By: Armando Figueroa - Wed, Oct 14, 2026 10:22 PM

Nuevo Podcast Planeado para los Caballeros de Colón de Michigan

El Director de Alcance Hispano del Estado, Armando Figueroa, compartió recientemente la noticia de un almuerzo productivo con el Padre Edwin Carreño y los emocionantes planes para un nuevo podcast al servicio de los Caballeros de Colón de Michigan.

En una publicación bilingüe, Figueroa escribió: “Having lunch with Fr. Edwin Carreño. Excited about starting our new podcast for Caballeros de Colón Michigan.” / “Almorzando con el Padre Edwin Carreño. ¡Emocionado por comenzar nuestro nuevo podcast para los Caballeros de Colón de Michigan!”

El Padre Edwin Carreño Carreño es párroco del Santuario de San Francisco Javier y Parroquia de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, así como de la Parroquia de Nuestra Señora de los Dolores en Grand Rapids. Ordenado en 1999, ha sido una presencia pastoral importante en la comunidad católica hispana de la Diócesis de Grand Rapids.

El nuevo podcast representa un paso natural en los crecientes esfuerzos de alcance hispano en Michigan. Bajo el liderazgo de Figueroa como Director de Alcance Hispano del Estado, la jurisdicción ha visto resultados alentadores, incluyendo una fuerte participación en la Conferencia de Hombres Hispanos a principios de este año que trajo 30 nuevos miembros a la Orden, además de ejemplificaciones en español y trabajo continuo de reclutamiento en varias diócesis.

Un podcast en español ofrece una forma accesible de fortalecer la formación en la fe, compartir los principios de Caridad, Unidad y Fraternidad, destacar las actividades de los consejos locales e invitar a más hombres hispanos y sus familias a los Caballeros de Colón. También se alinea con la larga devoción de la Orden a Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe y su compromiso de servir a las comunidades católicas en su propio idioma y cultura.

Se esperan detalles adicionales sobre la fecha de lanzamiento del podcast, la plataforma y el calendario de episodios en las próximas semanas. Se anima a los Caballeros de Michigan a seguir las comunicaciones del Consejo Estatal y las actualizaciones de Alcance Hispano para más información.

La reunión entre Figueroa y el Padre Carreño es una señal bienvenida de la colaboración continua entre el liderazgo estatal y el clero que sirve a las parroquias hispanas. Esfuerzos como este ayudan al Consejo Estatal de Michigan a cumplir su misión de invitar a los hombres a crecer en la fe y el servicio mientras construyen una Orden más fuerte e inclusiva.

¡Viva Jesús!

By: Armando Figueroa - Wed, Oct 14, 2026 10:20 PM

New Podcast Planned for Caballeros de Colón Michigan

State Hispanic Outreach Director Armando Figueroa recently shared news of a productive lunch with Fr. Edwin Carreño and the exciting plans underway for a new podcast serving Caballeros de Colón Michigan.

In a bilingual post, Figueroa wrote: “Having lunch with Fr. Edwin Carreño. Excited about starting our new podcast for Caballeros de Colón Michigan.” / “Almorzando con el Padre Edwin Carreño. ¡Emocionado por comenzar nuestro nuevo podcast para los Caballeros de Colón de Michigan!”

Fr. Edwin Carreño Carreño serves as Pastor of the Shrine of St. Francis Xavier & Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish and Our Lady of Sorrows Parish in Grand Rapids. Ordained in 1999, he has long been a pastoral presence in the Hispanic Catholic community of the Diocese of Grand Rapids.

The new podcast represents a natural next step in Michigan’s growing Hispanic outreach efforts. Under Figueroa’s leadership as State Hispanic Outreach Director, the jurisdiction has seen encouraging results, including strong participation at the Hispanic Men’s Conference earlier this year that brought 30 new members into the Order, along with Spanish-language exemplifications and continued recruitment work across multiple dioceses.

A Spanish-language podcast offers an accessible way to strengthen faith formation, share the principles of Charity, Unity, and Fraternity, highlight local council activities, and invite more Hispanic men and their families into the Knights of Columbus. It also aligns with the Order’s longstanding devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe and its commitment to serving Catholic communities in their own language and culture.

