MINT HILL — On Aug. 12, St. Luke Church had the honor of hosting the Knights of Columbus’ Third Degree Exemplification Ceremony. Forty-one men from 12 different councils traveled from as far as Boone to become “Knighted.”
St. Luke Church welcomed the largest contingent, with 17 new Knights – largely thanks to co-membership directors Billy Bushman’s and Fabio Revilla’s successful recruitment of Hispanic parishioners.
St. Luke’s Deacon Rafael Torres, Father Binoy Davis (priest chaplain from Knights of Columbus Council 10582) and seminarian Pablo Lopez all reached “full knighthood,” receiving the fraternal degree.
In attendance were several state officers and grand knights, including State Secretary Dan Lange, State Warden Sergio Miranda, State Family Director Fred Burton, and Regional Membership and Planning Consultant Ron Cortopassi. More than 40 Exemplification personnel and observers solemnly watched the prestigious occasion.
The Exemplification honoree was David R. Jones, who passed away last year. Jones served as past state deputy, district deputy, Third Degree captain and St. Luke grand knight. He was an example of everything the Knights symbolize, giving charity to the distressed and expressing love of God and family, unity and fraternity with the Knights, and support for the Mint Hill community. Jones hosted this very ceremony 10 years earlier, but his calling still lives on through the memories he instilled in his wife Cheryl, his brother Knights and his parish community.
Cris Caines as conferring officer and Art Mathieu as warden led the Exemplification Ceremonial Team. Alongside St. Luke’s Exemplification Leader Don Cermack, the team was able to execute the mission in only two months instead of the usual three-plus months.
“The ceremony is one of the best I have attended over the last 20 years, and I have been to a lot of them. All three did a fabulous job,” said fellow Knight Jim Strauss.
The induction date of Aug. 12 is a symbolic day for the Knights in another way. It is the birthday of the founder of the Knights of Columbus, Venerable Father Michael J. McGivney. The newly called Third Degree Knights ended with a prayer for the late Father McGivney, praying for his canonization using prayer cards blessed upon Father McGivney’s sarcophagus that had been provided by Assembly 2208 Faithful Navigator David DeBrosse. The cards will become third-class relics if Father McGivney is declared a saint.
— Lisa Geraci, Correspondent