Texas State Knights of Columbus

From a national and international perspective, the Knights of Columbus is supervised and managed by our Supreme Council.  But each state has a state level council that assists councils within the state through education, training, communications, managing our state charities program, etc. 

The Knights of Columbus councils in the state of Texas fall under the Texas Council of the Knights of Columbus.  Their website can be found at https://tkofc.org and their current State Deputy is Terry Frugé.  A complete list of our Texas State Knights of Columbus officers can be found below:

Texas Knights of Columbus State Officers:

• State Deputy:  Terry Frugé
• State Chaplain: Most Reverend Michael J. Sis STL, DD
• Asst. State Chaplain: Reverend Mel Bessalieu
• State Secretary: Ronald J Alonzo
• State Treasurer: Robert B Goss
• State Advocate: David Pels
• State Warden: Bruce Mallory
• Immediate Past State Deputy: Alfredo Vela

Major areas and programs where our Texas State Council concentrates its efforts in helping the Knights of Columbus grow and councils thrive fall under the categories of education, training, communication and fundraising.  Fundraising by Texas Knights of Columbus focuses on the major charitable programs that our Supreme Council has chosen, as well as a few charitable projects our state council has chosen.  Information about each of these programs is provided below:

• Bishop Thomas J. Flanagan Fund – Grants for Retired Priests – This newly established fund is named in honor of the late Bishop Thomas J. Flanagan who served the Archdiocese of San Antonio as Auxiliary Bishop from 1998-2005 and the Texas State Council as State Chaplain from 2000-2002. Ensuring the care and welfare of those who so faithfully served us is vitally important. There is no better way to do so than by contributing to the newly established Bishop Thomas J. Flanagan Fund. This fund has been established to provide grants for our retired priests. 
  
  
• Texas State Charities Fund – Out of every dollar contributed to Texas State Charities, 70% goes back to Bishops in the state for each Bishop’s designated Charity. All of our Bishops, and their operations, need our help. The requests made to Bishops at each of our Dioceses are many. Texas State Knights of Columbus helps by donating on each council’s behalf the monies that are received.
  
  
• Texas Special Olympics –  The mission of Special Olympics Texas is to provide year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic type sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. These activities give them continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, experience joy and participate in a sharing of gifts, skills and friendship with their families, other Special Olympics athletes and the community.  “LET ME WIN, BUT IF I CANNOT WIN, LET ME BE BRAVE IN THE ATTEMPT.”

  There are more than 40,000 athletes in Texas who not only exemplify those qualities and many more, but are also outstanding and accomplished athletes. We invite our Brother Knights to attend upcoming Special Olympics Texas events and witness our athletes’ abilities and “can do” attitudes. Through this kind of involvement, people’s perceptions of those with intellectual disabilities can begin to be changed, hopefully leading toward more accepting and inclusive communities for all.

• Disaster Relief Fund – Texas Knights of Columbus have always reached out to our Brothers who are impacted by natural disasters such as hurricanes, tornados, floods and wildfires, whether in Texas or other areas where the Knights of Columbus are active. Texas Knights of Columbus maintains a general Disaster Relief Fund so that they are able to make a quick response to these major events. They also conduct a special drive with each current disaster.

• Frontline Faith Project – For just $24 each, this amazing project puts mini MP3 players loaded with over 7 hours of special Catholic programming into the hands of our men and women in uniform, especially those deployed overseas, and wounded warriors in hospitals and rehabilitation facilities.

• American Wheelchair Mission – The American Wheelchair Mission is a project of the Global Wheelchair Mission, which purchases wheelchairs in bulk and delivers them by sea containers around the world.

  They are distributed with the help of numerous non-governmental organizations, Rotary, Lions and Kiwanis Clubs, and the Knights of Columbus.

• Cardinal Medeiros Fund – The Cardinal Medeiros Trust Fund was established in 1981 and incorporated into the State Council Charities program. Humberto Cardinal Medeiros was the Bishop of Brownsville, Texas from 1966 until 1970. He served as the Texas State Council Chaplain 1969-1970. He was named the Archbishop of Boston on September 8, 1970 and created a Cardinal on March 5, 1973. The Cardinal Medeiros Fellow Program was started in 1998 to increase the principal in the trust fund. A Cardinal Medeiros Fellow may be ordered for a Knight of Columbus or for a Knight’s wife. Additionally, it may be ordered in memory of a deceased Knight or for a deceased Knight’s wife. With a contribution of $1,000, the honoree is awarded a plaque, a lapel pin and their name is engraved on the Honor Roll which is on display at the State Council Office. The Honor Roll is further displayed each year at the Texas State Council Convention.
  
  
• Father McGivney Icon – Rendered by renowned religious artist G.E. Mullan, the original was donated to the Knights of Columbus Museum. The Supreme Knight, Supreme Chaplain and all 15 Bishops in Texas received one print of a limited Founder’s series. Other series prints are available to Councils, individual knights and others by making a donation to Texas’ Charity Fund.
  
  
• Educational Grants – Texas State Council Charities maintains two Education Grant Programs that are funded by the interest received on the Cardinal Humberto Medeiros and Christopher Trust Funds managed by the Supreme Council. These two programs are the Catholic School Grants and the individual student Educational Grants. Texas State Council Charities will award $2,000 or more per diocese to designated Catholic Schools within each diocese. The Texas State Council will award at least one $1,000

  Educational Grant per diocese and two more $1,000 Educational Grants to members of the Columbian Squires. An applicant must be a Knight of Columbus member in good standing of a Council located in Texas, his wife, son or daughter. Educational Grant money is to be used for education in a University, College, Junior College, Technical School, Business School or Seminary.