Faith-Centered Friendship

Sept. 1, 2023

Cor offers Knights and other Catholic men a way to deepen their relationship with Christ and one another

By Supreme Knight Patrick E. Kelly

Sept. 1, 2023

Supreme Knight Patrick E. Kelly (Photo by Michael Collopy)

Among the highlights of the 141st Supreme Convention last month in Orlando, Florida, was the papal message, in which the greetings of Pope Francis were conveyed in an official letter from the Vatican secretary of state. The message, which will be printed in its entirety in the October issue of Columbia, was important for many reasons.

I was especially struck that the message singled out our efforts to accompany Catholic men in their vocations: “His Holiness appreciates initiatives of your Order, such as Cor, which enable Catholic men to build a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ through prayer, formation and fraternity.”

Why would the Holy Father’s attention be drawn to this initiative? Because, as his message explains, Cor is “all the more necessary today amid the distractions of everyday life and a culture frequently indifferent to the reality of faith.” Quite simply, the Knights are taking up Cor because we are reading “the signs of the times.” Our world and our Church desperately need men who are willing to embrace their vocation as Christians, husbands and fathers. And there is no better way to make this happen than to bring men together with a focus on prayer, formation and fraternity. The goal of Cor is straightforward: to bring men into the abundant life to which Christ has called them.

After a successful pilot program in 21 jurisdictions, we are starting to roll Cor out to the entire Order. Last month, we released a Bible study called Men of the Word, designed to help Catholic men pray with Scripture. And soon we will be releasing a video series on marriage, family and fatherhood.

These resources are important for Cor, but perhaps our most important resource is one another — the men who come together to deepen their faith during Cor gatherings. The third pillar of Cor is fraternity, or friendship, and this is its ultimate resource: Our brotherhood in Christ is the glue that will hold it all together.

Cor gives men a place to come together as brothers for spiritual conversations in an atmosphere of mutual trust and respect. Nothing is more powerful than prayer and faith formation in the context of Christian friendship. When I look back at my own life, I realize that little has been more important to my own spiritual growth than the support and encouragement of trusted friends. These friendships help bring light and truth — God himself. As the spiritual writer Venerable Tomás Morales put it: “Friendship holds the secret of the apostolic potential of a Christian.”

When I look back at my own life, I realize that little has been more important to my own spiritual growth than the support and encouragement of trusted friends.

Cor will give us the opportunity to grow closer in friendship to one another, but also, crucially, to Christ himself. The papal message noted that the real goal of Cor is to build “a strong and vital relationship with our Lord [which] not only leads to personal sanctification, but is also essential for the healthy development of family life.” This friendship with Christ is the pearl of great price (Mt 13:44). It is the secret to authentic happiness.

Cor doesn’t replace anything we do. Instead, it will enhance everything we do, including our most fundamental mission. Father McGivney founded the Order in 1882 to strengthen the faith of Catholic men and their families. Cor is deeply connected to this founding vision.

A recent study showed that fewer than 10% of Catholic millennials in the United States actively practice their faith today. This crisis has touched nearly every Catholic family. But it doesn’t have to be this way. Cor will help men deepen their faith so they can pass it on more effectively to their children and grandchildren.

We live in a time when men are hungry to live a life of meaning and mission in Jesus Christ, a time when our wives and families desperately need us to embrace our vocation as Christian husbands, fathers and leaders. Our time has come to step boldly into that breach.

Vivat Jesus!

Faith-Centered Friendship

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