Knights of Columbus Exceed Commitment to Aid Migrants at Southern Border

Members form Texas and Mexico bring supplies to migrants in Matamoros

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Dec 20, 2019, 13:00 ET

NEW HAVEN, Conn., Dec. 20, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Knights of Columbus members from Texas and Mexico recently delivered supplies at a center for migrants in Matamoros, Mexico, as the Catholic fraternal organization surpassed an earlier commitment to provide $250,000 in relief for refugees along the US-Mexico border.

"We took this initiative to help some of the most vulnerable," said Supreme Knight Carl Anderson. "It is particularly fitting that we accomplished this in the days leading up to Christmas, the season of giving and a time of renewed hope."

Migrant children in Matamoros, Mexico, line up to participate in a Posada procession sponsored by the Knights of Columbus. The Posada is a Christmas tradition in Mexico that recalls the pilgrimage of Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem for the birth of Jesus. The Knights were also on hand to donate food, clothing and medical and other supplies to a home for migrants sponsored by the Catholic Diocese of Matamoros.

The Knights have now contributed approximately $272,000 in grants and supplies since August to help meet the humanitarian needs of individuals at the border. At the Knights of Columbus annual convention in August, Anderson committed at least $250,000 to border aid.

More than $50,000 in supplies, including clothing, food, water, and medicine arrived at San Juan Diego and San Francisco of Asís Migrants' House, which is operated by the Catholic Diocese of Matamoros, Mexico.

The Christmas festivities at Matamoros included a Posada in which children carried statues of Mary and St. Joseph in procession to recall the Holy Family's search for a place of refuge in anticipation of Jesus' birth.

Knights volunteers were joined by Bishop Daniel Flores of the Diocese of Brownsville, Texas, and Matamoros Bishop Eugenio Lira. Fr. Francisco Gallardo, the director of the center, thanked the volunteers for their kindness, generosity and prayers.

The Knights made similar deliveries of humanitarian supplies in recent months to centers in Piedras Negras and Juarez, Mexico.

The efforts are consistent with the Knights' long history of coming to the aid of those in need who are displaced, including most recently in the Middle East and Ukraine.

About the Knights of Columbus:

The K of C is a fraternity of Catholic men striving to better ourselves and our world by building a bridge back to faith, assisting the sick and disabled, and protecting those who can't protect themselves—whether they are next door or around the world. In the Knights' 2018 business year, which ended June 30, the organization gave $185.7 million to charity and donated 76.7 million hours of hands-on service.

The Knights' nearly two million members come from many places, backgrounds and stages in their lives but share a commitment to investing their time, efforts and resources into activities that reflect their faith and values.

The Knights of Columbus is also a top-rated Fortune 1000 insurance company, which grew out of our founding in 1882 by Venerable Father Michael J. McGivney who sought to ensure the protection and care of members' families. For more information, visit www.kofc.org.

SOURCE Knights of Columbus