Michael J. McGivney facts for kids
Quick facts for kids BlessedMichael J. McGivney |
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Fr. Michael J. McGivney, c. 1890
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| Born | Michael Joseph McGivney August 12, 1852 Waterbury, Connecticut, U.S. |
| Died | August 14, 1890 (aged 38) Thomaston, Connecticut, U.S. |
| Venerated in | Catholic Church |
| Beatified | October 31, 2020, Cathedral of Saint Joseph, Hartford, Connecticut, United States by Joseph Cardinal Tobin (on behalf of Pope Francis) |
| Major shrine | Church of Saint Mary, New Haven, Connecticut, United States |
| Feast | August 13 |
Michael Joseph McGivney (born August 12, 1852 – died August 14, 1890) was an American Catholic priest. He lived in New Haven, Connecticut.
He is famous for starting the Knights of Columbus. This group helps families, especially immigrants, by offering support and insurance. Today, the Knights of Columbus is the largest Catholic group of its kind in the world.
The Catholic Church has recognized him for his good deeds. In 2008, Pope Benedict XVI called him 'Venerable'. Later, in 2020, Pope Francis approved his beatification. This means he is now called 'Blessed Michael McGivney'.
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Growing Up in Connecticut
Michael Joseph McGivney was born in Waterbury, Connecticut. His parents, Patrick and Mary, were immigrants from Ireland. He was the oldest of 13 children. Sadly, six of his younger brothers and sisters died when they were very young.
His father worked in a Waterbury, Connecticut, brass mill. Michael went to a local school. But at age 13, he left school to work in a brass mill, helping to make spoons.
Becoming a Priest
In 1868, when he was 16, Michael went to a seminary in Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec, Canada. A seminary is a school where people study to become priests. He continued his studies at other schools, including one near Niagara Falls, New York.
While at seminary, he even played on a baseball team. He was a very good player! In 1873, his father passed away. Michael had to leave school to help his mother raise his younger siblings.
Later, he went back to study at St. Mary's Seminary, in Baltimore, Maryland. He became a priest on December 22, 1877.
Starting the Knights of Columbus
Father McGivney saw how hard it was for immigrant families when a father died. Often, the family's main income stopped, leaving them with nothing. Many Catholic families were also struggling to fit into American society.
To help these families, Father McGivney started the Knights of Columbus. This happened on March 29, 1882, at Saint Mary's Church in New Haven, Connecticut. He began the group with a few people from his church.
The Knights of Columbus was a 'mutual aid society'. This meant members helped each other. If a man died, the group would give money to his wife and children. This helped them survive. Father McGivney also worked very hard to help all the people in his church.
Father McGivney worked at St. Mary's for seven years. Then, in 1884, he became the pastor of St. Thomas Church in Thomaston. He died from pneumonia in Thomaston on August 14, 1890, at the age of 38.
The Knights of Columbus Today
The Knights of Columbus was one of the first groups to ask people to donate blood. They started this in 1937 during the Great Depression.
By 2013, the group had over 1.8 million member families. They also had 15,000 local groups, called councils. In 2012, the Knights of Columbus donated $167 million to charity. They also volunteered 70 million hours of their time.
By 2020, the group had grown to 2 million members. In 2022, they donated $185 million to charity. They also volunteered 49 million hours to help others.
Path to Sainthood
In 1996, the Catholic Church in Hartford, Connecticut, started an investigation into Father McGivney's life. They wanted to see if he could be recognized as a saint. This process is called a 'cause for canonization'.
In 2008, Pope Benedict XVI officially declared Father McGivney 'Venerable'. This means the Church recognized his 'heroic virtue' or very good qualities.
On May 27, 2020, Pope Francis approved a miracle linked to Father McGivney. This miracle involved the healing of a baby named Michael Schachle. Doctors had said the baby had zero chance of survival.
Because of this miracle, Father McGivney was officially beatified on October 31, 2020. This special Mass took place in Hartford, Connecticut. Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin led the ceremony for Pope Francis.
His Lasting Impact
Many places and things are named after Father Michael McGivney:
- In 1989, a school in Markham, Canada, was named Father Michael McGivney Catholic Academy.
- A book about his life, Parish Priest: Father Michael McGivney and American Catholicism, was published in 2006.
- The Catholic University of America renamed one of its important buildings McGivney Hall.
- A beautiful stained-glass window showing Father McGivney was put in St. John Fisher Seminary in Connecticut in 2009.
- There is a school called Father McGivney Catholic High School in Glen Carbon, Illinois.
Images for kids
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Monument of Michael J. McGivney at the Church of the Ascension in Saratoga, California, U.S.
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Fr. Michael J. McGivney monument in Sts. Peter & Paul Parish Church, Bauang, La Union, Philippines
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Stained glass window of Blessed Michael McGivney at St. Catherine of Siena Church, Trumbull CT
See also
- List of beatified people
- Roman Catholicism in the United States#American Catholic Servants of God, Venerables, Beatified, and Saints
