“Want a beer?” Tom Sieben asked me as he prepared for a potluck in the hall of St. Vital Parish in Battleford. We were in the hall’s backroom, which serves as the parish’s Knights of Columbus meeting room. Sieben was the Grand Knight of the Knights of Columbus Father Bigonesse Council #5626 Battleford for seven years. His term of office was recently completed.
“Sure,” I said.
We waited for more parishioners to show up. I flipped through a couple Knights of Columbus magazines. There was a Knights of Columbus calendar, charter and banner on the wall.
Growing up Catholic, I was vaguely aware of the Knights of Columbus. I knew they wore purple on special occasions, and I knew they had something to do with the breakfasts that miraculously appeared in church halls like the fish and loaves in Matthew 14.
“Come eat,” Sieben said. A long table was filled with all sorts of different foods, from perogies to holubtsi to spaghetti to fruit-in-Jello.
Our table lined up, and in a casserole dish, was the Battlefords Knights of Columbus famous homemade sausage.
The Knights of Columbus has a rich history. The organization was founded in 1882 by Father Michael McGivney at St. Mary’s Church in New Haven, Connecticut, on the principles of charity, unity, fraternity and patriotism. The popularity of the order spread quickly. People joined because charitable works directed toward the poor, unemployed and widowed are central to the Catholic faith, and because the organization offered relief to the hostility Catholic immigrants faced at the time in New England. Original Knights adopted Christopher Columbus as their patron, and the order reached 38 councils by 1886. Roughly 6,000 knights marched in New Haven for Columbus Day in 1892.
Canada’s first council appeared in Montreal in 1897, while Mexico and the Philippines saw councils in 1905. Central American councils appeared four years later.
During the wartime period, the Knights were known for offering relief efforts and social services to Allied servicemen of all faiths. An African-American historian wrote the Knights of Columbus didn’t “[draw] the color line.” Between 1917 and 1923, 400,000 men joined the Knights.
The organization’s numbers and influence grew strongly in the twentieth century, as Knight leaders corresponded directly with popes and presidents. The Knights took an anti-communist stance and spoke against Catholic persecution. World War II saw the Knights mobilize with relief settlements and fundraising including a $1 million trust fund for educating the children of members affected by the World War II.
Notable events in the 1950s include the Knights’ campaign for “under God” to be added to the U.S. Pledge of Allegiance, and buying the land on which Yankee Stadium was built. Afterwards, the Knights established of a number of funds, initiated restoration projects for centres of worship, and the continued to attract the attention of presidents such as John F. Kennedy (a Knights of Columbus member) and Ronald Reagan. The Knights organized large-scale relief efforts to help victims of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, and Haiti’s 2010 earthquake. A 2012 article on the Knight’s website reports that there were at least 15,300 councils worldwide and 1.9 million members.
The Knights in Canada were well-known for establishing Catholic army huts during World War I and a welfare program in 1941. As Saskatchewan was settled, fraternal organizations rose with the establishment of churches. Early Saskatchewan councils began in rural areas with German and Polish farmers, while French, Ukrainian and Filipino councils emerged in the province as well. The Encyclopedia of Saskatchewan says there are about 10,000 Knights on 150 councils in the province. Saskatchewan’s Knights are known in the province for their Indoor Games events and for sponsoring students going to camp. The Father Bigonesse council was formed in Oct. 1964 with Father Rodger Jourdain as parish priest of St. Vital.
Sieben joined the Knights of Columbus in 1978, after moving to Unity to work with the Saskatchewan Wheat Pool. Sieben grew up in Macklin, with 10 family members. Sieben lost his parents at a young age and a brother in 1982.
“I grew up a lot differently than kids do nowadays,” Sieben said. “No computers and things like that, so we depended on ourselves for entertainment. It was a small town, you knew everybody. We kicked the can at night. You don’t see things like that happening much anymore.”
Sieben began as a first degree knight because he was new to the community and because the Knights aligned with his faith. He has since progressed through the ranks of being a fourth degree knight. There are four degrees of knighthood, and the Fourth Degree Knights wear ceremonial regalia.
Sieben explains councils have an executive, which features a grand knight, a financial secretary, a treasurer, a recorder, as well as guards, one of which guards the monthly meeting behind closed doors, while the other guards outside the doors.
“The guards will just beat up on somebody if they want to come in,” Sieben said. “It’s not true,” he added, laughing.
Sieben, with his wife Donna, moved to Battleford 17 years ago, and he joined the Knights in town. He said the Battleford Knights was one of the most active councils he’s ever been a part of. In the group, there are a number of members with varying levels of involvement.
“We’re about 150 and with [each member having] a two-year term, we’re good for 300 years that we should be able to have people changing roles,” Sieben said.
Since Sieben became Grand Knight, the group has taken on a number of projects. Sieben said in the past four years the group has replaced the cross at the Battleford cemetery, upgraded St. Vital parish, took on a number of painting and renovation jobs, fundraised for a number of events such as World Youth Day, supported the Battlefords Catholic Family Services, and visited the sick. Sieben added the group is willing to contribute to a number of other charitable events in the greater community too.
The Battlefords Knights are also known in their parish for their Sunday brunches, which feature homemade sausage.
“It was something different that we all enjoyed.”
The sausage-making process involves “getting your flavouring right, then you put ‘er in casing and smoke it and freeze it. Then you take ‘er out and eat ‘er.”
Sieben said the most enjoyable part of the process is tasting.
Being a Grand Knight can be a time-consuming responsibility. After seven years, Sieben is willing to concede the duties to a newly-elected Grand Knight, Todd Bailey. Sieben’s tenure began as Father Greg Elder began as the parish priest, and Father Greg will soon be leaving the parish.
“It’ll be sad to see Father Greg go, yet exciting to see what the new priest will bring,” Sieben said.
Sieben said the most rewarding part of his Knights experience has been working with other people.
“It has always been a group you go to where a lot of people have things in common,” Sieben said. “You’re supporting family, you’re supporting the elderly, you’re dealing with death, you’re supporting life, you’re dealing with a lot of different things that you wouldn’t normally do day to day. There are other people’s needs you’re a part of and you share in their lives and everything. It builds your faith at the same time.”
Sieben would like to his brother Knights “for their support they provided without whose help and assistance the Council would not be as strong as it is.”
Sieben also thanks his wife Donna.
The food at the potluck was great. The parish was welcoming and I met someone named Ken Schwark, who shook my hand.
Before we sat to eat, Father Greg made some announcements about church goings-on. Then he said “And I’d like to welcome our new parishioner, whether he knows it or not,” and I heard my name.
“Stand up and wave,” Sieben said.
Someone had to have tipped Father Greg off.
The Knights of Columbus ask Catholic males between of the ages of 18 to ages of 118 to join their ranks.
