The Knights of Columbus has donated a state-of-the-art mobile broadcast vehicle to the Vatican, just in time for the start of the Catholic Church’s Jubilee Year of 2025.
The new vehicle, presented on December 21, was blessed by Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, prefect of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, in a ceremony attended by Paolo Ruffini, prefect of the Vatican Dicastery for Communication, and Patrick Kelly , Supreme Knight of the Knights of Columbus.
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Ruffini expressed his gratitude for the donation, which he said allows “to spread the images of the Vatican, the heart of our Catholic Church,” and “to share the images of the jubilee, to narrate our pilgrimage of hope,” according to Vatican News.
“It’s really an honor for us to be able to do this, to provide a van like this, which is top-notch technology and can really reach so many people who may never have the opportunity to come to Rome,” Kelly said in an interview with Radio Vatican.
“We are very pleased, as Knights, to partner with the Church in something that is so important in bringing the message of Christ to the world,” he said.
https://x.com/VaticanNews/status/1870582768658268458
This is the fourth broadcast vehicle donated to the Vatican by the Knights of Columbus in the 60 years of collaboration between the Knights and the Vatican communications office.
“It has been a tremendously beneficial collaboration that has brought the message of the Church, the message of the vicar of Christ and the message of Christ to the world,” Kelly said.
The Knights’ support for the Vatican is not limited to broadcast technology. The organization also funded a major restoration of Gian Lorenzo Bernini’s baldachin and the Chair of St. Peter in St. Peter’s Basilica, a project originally valued at more than $760,000.
With more than 2 million members, the Knights of Columbus is the largest Catholic fraternal service organization in the world and a powerful force for charitable work.
“We always say, ‘Where there’s a need, there’s a Knight,’” Kelly noted.
As Supreme Knight, Kelly recently had a private audience with Pope Francis on December 20, which he described as “a very warm meeting.”
“The Holy Father was in a very good mood,” Kelly said. “We talked about the global reach of the charitable part of the Knights of Columbus, what we do for charity around the world.”
“Since our founding by Blessed Michael McGivney, we have always been in solidarity with our bishops and priests, and we have always enjoyed a very strong union with the Holy Father, the Vicar of Christ on Earth,” he added.
Looking ahead, Kelly expressed excitement about the Jubilee Year of 2025, which begins on Christmas Eve and is expected to draw more than 30 million pilgrims to Rome.
He expressed hope that the new restorations at St. Peter’s Basilica “will truly inspire pilgrims who come here to see the beauty of the Church and to lift their hearts and spirits to the Lord in this great Jubilee of Hope.”
“Because hope is our anchor. And I think at this moment in our culture, in our history, we could all use a little hope,” Kelly said.
Translated and adapted by the ACI Prensa team. Originally published in CNA.