(NEW YORK, NY) - During his homily at this morning's Mass for Clergy and Religious at St. Patrick's Cathedral, Pope Benedict XVI made special mention of "the remarkable accomplishment of that exemplary American priest, the Venerable Michael McGivney, whose vision and zeal led to the establishment of the Knights of Columbus." McGivney's cause for sainthood is being considered at the Vatican, and the Pope declared him a venerable servant of God in mid-March. Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson made the following statement regarding the Pope's remarks: "This morning, Pope Benedict reminded America's clergy that the 'secret of the impressive growth of the Church' in the U.S. was a 'unity of vision and purpose - rooted in faith and a spirit of constant conversion and self-sacrifice,' and held up as a prime example our founder, Fr. McGivney.

"The Pope's selection of Fr. McGivney as a role model for today's priests and religious is very important for us. Thousands of priests are among the 1.7 million members of the Knights of Columbus, including Cardinal Egan and hundreds of others in the Archdiocese of New York. Each and every day, all of us in the Knights of Columbus look to Fr. McGivney's vision and example as a guide to our work of charity and evangelization. At a time when our priests are in need of our support more than ever, the Pope's promotion of Fr. McGivney as a role model for clergy everywhere is both timely and enormously appreciated. We pledge our fervent support for his call to revitalize and renew the Catholic Church here and around the world."