Additional details on the podcast’s launch date, platform, and episode schedule are expected in the coming weeks. Michigan Knights are encouraged to follow State Council communications and Hispanic Outreach updates for more information.

The meeting between Figueroa and Fr. Carreño is a welcome sign of continued collaboration between State leadership and clergy serving Hispanic parishes. Efforts like this help the Michigan State Council fulfill its mission of inviting men to grow in faith and service while building a stronger, more inclusive Order.

Stay tuned!!!

Vivat Jesus!

By: Martin Brown - Wed, Oct 14, 2026 9:59 PM

We had the best membership intake in September in 24 years!

Great Job!

Invite one new member to receive a $10.00 gift card.

Receive an additional $5.00 for every new member you invite after the first.

To qualify, your membership number must be listed as the proposer on the new member’s application.

The incentive runs from October 15 through October 31.

You’ll also receive one entry into a $200.00 drawing for each new member you invite.

******************************************************

¡Buen Trabajo!

Invita a un nuevo miembro para recibir una tarjeta de regalo de $10.00.

Recibe $5.00 adicionales por cada nuevo miembro que invites después del primero.

Para calificar, tu número de membresía debe aparecer como proponente en la solicitud del nuevo miembro.

El incentivo es válido del 15 al 31 de octubre.

Además, recibirás una participación en el sorteo de $200.00 por cada nuevo miembro que invites.

By: Matt Hoxsie - Wed, Oct 14, 2026 10:16 AM

Michigan Knights Ask for Prayers for Pope Leo XIV Following Lung Cancer Diagnosis

October 14, 2026

Brother Knights and Ladies,

The Michigan State Council joins Knights of Columbus worldwide in asking for your prayers for our Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV.

On Sunday, October 11, during the Angelus in St. Peter’s Square, Pope Leo announced that doctors had discovered a localized nodule on his lung during routine examinations. He said the growth had been detected “at a very early stage” and was well contained, and that physicians recommended its removal. On Tuesday, October 13, the Holy Father underwent thoracic surgery at Rome’s Agostino Gemelli University Hospital. The lower lobe of his right lung was removed using video-assisted techniques. Intraoperative examination confirmed the diagnosis of pulmonary adenocarcinoma, a common form of lung cancer that preoperative tests had suspected.

The Vatican reported that the surgery was successful, completed according to plan, and without complications. The Holy Father regained consciousness normally and returned to his room. An update on Wednesday morning noted that he had a quiet night. All public audiences have been canceled through October 20 while he recovers. Oncologists familiar with early-stage cases of this type have described the outlook as favorable when the disease is detected and surgically addressed promptly.

As the world’s largest Catholic fraternal organization—founded by Blessed Michael J. McGivney and dedicated to the principles of Charity, Unity, Fraternity, and Patriotism—the Knights of Columbus have a special duty to pray for and support the Vicar of Christ. Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly and the leadership of the Order have already invited the entire membership to pray for the Holy Father’s recovery and continued strength in shepherding the Church.

Here in Michigan, we add our voices to that prayer. We particularly ask the intercession of our founder, Blessed Michael J. McGivney, whose own life of pastoral care and concern for the sick remains a model for every Knight, and of St. Peregrine Laziosi, the 14th-century Servite priest and patron saint of those suffering from cancer. St. Peregrine himself experienced a miraculous healing from a cancerous condition after a night spent in prayer before the Crucified Christ.

We invite every council, assembly, and family to remember Pope Leo XIV in their prayers—at Mass, in the Rosary, at council meetings, and in personal devotion. A simple intention may be offered:

“Almighty and merciful God, we ask You to look with favor upon Your servant Pope Leo XIV. Through the intercession of Blessed Michael McGivney and St. Peregrine, grant him strength in recovery, healing of body and spirit, and the grace to continue leading Your Church with wisdom, courage, and love. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.”

Please share this request with your parish, family, and fellow Knights. Together we lift up our Holy Father.

