MCGIVNEY INSTITUTIONS AND MEMORIALS

Devotion to Father McGivney spans the globe, wherever Knights of Columbus are active. From a school in the U.S. capital to a cupola in the capital of the Philippines, the life and legacy of the Order’s founder serve as a model for Catholics today. Here are some of the more notable sites.

McGivney House in Radom, Poland

The Blessed Michael McGivney House was opened on Dec. 3, 2022, at Our Lady of Częstochowa Parish in Radom, Poland. With the help of around 40 brother Knights, the house was refurbished and now fully operational, providing support for displaced Ukrainians from the war. A various selection of activities and programs are conducted with the goal of creating an atmosphere where refugees can get psychological assistance, build community and experience a sense of support. Along with activities such as art therapy, theater groups, and catechism classes, this resource center provides food, clothing, and other necessary items for those in need. Additionally, in cooperation with the diocesan Caritas, the House assists refugees with every taste such as getting to the doctor, applying for jobs, submitting official documents to the local government offices, and much more.

Mary’s Basilica - National Shrine

A stained-glass window of Father McGivney, funded by the Knights of Columbus, was dedicated Nov. 15, 1998, in the sacristy of the lower Crypt Church at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C. Bishop Thomas V. Daily of Brooklyn, Supreme Chaplain at the time, blessed the image which priests may pray before as they vest. The Knights have made a number of other gifts to the National Shrine, including the Knights’ Tower, which can be seen from all points of the nation’s capital, and the Incarnation Dome, a mosaic adorning the interior of one of the shrine’s five domes.

A stained-glass window of Father Michael J. McGivney at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C.

In the Heart of the Nation

A marble statue of Blessed Michael McGivney was installed in the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception (known as “America’s Church") in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 8, 2023, the shrine’s patronal feast day of the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception. The statue was dedicated by Cardinal Christophe Pierre, papal nuncio to the United States (second from left). Also shown, from left, are Archbishop William Lori of Baltimore, supreme chaplain; Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly, and Msgr. Walter Rossi, shrine rector. (Photo: Matthew Barrick)

A marble statue of Blessed Michael McGivney at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 8, 2023

The Catholic University of America

With a major grant from the Knights of Columbus, The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., renovated a prominent academic building into McGivney Hall, which was dedicated on Dec. 8, 2008. Formerly Keane Hall, the five-story limestone structure of modern-classical design was built in 1958 and now serves as the home for the North American campus of the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family, a graduate school of theology supported by the Knights of Columbus. Catholic University Council 9542 also meets in the building.

North American College, Rome

An addition to the 160-year-old Pontifical North American College in Rome features a stained-glass window of Father McGivney — one of two U.S. priests portrayed in the new facility’s chapel. Cardinal Pietro Parolin, then Vatican secretary of state, dedicated the building with the stained-glass on Jan. 6, 2015, the feast of the Epiphany.

The building includes the new St. John Paul II Chapel, which features stained-glass windows of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the Immaculate Heart of Mary, St. John Paul II, St. Teresa of Calcutta, Archbishop Fulton Sheen and Father McGivney. The Knights of Columbus has provided support for North American College for decades.

Stained-glass window of Father McGivney at North American College in Rome.

Portrait Placed in Rome Priests’ Residence

Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly presents a framed portrait of Blessed Michael McGivney to Jesuit Father James Conn, Superior, and the residents of Casa Santa Maria, a house of continuing formation for English-speaking priests pursuing graduate-level studies in Rome. The supreme knight was a guest of the community for Sunday Mass and a tour of the house on Jan. 14, 2024. The McGivney portrait was placed in the library, which has undergone renovations with funding from the Knights of Columbus to protect its extensive print holdings, including a priceless collection of more than 4,000 volumes of canon law books, all of which combine to make the library the largest collection of English-language books in the Eternal City. (Photo: Tamino Petelinsek)

Framed portrait of Blessed Michael McGivney from the SK Kelly to Jesuit Father James Conn and the residents of Casa Santa Maria.

McGivney House in Iraq

As part of the ongoing efforts to aid Christians in the Middle East, the Knights of Columbus sponsored an apartment building for families who were driven from their homes by ISIS. Opened in early 2019 in Erbil, Iraq, McGivney House features 140 units, with special apartments for the elderly who need extra assistance. The house includes a chapel and is located within walking distance of a Catholic church. Supreme Knight Carl Anderson visited the facility in March 2019, when Archbishop Bashar Matti Warda of Erbil blessed an image of Father McGivney. Funds for the project came from the Order’s Christian Refugee Relief Fund, which has underwritten projects throughout the Middle East.

