Fourth Degree

District Master’s Message

Welcome to the Minnesota 4th Degree page! It is an honor to be appointed and serve as the District Master of our state. I am frequently updating the information on this page to reflect the constant activities and events that are taking place and/or coming up for the 4th degree in MN. I have posted my calendar for everyone to see to assist councils and Assemblies in their planning. I will be updating it regularly.  As we head into the summer we get a chance to relax and spend quality time with friends and family. You should know if you don’t already that being a knight is a chance to make ourselves better Catholics and a better version of ourselves. The 4th Degree, with it’s focus on Patriotism,  offers a brother knight the opportunity to not only become a better Catholic but a better citizen as well. Talk about being a better version of ourselves!

I would highly encourage you to let people know about all the Knights of  Columbus has to offer and in particular the 4th Degree. No other organization has a component like the 4th Degree with the special combination of honoring and serving our church and clergy and our also serving our beloved country. If you are a 3^rd Degree member talk to your Grand Knight or Financial Secretary to get the process started or feel free to drop me an email or a phone call and I’ll be happy to assist you. Also know that if you are not currently a member of the Knights or are a 1^st Degree member you can click on the Degree schedule tab on the home page and see where the upcoming degree ceremonials will be taking place. Becoming a 4th degree knight has never been easier or cheaper. With standard dark business suit and $70.00 you can join our ranks! No longer are you required to purchase a tuxedo to become a Sir Knight. As Assemblies we need to be recruiting now and it needs to happen at the council level. Go to your local council meetings. Take form 4s with you. Be ready to answer questions. As you go to various events, bring up the 4^th degree and all it has to offer. Have a form 4 on your person or in the car. If we got only 1 new member from each of our councils, we would bring in a great class of new Sir Knights. That should be a very attainable goal for even the smallest councils. The 4th Degree Ceremonial is truly one of the most beautiful and moving experiences you will have in your life. Avail yourself of this opportunity. You will be a better person for it. Our next Exemplification will be Saturday July 13th in Marshall. This is our one day summer exemplification and while it doesn’t contain the hospitality rooms, meals and activities associated with a spring or fall exemplification,  it is a perfect opportunity for those who find that scheduling difficult to join our ranks. Remember, the ceremonial is the same no matter when it is held and it is something you’ll never forget. The Holy Redeemer Assembly has a special day planned. Use the link at bottom of the page to access all the information on this upcoming major event. Vivat Jesus!

Fort St Charles Chapel Restoration

“As not only Master but also as a board member for Ft St Charles, it is with great pleasure that I am sharing these pics of our progress this fall on the chapel construction. The chapel is substantially complete with just some trim work, signage, etc left to complete. With Fr Fred Fink presiding, we were able to celebrate our first mass in the chapel. A very moving experience for those of us who have spent so much time and energy to get to this point. Rest assured to all of you who so generously donated to the “Logs of Legacy campaign” that your funds are being put to extremely good use and we will have succeeded in insuring that the Ft project continues to serve the state, community and the 4^th Degree of our Order for many decades to come. Also, for anyone interested, mark your calendars to visit the Ft site and participate in our chapel dedication on Saturday September 14^th, 2019. We will be giving tours of the island as well as holding a dedication mass with honor guard celebrated by Bishop Hoeppner presiding as well as several priests concelebrating. There will be a reception on site to follow. More details on times, lodging if needed, etc. will be posted in the future.”  Lastly, you can view a history of Ft. St. Charles on their website by clicking here.