Vivat Jesus!
Michigan Knights of Columbus State Council

By: Matt Hoxsie - Sun, Oct 11, 2026 5:47 PM

Remembering Brother Knight Mike Ditka: A Life of Faith, Toughness, and Charity

On Friday, October 9, 2026, the Church and the sports world lost a legendary figure and a Brother Knight. Michael Keller Ditka—known to millions as “Iron Mike” or simply “Da Coach”—passed away at the age of 86. While he will long be remembered as a Pro Football Hall of Fame tight end and the coach who led the Chicago Bears to victory in Super Bowl XX, his life was also deeply shaped by the Catholic faith and by his membership in the Knights of Columbus.

Ditka was raised in Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, the son of a steelworker father and a mother who was a fervent convert to Catholicism. His mother made sure the family attended Mass and that her children received a Catholic education. He often spoke with gratitude about the Sisters of St. Joseph who taught him, recalling both their firm discipline and the lasting formation they provided. He served as an altar boy throughout grade school and even assisted at Mass while attending the University of Pittsburgh. In a 2018 interview, he reflected, “I am so grateful for the Roman Catholic faith with which I was raised… Going to Catholic school and learning the faith, I wouldn’t trade that for anything.”

That foundation remained with him throughout his life. While coaching the Bears, Ditka occasionally served as a lector at the early morning team Mass on game days. He spoke openly about the importance of the sacraments, especially Confession and Holy Communion, saying, “I believe every bit that the Church teaches. Confession matters. Communion matters.”

As a member of the Knights of Columbus, Ditka put that faith into action through charity. In 2017 he headlined a Knights of Columbus Coats for Kids event at St. Agnes of Bohemia Elementary School in Chicago. He spoke to roughly 200 students about effort, leadership, and living in the present, then helped distribute new winter coats to children in need. The moment was a living expression of the Order’s principle of Charity—using one’s public platform to serve the vulnerable.

Ditka’s life reminds us that toughness and faith are not opposites. The same competitive fire that made him a Hall of Famer was rooted in a Catholic formation that taught accountability, perseverance, and service to others. In an age when many public figures keep their faith private, Brother Ditka was willing to credit his mother, his Catholic education, and the sacraments for shaping the man he became.

As we pray for the repose of his soul, we can also be inspired by his example. May his witness encourage more men to embrace the faith, live the principles of Charity, Unity, Fraternity, and Patriotism, and put those principles into concrete action in their communities.

Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him. May his soul and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

By: Matt Hoxsie - Sun, Oct 11, 2026 4:06 PM

The first group of men to become Knights of Columbus this school year for College Council #17237 at St. Albert the Great parish at Michigan Technological University in Houghton. Following the exemplification, the Council held its monthly general meeting. Congratulations to our new Brother Knights!!!

By: Matt Hoxsie - Sun, Oct 11, 2026 2:37 PM

St. Mary’s Cathedral Council #18819 Supports Chesterton Academy of Lake Huron

St. Mary’s Cathedral Council #18819 of Saginaw recently put the Knights of Columbus principles of charity and unity into action by donating two Coolers of Cheer to Chesterton Academy of Lake Huron. The coolers were used as prizes in the Academy’s raffle, which raised between $600 and $700 to support the school’s mission.

The Michigan Knights of Columbus congratulate Chesterton Academy of Lake Huron on a successful raffle and wish them continued success.

By: Matt Hoxsie - Sun, Oct 11, 2026 11:33 AM

On Saturday, October 10th, First Lady Pamela McCuen spoke Lansing Women's Conference about joining the Order has impacted her and Worthy SD Charlie's lives for the better.

Please click here to watch her speech:  First Lady Pam McCuen speaks at the 17th annual Hispanic Women's Conference

By: Matt Hoxsie - Sun, Oct 11, 2026 11:04 AM

St. Paul on the Lake Council 12121 Places 400 White Crosses for Respect Life Month

Brother Knights of St. Paul on the Lake Council 12121 in Grosse Pointe Farms, along with their wives and other volunteers, set up 400 white crosses in front of St. Paul on the Lake Church from September 30 through October 7.

Of the 22 volunteers who helped with the display, 16 were either Knights or their wives. The crosses serve as a visible witness during Respect Life Month, drawing attention to the millions of lives lost to abortion in the United States.

This effort invites the community to prayer and reflection on the dignity of every human life from conception to natural death, while also pointing to local resources available for those facing unexpected pregnancies.

By: Nick Zafer - Sun, Oct 11, 2026 10:52 AM