On Saturday, October 24, 2026, Michigan Knights of Columbus joined the Catholic High School League at Ford Field in Detroit for CHSL Prep Bowl® LIV. Founded by the Knights of Columbus, the Prep Bowl is one of the CHSL's most cherished traditions, and this year it took on added significance as the league celebrates its 100th year of competition during the 2026-27 school year.
At the invitation of State Deputy Charles E. McCuen III, State Board members, Michigan leadership, Brother Knights and their families came out to show the Order's support for Catholic education. The Fourth Degree Color Corps took the field in full regalia to present the colors for the National Anthem, and Brother Knights walked across the field to be introduced to the fans.
Prep Bowl® LIV was a full day of Catholic school athletics, academic achievement, school spirit and celebration. Throughout the day, the CHSL recognized student-athletes for academic achievement, honored educators for their service and celebrated the generations of people who have helped shape Catholic school athletics. For 100 years, the league has used interscholastic athletics as an extension of the educational mission of its member schools.
Watch the video below and enjoy a few photos from the day. Special thanks to State A/V Director SK Matt Wierzgac for the photos, and to Kym Nummer for two photos.
Photos courtesy of State A/V Director SK Matt Wierzgac and Kym Nummer.
Video music: "Motivator" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com), licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License, http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
In his November 6 message, "The great race," State Deputy Charles E. McCuen III encouraged Michigan Knights and their families to keep the faith and maintain their momentum in membership.
"It's time to make our move, we are trained, we are ready and now we need to make our move to the inside track!" he wrote.
Using a race as his illustration, McCuen described the percentages as close and urged Knights not to let up as the fraternal year continues.
"I believe in my heart that we can make a difference if we continue to keep the faith!" he wrote, pointing to Michigan's programs, COR effort and membership team as reasons for confidence.
McCuen's message highlights Michigan's Big Four: Spirituality, Membership, Communication and Accountability.
St Catherine of Siena Council 6980 in Portage held a “Taste of Poland Dinner” on October 24. It was a very successful event, and everyone had a great time. 235 people attended.
The event included authentic home cooked Pierogi and Golumpki. The Kielbasa was purchased from a Polish meat market in Northern Michigan that has been in business for over 110 years and is still owned by the same family. Polka music was played during the event.
Attendees were able to write down loved ones who had passed away on a Remembrance Board, which was blessed during the event. This included Pope John Paul II (born Karol Józef Wojtyła), whose feast day was two days earlier.
The event raised over $8,000. Some of the organizations that will receive donations from this event are the Kalamazoo Diocese Catholic Charities Bread of Life program, the St Catherine St Vincent de Paul Thanksgiving Food Baskets, and the Western Michigan University Pro-Life Student group for their trip to the national March for Life in January.
Thank you to Grand Knight Joe Magalski for sharing the story and photos.
Matt Birk at Baltimore Ravens training camp, August 5, 2009. Photo by Jeff Weese, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Football fans remember Matt Birk as the St Paul native who anchored the offensive line for his hometown Minnesota Vikings and then finished his career as a Super Bowl champion with the Baltimore Ravens. What many fans may not know is that the six-time Pro Bowl center is also a brother Knight of Columbus, and today one of the most sought-after Catholic speakers for men in the country.
A Harvard economics graduate, Birk was a sixth-round pick of the Vikings in 1998 and went on to earn six Pro Bowl selections and two first-team All-Pro honors. He joined the Ravens in 2009, and on February 3, 2013, he helped Baltimore beat the San Francisco 49ers 34-31 in Super Bowl XLVII in New Orleans before retiring that month. A year earlier, he received the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award, recognizing his work off the field, including the literacy programs of his HIKE Foundation.
His faith was not always so central. "In my 18 years at home, I never missed Sunday Mass," he told the National Catholic Register. "Once I left for Harvard, however, that changed." It was his wife, Adrianna, who helped bring him back. "She was a devout Catholic, and she helped me to see what I was missing out on by separating myself from the Church," he said. "Thanks to my wife and then others who followed, I now realize the importance of practicing the faith. That's what life is all about."
The Knights of Columbus describes Birk as a member of the Order, and he has given it his time generously. He delivered the keynote at the 2018 College Councils Conference in New Haven, appeared in the Knights of Columbus documentary "St Joseph: Our Spiritual Father," and spoke at a Haiti benefit dinner hosted by St Joseph the Worker Council 13359 in Maple Grove, Minnesota. "My vocation is to be a husband and a father, and there's no better example of that than St Joseph," Birk said. At that council dinner, he put it simply: "At the end of life, we need to answer three questions. Did I love God? Did I love my neighbor? Did I use the talents God gave me to further his glory? That's it."
