State Deputy Message – August 31, 2025

Heralds of Hope

During the recent 143rd Supreme Convention of the Knights of Columbus in Washington, D.C., in August 2025, the theme for this fraternal year was “Heralds of Hope.” As Knights, our mission is to embody this theme and be messengers of hope.

Pope Leo XIV sent a heartfelt message to the knights gathered at their 143rd Supreme Convention. For the Jubilee Year of Hope, the Holy Father reflected on the virtue of hope, commending the Knights for their faithful witness through charity, fraternity, and service to those in need. He honored the legacy of Blessed Michael McGivney and encouraged all knights to be living “Heralds of Hope” in their communities and throughout the world.

Worthy Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly called on all brother knights to live out this year’s theme with courage and conviction. He urged them to be true heralds of hope, bringing light where there is darkness, compassion where there is indifference, and faith where there is doubt.

In his homily, Archbishop Lori, the Supreme Chaplain, celebrated the annual Memorial Mass for knights, family members, and friends of the Order who had passed away in the past year. He echoed the convention’s theme, describing Blessed Michael McGivney as a “herald of hope to his people, by helping them anchor their hope of eternal life in the Heart of Christ.”

“The priestly heart of Blessed Michael surely embraces our beloved dead who have gone before us, marked with the sign of faith,” the supreme chaplain said. “As we ourselves commend them to the Lord, we are acting as heralds of hope. By offering this Mass for our beloved dead, we proclaim our eternal hope—the hope that animates how we live, the decisions we make, the relationships we form and maintain, the work we do, and our service to the poor and needy.”

The opening day culminated with the annual States Dinner, a festive gathering of nearly 2,000 knights and their family members from over 75 jurisdictions. Clergy and other guests celebrated their home jurisdictions with patriotic songs and flags.

This celebration brought energy and inspiration to all jurisdictions, especially to the Saskatchewan delegation. The delegates included State Deputy Marte Nogot (myself) and my wife Lorelie, State Chaplain Rev. Fr. Millan Sajonas, immediate Past State Deputy (iPSD) Larry Packet and Judi, PSD Joseph Riffel and his wife Tracy, State Secretary Greg Dozorec and his wife Tammy, District Deputy Loran Chrusch and his wife Jana, and District Deputy Terry Shalley and his wife Florence. A special mention also goes to His Grace Archbishop Don Bolen of Regina, who represented the hierarchy from Saskatchewan.

As the State Deputy of the Saskatchewan jurisdiction, I can confidently say that Archbishop Don Bolen and our Worthy State Chaplain, Fr. Millan Sajonas, truly led as heralds of hope for our province. Both of them concelebrated all the Masses throughout the Supreme Convention, and their presence was a tremendous blessing. Having two spiritual leaders with us lifted our spirits and strengthened the purpose of our attendance at the 143rd Supreme Convention.

We are born with an incredible purpose: to nurture meaningful relationships with God, our family, and our neighbors, and to make a positive impact in our communities. We are born to give hope to others through our service and sacrifice. Our mission is to lift up the family and the faith, to lift up the vulnerable and the persecuted, and, as we did at the Washington Supreme Convention, to lift up our voices in thanksgiving.

It was another great experience that reaffirmed our belief in our Catholic faith, our mission, and the necessity of sacrifice. As Mary Ann Glendon, the former U.S. ambassador to the Holy See and a professor of law at Harvard University, said, “The job of building the civilization of life and love is our responsibility, whatever we’re doing in our daily lives, and it’s a work that is never going to end.” Glendon was the recipient of the 2025 Knights of Columbus Gaudium et Spes Award.

“The Knights of Columbus, from the time they were founded to the present, have been the very model of a transformative presence in the secular sphere… May the Lord multiply you and may you continue to touch thousands more lives,” Glendon said.

The Saskatchewan delegates had a great time during our stay in Washington, D.C., participating in all meetings until the final business sessions. These sessions included the presentation and approval of several resolutions in memory of Pope Francis, honoring Pope Leo XIV, defending religious liberty, supporting Indigenous peoples, commemorating the 125th anniversary of the Fourth Degree, and more.

A major highlight for Saskatchewan was the award presented to our agency. Worthy General Agent Mark Lewans and his wife Lona were honored by Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly at the Supreme Convention for their agency’s second-place finish in the entire Order. This is a remarkable achievement for the agency and all of our field agents.

The Saskatchewan ladies also attended the Ladies Program, a beautiful celebration of faith, fellowship, and inspiration with more than 500 women in attendance. The program featured a warm introduction by Vanessa Kelly, the wife of Worthy Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly, and a keynote address by Jeanne Mancini, past president of the March for Life. Mancini offered a powerful reflection on “Women of Hope.” For them, it was a memorable day filled with beauty, encouragement, and the witness of women living their faith in action.

In our free time, we all had a great experience touring Washington, D.C. We visited the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, where the first Mass was held, and explored the Smithsonian Museums and the National Museum of African American History & Culture. We also went to the St. John Paul II National Shrine, attended a European dinner at the Ukrainian Catholic National Shrine of the Holy Family, and walked from the U.S. Capitol to the Washington Monument. From there, we continued to the World War II Memorial and walked along the Reflecting Pool to the Lincoln Memorial.

After the Supreme Convention concluded, we also had a chance to celebrate the 39th wedding anniversary of Worthy District Deputy Terry Shalley and his wife Florence. The celebration included the remaining delegates, Worthy District Deputy Loran and his wife Jana, His Grace Bishop Don Bolen, Worthy General Agent Mark Lewans, and his wife Lona.

One of the most unforgettable experiences was walking around the city with His Grace Archbishop Bolen. I realized you can’t truly know a person, especially a priest, unless you talk with him personally. As I mentioned before, he is a true herald of hope, a very humble and extraordinary man on a mission with a deep vision for the future.

Walking with him for more than an hour made me realize that the sacrifices we make as Knights are nothing compared to his unrelenting work and dedication as a priest and bishop. It was extraordinary to see him responding to emails and answering calls from his diocese while attending the Supreme Convention. We in Saskatchewan are truly blessed that his schedule allowed him to represent our jurisdiction’s hierarchy.

Now, in the 2025-2026 fraternal year, all Knights are encouraged to bring the Order to new heights, especially through recruiting young men. “Our success over the last 140 years has been due to being close to the Church and close to our faith,” said Supreme Knight Kelly. He added that young men are now joining the Knights in high numbers because they see something in the Order that they want.

“What we offer is a life of meaning and mission for so many men,” he continued. “There’s nothing more powerful than a man who has a real sense of mission, that the Lord has made him for a certain purpose. The Knights of Columbus offer that to them.”

My Brother Knights in Saskatchewan, let us all be heralds of hope to our family, our friends, our parish, our community, and all our neighbors. Let’s move forward with love and a clear mission as Knights.

VIVAT JESUS !