By Mary Powers
A first-class relic of Blessed Michael McGivney was on display for veneration at St. Augustine Church on August 18. Sponsored by the Knights of Columbus, the afternoon included time to venerate the relic and Mass celebrated by Father Ifeanyichukwu Uwabunkeonye, parochial vicar at St. Augustine. The Mass included a choir of brother Knights, the Knights of Columbus honor guard and other prominent Knight participation.
The relic has been on a tour of Northern California, beginning in the Diocese of Fresno and then to the dioceses of Monterey, Santa Rosa, San Jose and Oakland. From the Archdiocese of San Francisco, it will travel to the Diocese of Sacramento and then to the Diocese of Stockton.
Former State Deputy of California, Joseph Salaiz is the relic’s caretaker and is traveling with the relic. The reliquary of Blessed Michael McGivney resides at the Knights of Columbus Museum and chapel in Fontana, California, in the Diocese of San Bernardino, where Salaiz runs the Knights of Columbus Museum. The relic was given to the California State Council in March and is on permanent loan from the Supreme Council in New Haven, Connecticut. This is the first time the relic has been taken to Northern California.
Blessed Michael McGivney, an Irish American parish priest, founded the Knights of Columbus in 1882 at St. Mary’s Church in New Haven, Connecticut. The lay, fraternal organization was established to help families of deceased members—which in 19th century America was quite common in immigrant communities.
Today, the Catholic Christian Fraternity has more than two million memberships in more than 16,800 local councils around the world. According to their website, the Knights of Columbus in 2023donated more than 47 million service hours and more than $190 million for worthy causes in their communities.
To learn more or to join the Knights of Columbus, please visit kofc.org/join.
Photos: Colleen Hera
