Previously, Knights of Columbus (KoC) initiations were steeped in secrecy. The order, however, noticed that this tradition turned away several young men who were hesitant to join its ranks.
The coordinator of the CdC workforce in the Estrie region, Michel Purcell, agrees that, during initiations, “there were some who were a little ambitious”.
“Where there is man, there is manhood. Sometimes it was all crooked and it wasn’t always correct,” says Mr. Purcell. Obviously, the exact content of these ceremonies cannot be made public by those who experienced them.
Recently, therefore, the CdC made the decision to no longer hold such initiations, to instead welcome the new knights during exemplification ceremonies. These are held in front of the family of the new members.
“They come back, they make their promise in front of their wife, their children, their friends. It’s no longer the same approach,” explains Michel Purcell.
If the movement remains resolutely Catholic, he says, this new approach relies more on charity, because “young people no longer attend churches like the older ones did.”
The CdC of Estrie will also begin in 2025, for the first time, a tour of their local sections to hold exemplification ceremonies every month.
The next stop on this Panestrian tour will be in Danville on January 12.
“Before that, local councils worked a little more on their own, in silos. Initiations used to be quite rare. Some councils had not had one for years,” underlines Mr. Purcell.
The Knights of Columbus remain Catholic, according to Mr. Purcell, but a reorientation towards the values of charity is taking place. (Emilie O’Connor)
Refill the ranks
The coordinator of the CdC of Estrie membership indicates that the average age of members of the movement in the region is 70 years old. A need for renewal was therefore felt and one of the keys to achieving this, it was thought, was the abandonment of secrecy.
The strategy seems to be working, shares Michel Purcell. The number of members has been increasing since the end of initiations and younger knights are now entering the order.
“In district 23, which includes Richmond, Valcourt, Saint-Georges-de-Windsor and Bonsecours, there are around ten young people. We also welcomed a lot of young people in the East Angus area,” he notes, specifying that he is talking about members between 18 and 25 years old.
“This is not comparable with recent years,” continues Mr. Purcell. At all, at all.”
In total, the CdC de l’Estrie has 92 members aged between 18 and 35. The full regional workforce is 4,609.
Michel Purcell does not hide, however, that this reality comes with certain challenges. Among other things, he says, it is necessary to ensure that the oldest members guide the new ones, but “sometimes, the oldest sit on their seniority and have difficulty involving the youngest.”
“It’s a change in mentality and we’re here to do it,” he assures.
