THE FOUNDING VISION
...This wasn’t your typical K of C council meeting, but a pilot of a new initiative developed by the Supreme Council. Its name, Cor, is drawn from the motto of St. John Henry Newman, Cor ad cor loquitur, which is Latin for “Heart speaks to heart.” Distinct from the monthly council business meeting, the Cor meeting is designed to help Catholic men build a more intentional relationship with Jesus Christ through prayer, formation and fraternity...
...Council 12295, which is based at St. Mary Magdalen Parish in Brighton, 45 miles northwest of Detroit, is one of approximately 40 councils in more than 20 K of C jurisdictions that have participated in Cor so far.
There is no required schedule or agenda for Cor meetings; leaders in each council are free to determine how best to integrate the initiative’s three pillars of prayer, formation and fraternity, noted Paul Kelsey, director of evangelization and faith formation for the Michigan Knights of Columbus.
Sometimes, that might mean a Bible study or reflection on the Sunday Mass readings, while in other meetings men might share faith testimonials or read the lives of the saints. Whatever else they do, prayer is a key component to every meeting, Kelsey said.
“What Cor represents is a re-emphasis of Blessed Michael McGivney’s vision for the Knights of Columbus since the very beginning,” said Kelsey, who is spearheading efforts to advance Cor within Michigan councils. “The Knights have always been charitable, but this gives us an opportunity to remind men why they’re Catholic in the first place.”
Cor isn’t just for Knights. All men of the parish are invited to the meetings, which not only promotes unity and fraternity more broadly but can serve to introduce non-Knights to the Order.
“What men, especially young men, are looking for is a way to help them live their Catholicism, and that’s what Cor is really trying to do,” said Father Paul Erickson, pastor of St. Mary Magdalen and a former state chaplain of Michigan. “The usual Knights of Columbus business meeting is not a great introduction to the Order for most men.”
In a culture that often discourages or undermines men in their role as leaders, providers and protectors of their families, men are hungry for a sense of meaning, Father Erickson observed. Cor speaks to a deeper longing in the hearts of Catholic men for an authentic expression of their role, rooted in Christ... READ FULL ARTICLE HERE
