News
The 12 Color Corps members (10 from AWD; 2 from Maryland District) who participated in the Mass and Veneration for the Incorruptible Heart of St. Jean Marie Vianney were privileged to be a part of two great and moving events! For the
Mass, we had 8 Color Corps Members as the Honor Guard leading the Liturgical procession, and 4 Color Corps Members as Honor Guard for the relic carried by a seminarian just in front of the Papal Nuncio in the Liturgical Procession!
We were all in awe of this magnificent relic! I thank the Color Corps members present with me today!
I encourage all Color Corps, Non Color Corps, Knights of Columbus and their families to get to the veneration sessions if possible. There are 2 more days, 9 AM to 5 PM to experience this impactful event! This is an opportunity of a lifetime, and I hope that you can make it either to help out as Honor Guard during the veneration, or just to go to the veneration and see this magnificent relic!
Archbishop Michael J. Curley Assembly No. 383 of the Knights of Columbus Patriotic Degree has raised $10,083.49 for the Archdiocese of the Military Services, USA’s (AMS), Military Chaplain’s Scholarship Fund. The Assembly, comprised of Knights from nine Councils in Eastern Montgomery and Northern Prince George’s counties, raised the money through its “Pass the Helmet” Campaign, which started on October 9, 2016, and concluded on June 4, 2017.
Lady Sarah Patishnock and Sir Knights Jimmy Williams, Arnie Rausch, Dave Knitowski and Pete Monti (left to right) collected donations following the 9 a.m. Mass at St. Mary of the Mills in Laurel, Md. on Sunday, October 30, 2016.Faced with a critical shortage of priests serving the Catholic men and women of the United States military, AMS and the Knights of Columbus established the Military Chaplain’s Scholarship Fund in an effort to increase the number of Catholic military chaplains. The Knights of Columbus committed to raising $1.4 million for the Fund by June 30, 2017. The funds will be used to provide scholarships through AMS’ “Co-Sponsored Seminarian Program,” which funds 50 percent of the cost of a seminarian’s five-year education, or about $12,500 per year, for seminarians who commit to serving as military chaplains following their ordinations and three years of service at a parish.
“This was just a truly amazing effort, from the Sir Knights and Ladies who gave more than 125 hours of their time to make this campaign possible to the incredible generosity of those who donated,” said Sir Knight Jimmy Williams, Faithful Navigator of Curley Assembly. “When we started out, we had no idea this campaign would be so successful. We just wanted to support our seminarians and Catholic men and women in uniform and knew whatever amount of money we raised would make a difference. The end result blew us all away.”
Sir Knight Jimmy Williams, Faithful Navigator of Curley Assembly, receives a donation from a parishioner after Mass at St. Mary of the Mills in Laurel, Md., on Sunday, October 30, 2016.Throughout the campaign, the Assembly coordinated collections after Masses at five of the parishes it supports. To promote the collections, the Assembly ran bulletin announcements and made announcements about the collection during Mass. A feeder Council contributed to the effort through a collection during one of its meetings and the seniors club at another feeder Council also contributed.
An Army helmet, Air Force cover and Marine cover on display during Curley Assembly's Pass the Helmet Campaign visit to Church of the Resurrection in Burtonsville, Md. on Sunday, March 12, 2017. The Assembly used the helmet and covers to collect donations from parishioners as they exited Mass.“The Fourth Degree of the Knights of Columbus, known as the Patriotic Degree, strives to perform activities that exemplify the virtue of Patriotism. Curley Assembly has done just that through their ‘Pass the Helmet’ Campaign,” said Sir Knight Micheal Thumm, Master of the Archdiocese of Washington District of the Patriotic Degree. “It is my opinion that through their actions in this campaign, they have also demonstrated the other virtues of a complete Knight of Columbus: Charity, United and Fraternity. It is a fantastic deed that the Sir Knights of this Assembly have accomplished!”
According to information received from Sir Knight Dennis Stoddard, Supreme Master of the Patriotic Degree, as of February 2017, AMS had just 210 active duty priests serving. It is estimated 800 are needed to fully serve all Catholics in the United States armed forces. As of June 2017, seven priests have been ordained through the AMS program, with another 35 seminarians enrolled. While there is still a long way to go to adequately serve all Catholics in the military, the funds raised for the Military Chaplain’s Scholarship Fund are making a difference.
Over the past two weeks the Archdiocese of Washington District Fourth Degree Color Corps has participated in a great number of events honoring our Church, our Country, and our Order. We had the privileged to assist with the sending home of two Sir Knights at Arlington National Cemetery; we participated in a Chalice Mass at the DC VA Medical Center, honoring those who have served our nation in uniform. We participated in the District of Columbia and the Maryland State Officers Installations, praying for the future success of the Order. We participated in the Episcopal Ordination of the Most Rev. Michael W. Fisher as Auxiliary Bishop of Washington. And soon we will be honoring our Order and Church in Baltimore for the 136th Supreme Convention.
These Color Corps events and many others are all outstanding, and provide a definite feeling of self-fulfillment, as we operate as the visible arm of the Knights of Columbus and add dignity to every event in which we participate! I encourage each Sir Knight in the Archdiocese of Washington District, to consider joining the Color Corps and then join us in these outstanding events!