Birk and Adrianna are the parents of eight children and parishioners of St Joseph Parish in Minnesota. He has served on the board of a local pregnancy care center, spoken at the March for Life, and helped found Unity Catholic High School in Burnsville. "I try to keep God at the center of my life with everything I do," he has said, from his marriage and fatherhood to his friendships and his business.
Michigan Knights have heard his message in person. In March 2025, Birk gave the keynote at the IGNITE Catholic Men's Conference at Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti, presented by the Diocese of Lansing, the Archdiocese of Detroit and the Knights of Columbus. "We weren't built to go it alone," he told the Diocese of Lansing before the event, adding that men "were built for communion."
Brothers, that is exactly what our councils offer: men who pray together, serve together and stand together. If you know a Catholic man who is looking for that kind of brotherhood, invite him to join us at kofc.org/joinus.
The Michigan Knights of Columbus will dedicate their 108th ultrasound machine on Monday, November 9, 2026, at 5:30 PM at Alternatives Care Center in Battle Creek.
The new ultrasound unit is sponsored by St Catherine of Siena Council 6980 of Portage, led by Grand Knight Joe Magalski.
Ultrasound Dedication Monday, November 9, 2026, at 5:30 PM Alternatives Care Center 215 Roosevelt Ave. East Battle Creek, MI 49037
Through the Knights of Columbus Ultrasound Initiative, Knights help save lives by giving women the opportunity to see their unborn children on ultrasound machines at pro-life pregnancy centers. Local and state councils raise half the cost of a machine, and the Supreme Council provides the other half through its Culture of Life Fund. Knights around the world have donated more than 2,100 ultrasound machines since the program began in 2009.
Each new machine placed by Michigan Knights is another opportunity for a mother to see her baby and choose life. Congratulations and thank you to the Brother Knights of Council 6980 for their faithful support of life.
For more information, contact Joe Magalski, Grand Knight, St Catherine of Siena Council 6980, at (989) 992-6085.
Announcement submitted by Ed Strach, State Life Director, Michigan State Council Knights of Columbus.
Todos los hermanos Caballeros de Colón están cordialmente invitados a nuestras Sesiones de Formación Continua en Español, en preparación para la Ceremonia de Ejemplificación en Español.
El propósito de estas sesiones es practicar las lecturas y preparar a nuestros hermanos Caballeros para asistir en las ceremonias de Ejemplificación en Español con reverencia y excelencia. Las sesiones están disponibles por Google Meet o durante una reunión del consejo.
Para fechas y horarios, comuníquese con Armando Figueroa, Alcance a la Comunidad Hispana del Consejo Estatal de Michigan, por llamada, texto o correo electrónico: teléfono 213-923-3909, correo [email protected].
All Brother Knights of Columbus are cordially invited to take part in our Spanish Continuous Formation Sessions, offered in preparation for the Spanish Exemplification Ceremony.
The purpose of these sessions is to practice the readings and to prepare our Brother Knights to assist in the Spanish Exemplification ceremonies with reverence and excellence. Sessions are available via Google Meet or during a council meeting.
For dates and times, please reach out to Armando Figueroa, Hispanic Outreach for the Michigan State Council, by call, text or email: phone 213-923-3909, email [email protected].
Today, Tuesday, November 3, is Election Day in Michigan. The Michigan State Council encourages every Brother Knight and his Lady who is registered to vote to make time today to cast a ballot.
Voting is one way we live our faith in public life. The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that “submission to authority and co-responsibility for the common good make it morally obligatory to pay taxes, to exercise the right to vote, and to defend one’s country” (CCC 2240). In Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship, the U.S. bishops write, “Our love for this country, our patriotism, properly impels us to vote.”
The Knights of Columbus does not endorse candidates or political parties. As the bishops note, they “do not tell the laity to vote for particular candidates.” Instead, each of us is called to form his conscience in the light of Church teaching, to vote prudently for the common good, and to pray for our nation, our leaders and one another.
Polls in Michigan are open from 7 AM to 8 PM, and voters in line by 8 PM may still vote. If you still have an absentee ballot, return it to your clerk’s office or a secure drop box by 8 PM. To find your polling place, check your registration or view a sample ballot, visit the Michigan Voter Information Center at mvic.sos.state.mi.us.
May God bless you, your families and the United States of America. Vivat Jesus!
The Knights of Columbus State Championship Soccer Challenge took place on October 4 at St John Vianney Church in Wyoming, MI. God blessed us with a beautiful day, with lots of sunshine and temperatures in the mid 70s. Congratulations to all participants and the winners!
