his council took action to prepare him for a move. The Knights had a single day with which to clean, sort, pack and disassemble his possessions, all while working in a very unhealthy and uncomfortable environment. Trips were made to the dump and thrift stores, as well as to a storage facility, where the volunteers had to work hard to make the most of very limited storage space.

All their hard work paid off: The man who was once in such grave condition is currently settled in a home near his daughter. Greatly recovered and doing well, he is carrying on the Knights’ legacy of charity, now attending meetings with his new council in Montclair.

Here are some pictures from their trip to the Supreme Convention. (Click to see a larger view)