Last Updated: Friday - 09/24/2010

Knights want seminary bell to toll for Fr. McGivney

WCR PHOTO | GLEN ARGAN The bell tower at St. Joseph Seminary will be named for Fr. Michael McGivney if the Alberta Knights raise $1 million for the seminary construction.

EDMONTON - In about a year's time, the Knights of Columbus have, for the most part, met their $1 million fundraising goal for the construction of St. Joseph's Seminary and Newman Theological College.

State Deputy Neil Gannon said by the time Supreme Knight Carl Anderson begins his Edmonton visit May 26 the Knights will have raised "a little over $1 million" without doing any bingos or casinos.

At a banquet with Anderson, Gannon said the Knights will present Archbishop Richard Smith with a "fake cheque" for $1 million symbolizing the achievement.

"It wasn't easy to do," he said, pointing out that most of the money is in written five-year pledges from councils and individuals. Councils that didn't have cash on hand wrote five-year pledges signed by their grand knight, he said.

Money to be raised through the May 26 banquet with Anderson - 500 tickets at $70 apiece plus a silent auction - will also go to the seminary fundraising effort.

Smith placed the $1 million challenge to the Knights at last year's convention, saying if the Knights raised $1 million over five years, the archdiocese would name the seminary tower after the order's founder Father Mike McGivney.

McGivney's cause for canonization is being considered by the Vatican and in 2008, he was declared venerable.

"It's a very worthwhile project; the tower will be very visible from quite a ways away," Gannon said last year as he took on the project.

Past state deputy Wally Streit, who headed up the fundraising effort for the Knights, could not be reached for comment.

Copyright © 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 -- Western Catholic Reporter