2026 State Champions
Boys Age 10: Blake Wilk (Saginaw Diocese) Girls Age 11: Elisa Galazka (Lansing Diocese) Boys Age 11: Lance Laidlaw (Gaylord Diocese) Girls Age 12: Aurora Abair (Saginaw Diocese) Boys Age 12: Gavin DePlanche (AOD Diocese) Girls Age 13: Gabriela Ysasi (Grand Rapids Diocese) Boys Age 13: Mateo Mercado (Lansing Diocese)
Many thanks to our State and Diocesan leaders and to the families for their help:
State Program Director Ron DePestel State Community Director Larry Herman DPD Walter Carrier DPD Edward Hurst Jr DPD Joe and Debbie Brenner DD 304 Doug Flamboe DD 305 Tonino Michienzi DD 314 Randy Kinsey
Below is a photo of the winners along with State Program Director Ron DePestel and State Community Director Larry Herman.
The Soccer Challenge is a Knights of Columbus youth program for boys and girls ages 9 to 14 that tests the most important skill in soccer, shooting accuracy, through penalty kicks. Thank you to every council, volunteer and family who helped these young athletes reach the state championship.
Submitted by Larry Herman, State Community Director.
El lunes 2 de noviembre, la Iglesia celebra la Conmemoración de Todos los Fieles Difuntos. Para muchas familias católicas hispanas, es también el Día de los Muertos: un tiempo para poner el altar en casa, visitar las tumbas de nuestros seres queridos y rezar juntos por quienes nos han precedido. Los Caballeros de Colón de Michigan se unen a nuestros hermanos Caballeros hispanos, a las Damas y a sus familias en este acto de fe y de amor.
Orando por Quienes Nos Han Precedido
Como católicos, creemos en la Comunión de los Santos. Los santos en el cielo, las almas que se purifican en el purgatorio y nosotros, que todavía peregrinamos en la tierra, estamos unidos en Cristo, y la muerte no rompe ese lazo. Nuestras oraciones, nuestros sacrificios y, sobre todo, la Santa Misa ayudan a las almas del purgatorio en su camino al cielo. Por eso las familias mandan ofrecer Misas por sus difuntos, y por eso en el Día de los Fieles Difuntos cada sacerdote puede celebrar tres Misas por ellos.
Tradiciones Familiares Arraigadas en la Fe
La ofrenda familiar es una obra de amor. Las fotos de nuestros seres queridos se colocan junto al crucifijo y a una imagen de la Virgen, muchas veces Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe. Las velas nos recuerdan a Cristo, Luz del Mundo. El cempasúchil, el pan de muerto compartido en la mesa familiar y las visitas al panteón para limpiar, adornar y bendecir las tumbas nos dicen: te recordamos, rezamos por ti y esperamos volver a verte en la Resurrección. Con la Cruz al centro, la ofrenda se convierte en un lugar de oración.
Un Regalo Espiritual para las Almas del Purgatorio
La Iglesia concede una indulgencia plenaria, aplicable solamente a las almas del purgatorio, a los fieles que visiten devotamente un cementerio y oren por los difuntos, aunque sea mentalmente, cualquier día del 1 al 8 de noviembre. El 2 de noviembre también se puede ganar una indulgencia plenaria visitando devotamente una iglesia u oratorio y rezando el Padrenuestro y el Credo. Se requieren las condiciones habituales: confesión sacramental, Comunión eucarística, oración por las intenciones del Santo Padre y desapego total del pecado.
Hermanos que Nunca Olvidan
El Beato Michael McGivney fundó los Caballeros de Colón en 1882 para cuidar de las viudas y los huérfanos de los hombres católicos. Recordar a nuestros hermanos Caballeros difuntos y apoyar a las familias que dejan es parte de lo que somos. Esta semana, les pedimos que oren por nombre por los hermanos Caballeros, las Damas y los seres queridos que ya partieron a la casa del Padre.
Oración por Nuestros Fieles Difuntos
Dales, Señor, el descanso eterno, y brille para ellos la luz perpetua. Descansen en paz. Amén. Que sus almas y las almas de todos los fieles difuntos, por la misericordia de Dios, descansen en paz. Amén.
Invitamos con mucho cariño a los hermanos Caballeros, Damas y familias hispanas a unirse a nuestro grupo de Facebook, Caballeros de Colón de Michigan, y a compartir los nombres de los seres queridos por quienes están orando. ¡Bienvenidos! ¡Vivat Jesus!