Manila Oratory and Cupola

Three sites were dedicated to Father McGivney in the Philippines during the May 2012 visit of Supreme Knight Carl Anderson to the Southeast Asia country, where the Order was established in 1905. Statues of Father McGivney were blessed and placed in these locations: a multimedia studio at the headquarters of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP); a cupola outside the headquarters of KCFAPI, the Knights’ insurance program in the Philippines; and an oratory inside the headquarters. “This is a great day for the Knights of Columbus, a great day for Father McGivney, a great day for the Philippine nation,” the supreme knight said. “Today we recall the dedication and sacrifice of Father McGivney as we resolve to follow in his footsteps more closely in charity, unity, fraternity and patriotism.”

Young students pausing for a photograph at headquarters of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines.

Nuevo León, México

Two sculptures of Father McGivney were carved from quarry stone by a sculptor in Maravatío, Michoacán. The first was placed on Oct. 16, 2018, by Nuestra Señora De Monterrey Council 2312 in Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico.

The sculpture of Father Michael J. McGivney was blessed by Father Esteban Martínez Sauceda, who serves as the council’s chaplain. He attended the installation with México Northeast State Deputy Juan Manuel Quintanilla Balcázar, and other state and local council officials.

The Knights and their families held a celebration in honor of the statue’s installation, giving thanks to Father McGivney for inspiring thousands of men to live their faith and join in fraternity.

Photo of Father McGivney sculpture carved from quarry stone placed by Nuestra Señora De Monterrey Council 2312 in Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico.

Querétaro, México

The second McGivney statue was placed on March 29, 2019, in the Immaculate Heart of Mary Chapel at Parroquia de la Sagrada Familia in Querétaro, México. The event was presided over by Archbishop Faustino Armendáriz Jiménez of Durango, then serving as bishop of Querétaro and chaplain of México Central State. After Mass, the sculpture was unveiled by Archbishop Faustino Armendáriz, State Deputy Francisco Sáenz Muñoz and state officers.

A Plaque in Ireland

In honor of the Irish heritage of the McGivney family, a bronze plaque was placed in the parish where the priest’s father was born. With an image of Father McGivney and the flags of the United States and Ireland, the plaque was presented by Supreme Knight Carl Anderson to Father Michael Quinn, pastor of St. Mary’s Church in Crosserlough, County Cavan. The plaque’s inscription notes that Patrick McGivney was born in Crosserlough and his wife, Mary (Lynch) McGivney, came from the neighboring parish of Castlerahan. The two were married after settling in America, and their first child, Michael, was born in 1852 in Waterbury, Conn. Present-day members of the Irish branches of the McGivney and Lynch families attended the plaque ceremony on April 9, 2018.

Supreme Knight Carl Anderson presents a plaque, with an image of Father McGivney to Michael Quinn, pastor of St. Mary’s Church.

National Shrine of Cross in the Woods

The centerpiece of the National Shrine of Cross in the Woods is a seven-ton crucifix — the focal point of the beautiful outdoor sanctuary in the Diocese of Gaylord, Mich. The grounds are also home to shrines to the Holy Family, St. Francis, Our Lady of the Highway, St. Peregrine, St. Kateri Tekakwitha and the founder of the Knights of Columbus, Father Michael McGivney.

The last was built after Franciscan Father Michael Haney became pastor and chaplain of Kateri Tekakwitha Council #7365 in Indian River in 2012. He worked with the council to convert an existing well pumphouse on the shrine property into a shrine to honor the Knights’ founder. A 4’ statue was placed in the gazebo, along with a candle stand, a glass display case to feature pictures and documents, and a flat-screen TV was mounted to run a repeating video of McGivney’s life.

Father McGivney statue at the National Shrine of Cross in the Woods.

Hometown Statue and Street

Father McGivney’s hometown of Waterbury, Conn., recognized the good name and works of its native son in 1957 when it erected a memorial statue at a major intersection near city and state offices. The monumental bronze statue stands high upon a granite pedestal, depicting Father McGivney holding a copy of the Gospels in his left arm as he lifts his right hand toward heaven. The four polished sides of the pedestal each exemplify a principle of the Knights of Columbus: charity, unity, fraternity and patriotism. The statue was dedicated for the 75th anniversary of the Order that Father McGivney founded.

One of the streets abutting the traffic island was renamed Father Michael J. McGivney Boulevard in 2004. In a ceremony with city officials, Supreme Knight Carl Anderson, and a gathering of more than 200 local Knights, Father McGivney Boulevard street signs were unveiled to replace Waterbury’s Grand Street.

