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TO RECOGNIZE AND HONOR THE MEMBERS OF ST. ANTHONY OF PADUA COUNCIL AND COURT 360 OF THE KNIGHTS OF PETER CLAVER IN GREENVILLE FOR THEIR SIGNIFICANT WORK AMONG THE NEEDY AND TO WELCOME THEIR GUESTS FOR THE 2019 GULF COAST DISTRICT CONFERENCE.
Whereas, the South Carolina House of Representatives is pleased to commend the work of the Greenville Chapter of the Knights of Peter Claver, the St. Anthony of Padua Council and Court 360 as the members seek to emulate their patron saint by serving others; and
Whereas, founded in 1909 in Mobile, Alabama, by four priests of the Saint Joseph's Society of the Sacred Heart of Baltimore, Maryland, the Knights of Peter Claver, Inc., is the largest historically African-American Catholic lay organization in the United States, and the Ladies Auxiliary was authorized 1922; and
Whereas, in the 1600s, a Spanish Jesuit priest named St. Peter Claver ministered physically and spiritually to slaves who were forced to leave their homes for a life of servitude and were brought to a major slave depot at Cartagena, Colombia, South America; and
Whereas, St. Peter Claver was not dissuaded from his mission of helping those slaves, many of whom had diseases, because he wanted to bring Christ into their lives; and
Whereas, today the organization's membership consists of Knights, Ladies, Junior Knights, and Junior Daughters whose purpose is to serve God and His Holy Church by rendering aid and assistance to the sick and disabled and by promoting social and intellectual association among the members; and
Whereas, attempting to do what Christ would have them do, members of the Greenville Chapter of the Knights of Peter Claver serve the homeless in a myriad of ways: providing blankets during the winter; donating food to the Church's food pantry every quarter and ditty bags with hygiene products; donating to other local entities that provide assistance to the poor; volunteering in soup kitchens; providing workshops for the community concerning health issues, such as sickle cell disease; and mentoring the organization's youth in order to plant seeds of love for others through service; and
Whereas, the Councils and Courts of the Knights of Peter Claver are divided into districts which hold annual conferences rotating among states. Part of the Gulf Coast District, Greenville is located in Zone 5, which includes Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Colombia, South America, and is scheduled to host the 2019 conference; and
Whereas, approximately three hundred twenty-five Knights and Ladies, as well as some guests, are expected to descend on Greenville for the spirit-filled, three-day conference to be held at the Embassy Suites from May 3 to 5, 2019; and
Whereas, the theme for the 2019 conference is Claverism: Working Together for Peace and Evangelization, and the Bishop of the Diocese Charleston, Bishop Robert E. Guglielmone, will be the principal celebrant for Mass; and
Whereas, the South Carolina House of Representatives deeply appreciates the exemplary work of the Greenville chapter of the Knights of Peter Claver, and the members wish a successful and gratifying conference for the organization. Now, therefore,
Be it resolved by the House of Representatives:
That the members of the South Carolina House of Representatives, by this resolution, recognize and honor the members of St. Anthony of Padua Council and Court 360 in Greenville of the Knights of Peter Claver for their significant work among the needy and welcome their guests for the 2019 Gulf Coast District Conference.
This web page was last updated on April 30, 2019 at 1:14 PM