If you would like to become a member of the Color Corps in your Assembly, please contact your Color Corps Commander or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Recently some of you have told me that you have contacted Knights Gear about the New Uniform, and you were told that they no longer handle the new uniform. It appears that this is true, and that a company named Waterfront, located in Connecticut, will be handling the orders and distribution. We have been told that the Contact phone number is 833-562-4327 and the email address is This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or by visiting https://kofcuniform.com. The uniform is listed at the same price and at least for the limited future, Knights Gear is still taking pre-orders. I recommend that if you have a uniform question, that you contact Knights Gear and let them refer you to the new company handling the new uniform.
The new company did tell me that they are in the process of shipping out 4,000 uniforms, so many who have ordered should see them very soon. I have had a pre-order in since October 27, 2017, and I was told that I will soon be asked to pay for the uniform, which means they are getting close to manufacturing it!
Fraternally and Patriotically,
Micheal W. Thumm
Colonel, USMC, Retired
Master, Archdiocese of Washington District
Fourth Degree, Knights of Columbus
Worthy Sir Knights of the Archdiocese of Washington District,
As many of you have heard, a new Fourth Degree Uniform was unveiled at the opening Mass of the 135th Supreme Convention in St. Louis, Missouri. The uniform consists of a blue blazer with an embroidered Emblem of the Fourth Degree on the breast pocket, dark gray trousers, a black beret with the Emblem of the Fourth Degree above the left eye, a Fourth Degree tie, and the Fourth Degree pin (PG-113).
Wearing the newly simplified Fourth Degree uniform, Supreme Master Dennis Stoddard leads the Order’s vice supreme masters in the recessional. (Photo Credit: Knights of Columbus Supreme Council)At the opening business session of the Convention, Supreme Knight Carl Anderson stated and showcased how the uniform had changed through the years, and that this is the new changed uniform. He also stated that the Color Corps Regalia will continue to be used on a limited basis at the Assemblies choosing for public and liturgical events to provide honor guards. Until the uniform becomes available to everyone, we will continue to use our previous Standard Regalia (Cape, Chapeau, Tuxedo), such as at the upcoming AMS Father Capodanno Memorial Mass. Beyond that, we will await further guidance from the Supreme Master and our Provincial Vice Supreme Master.
I will be the first to tell you, as a leader of Marines and your leader, that the rollout of this new uniform wasn’t perfect. But we must work with the facts that we have and move forward.
Certainly we may all have opinions about the new uniform, but we must not forget and continue to live by the guiding principles of our order: Charity, Unity, Fraternity, and Patriotism. These are why we exist, and regardless of any change, I am here to work on and within these principles and the spirit of Columbianism. I hope that you are, too! In today’s world, more than ever, we are needed by many: Family, Clergy, Youth, and the Holy Catholic Church. So, my hope is that you will continue to assist in these and our many Knightly areas, no matter what!
As I receive any additional information, I will pass it on.
Thank you for all that you do for the Knights of Columbus in general and for our Patriotic Degree in particular!
Fraternally and Patriotically,
Mike
Micheal W. Thumm, FDD, PGK, PFN
Colonel, USMC, Retired
Master, Archdiocese of Washington District
Legacy
Have you ever given any thought to your legacy? I certainly didn’t until last year when I attended a funeral of a Brother Knight from VA. As I was sitting there listening to his eulogy they told a story of a man who truly left a great Legacy. Bill was in deed a great man, but you couldn’t tell that from looking at him. He didn’t drive a big nice car, he didn’t live in a big house. Bill was a modest man that left behind a GREAT legacy. That got me to thinking about my legacy as Master, and the legacy of our District. What will people say when I go to my reward, or for that matter what will they say about all of us when we all go meet our maker. Will they say we were dedicated husbands, or hard workers, of even better yet when they stand up at the pulpit will they talk about how much of a Redskins fan we were. Not that any of these are bad, but I would rather they say how we touched in a positive way the lives of the people of our community, and Church. I would rather them say we fed the hungry, and brought smiles to children who had no reason to smile, or we helped someone who really needed our help. These are the true legacies we should be looking for. It isn’t about glory here on earth. It is the command of our Lord to make a difference while we are here.
You ask, what the heck does this have to do with being a Sir Knight of the 4th Degree? Moreover what does this have to do with this season? My answer is this. As we sit down and think about our blessings I would suggest you think about the blessings you have provided someone else this last year. Have we made someone’s life better, or less troubling? Also as we embark on a new year, what will we do over the next twelve months to change a life, and make a difference? As members of the 4th Degree, our District and Assemblies have a great opportunity to do just that. We have a great need in our Country and community, and the question is, do we as Sir Knight have the heart, and love to take on those challenges. I believe we do. So my New Year’s resolution, and I hope yours is as well is to find one way, one project, one effort that will change one life. If we can accomplish that we will truly MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
From the Winfrey family John, Gloria, Mandy, Kassie, Rachel, and Cynthia we wish you and your family’s a Blessed of New Year.