A memorial statue in Father McGivney’s hometown of Waterbury, Conn.

McGivney Walk

Soon after the beatification of Father McGivney in October 2020, St. Mary’s Church in New Haven, Conn., set up a series of durable panels to tell the story of Father McGivney and the history of the Knights, which he founded in the church’s basement. Parishioners and visitors, including Yale University students taking a shortcut to class, may walk the path between the church and the rectory to learn about the heroic parish priest.

Statue Blessed in Pastor’s Parish

In the Connecticut parish where Father Michael McGivney served as pastor and passed away, a statue of the founder was installed by the local council and blessed by the current pastor. With the encouragement of Father Robert J. Grant, Atlantic Council 18 of Thomaston purchased the 4-foot statue of Father McGivney and installed it just inside the front entrance of St. Thomas Church. During Sunday Mass, Nov. 11, 2012, Father Grant blessed the statue and asked parishioners to turn to Father McGivney as a heavenly intercessor in times of trouble and illness. Father McGivney was pastor of the parish from November 1884 till his death in the rectory Aug. 14, 1890. The street outside the church is named Father McGivney Way.

Church members with the statue of Father McGivney at the St. Thomas Church, Thomaston, CT.

McGivney Monstrance in Terryville Church

When Father McGivney was pastor of St. Thomas parish, he also cared for Immaculate Conception mission, a few miles away in Terryville. The horse and buggy commuting on Sundays to celebrate Mass in each church was taxing, but he performed his duties well. In his honor, an image of Father McGivney lifting a monstrance with the Blessed Sacrament was painted with other images in the church’s sanctuary.

A painting of Father Michael J. McGivney lifting a monstrance with the Blessed Sacrament, at Immaculate Conception Church, Terryville, CT.

A Bust in Baltimore Seminary

A bust of Father McGivney occupies a prominent spot in the seminary where he completed his studies before ordination. The bronze likeness can be seen at the front of the assembly room at St. Mary’s Seminary in Baltimore, where the future priest studied for four years, 1873-77. The figure was funded through the generosity of the seminarians who wished to honor the memory of one of the school’s most noteworthy alumni.

Auxiliary Bishop Denis Madden, Archdiocese of Baltimore blessing bust of Father Michael J. McGivney at St. Mary’s Seminary.

Ontario Catholic Academy

Built at the cost of $20 million by the York Catholic School District in the early 1990s, Father Michael J. McGivney Academy is a state-of-the-art high school in Markham, Ontario, Canada. Stained-glass windows, contributed by Markham Knights of Columbus, depict Father McGivney comforting widows, orphans and the sick.

Exterior of McGivney Academy high school in Markham, Ontario, Canada.

Illinois Catholic High School

The first U.S. high school to be named for Father McGivney was opened in the fall of 2012 with 19 freshmen in the unused wing of another Catholic school in Maryville, Ill. A freshman class was added each year until the 9-12 school was at full enrollment of young men and women. In August 2015, Father McGivney Catholic High School opened in its own newly constructed building in Glen Carbon, with 125 students. Bishop Thomas J. Paprocki of the Diocese of Springfield blessed and dedicated the building. The school motto is “Servire Culturae Vitae” (To Serve the Culture of Life).

A priest and students outside McGivney Catholic High School, Glen Carbon, Illinois.

Connecticut Seminary

A stained-glass window depicting Father McGivney was dedicated Sept. 12, 2009, at St. John Fisher Seminary in Stamford, Conn. Supreme Chaplain William E. Lori, the Bishop of Bridgeport at the time, celebrated a dedication Mass at the seminary chapel. The Mass was attended by Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson and his wife, Dorian.

A stained-glass window depicting Father McGivney at St. John Fisher Seminary, Connecticut.

Ottawa ‘Place of Honor’

In the grotto of St. Patrick’s Basilica in Ottawa, a 4-foot statue of Father McGivney stands at the center of the an honoris (place of honor). The window on the back wall of the prayer space bears the emblems of the Order, Fourth Degree and Squires,and the Knights of Columbus Insurance shield. The site was constructed with seed money from a Canadian K of C general agent and is maintained by the Blessed Michael J. McGivney Honoris Committee.

Father McGivney Statue at Ottawa Basilica.

Stained-glass in Louisiana Church

A stained-glass window depicting Father McGivney was blessed and dedicated Oct. 18, 2015, in St. Francis Xavier Church in Metairie, La. Archbishop Gregory Aymond of New Orleans performed the rites. Sponsored by Msgr. Henry Bezou Council 8546, which is based at the parish, the stained glass depicts the Knights of Columbus founder in a cassock, holding a Bible in his left hand and the Knights of Columbus emblem in his right. The inscription reads: "Rev. Michael McGivney, Founder of Knights of Columbus"

Knights at St.Francis Xavier Church pose by a stained glass window of Father McGivney.

Stained-Glass in Utah Church

Showing that they serve as the “strong right arm” of their pastor, members of Bishop Joseph Federal Council 14399 in South Ogden, Utah, placed an image of Father McGivney in Holy Family Church. The council consulted a liturgical designer to create and install the window, which was blessed by Salt Lake City Bishop John C. Wester on Aug. 18, 2012. The $20,000 cost was raised through council breakfasts, bingo, raffles, fish fries and a golf tournament.

Stained-Glass image of Father McGivney in Holy Family Church at South Ogden, Utah.

Calgary University College

With support from Calgary councils and the Supreme Council, Knights donated $235,000 to renovate an old Protestant church into the new Father Michael J. McGivney Hall at St. Mary’s University College, the only school of its kind in Canada that prepares teachers to work specifically in Catholic schools. A plaque commemorating the Order’s contribution was blessed in July 2011 by then Calgary Bishop Frederick B. Henry.

Bishop Frederick is blessing the Father McGivney Hall at St. Mary’s University Canada on July 2011.

Niagara Falls Cataract Church

The most eye-catching feature of a $200,000 renovation at St. Mary of the Cataract Church in Niagara Falls, N.Y., is a series of eight roundels, or round portraits, that adorn the church's interior. The mosaics feature North American saints such as Elizabeth Ann Seton, Frances Xavier Cabrini and Katharine Drexel, as well as Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha. One image is of Father McGivney, who studied in the 1870s at the College and Seminary of Our Lady of Angels, now Niagara University.

Artist working on a mosaic of Father McGivney at the St. Mary of the Cataract Chuch, Niagara Falls, NY.

Norwich Church

Father McGivney is memorialized at Sacred Heart Church in Norwich, Conn., where 18-inch stained-glass insets in new mahogany doors grace the church's entrance. The windows are part of a $450,000 renovation of the church, funded by parishioners and White Cross Council 13 in Norwich. Father McGivney’s face is featured on a blue-green diamond background at the center of one of the new doors, with the Knights of Columbus emblem located at the center of the adjacent door. The renovated church was rededicated in January 2004 by Bishop Michael R. Cote of Norwich.

Father McGivney is memorialized at Sacred Heart Church in Norwich, Conn., where 18-inch stained-glass insets in mahogany doors grace the church's entrance.

Statue Stands Next to School Playground

A statue depicting Father McGivney with two schoolchildren stands next to the newly constructed playground named for the Knights’ founder at St. Matthew Church in Norwalk, Conn. The playground was funded for the parish by St. Matthew Council 14360 and the statue was blessed and dedicated by Bishop Frank Caggiano on Sept. 23, 2023. (Photo: Paul Haring)

A statue depicting Father McGivney with 2 school children next to the playground named for the Knights’ founder at St. Matthew Church in Norwalk, CT.

Bridgeport Community Center

Founded in 1992, and located on the grounds of St. Charles Borromeo parish in Bridgeport, Conn., the community center offers afterschool education and recreation programs for needy young people. The parish has a close association with the McGivney name. Two younger brothers of Father Michael McGivney served as pastor: Father Patrick McGivney (1913-28) and Father John McGivney (1928-39). The two also followed their older brother in serving at different times as Supreme Chaplain of the Knights of Columbus.

Young people are attending afterschool education at McGivney Community Center.

Our Lady of Lourdes Church, Staten Island, NY

This beautiful stained-glass window of Father McGivney resides in Our Lady of Lourdes Church on Staten Island, NY. NY Supreme Director Carmine Musumeci is on the right. Looking closely, you can see the inscription at bottom of glass, indicating that Manresa Council 2147 donated the window.

A beautiful stained-glass window of Father McGivney donated to Our Lady of Lourdes Church by the Manresa Council 2147.

Special Field of Dreams

A new baseball field for people with disabilities, named for Blessed Michael McGivney, was dedicated June 2024 at Neil Reid Park in Clinton Township, Michigan. The facility was donated to the Clinton Valley Little League Challenger Division Senior League, for people with special needs ages 16 and up. More than 40 K of C councils in the Archdiocese of Detroit helped raise about $65,000 to build the accessible field, which features larger dugouts to accommodate wheelchairs and rubberized base paths for improved mobility and safety. Photo by Jonathan Francis.