Short History
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A SHORT HISTORY
OF
St. Joseph Knights of Columbus
Council #2505
Setting
The year was 1924. Pope Pius Xi was the reigning Pontiff of the Catholic Church. He had been elected in 1922and would rule until his death in 1939.Calvin Coolidge was President of the United States. Born this year would be Marlon Brando, Geraldine Page, and Henry Mancini. Prices were not bad this year. Fifty-one cents would buy a dozen eggs, $3.98 for a pair of boots, and a one carat diamond ring would cost $414. It was just five years before the stock market crash and the start of the stock market crash and the Great Depression. In sports the stars were Harold “Red’ Grange of Illinois and the Four Horsemen of Notre Dame.
Forty-two years previously, March 29, 1882, the General Assembly of the State of Connecticut had granted a charter to a group named the “Knights of Columbus”. It marked the fulfillment of a dream of Father J. McGivney. He was assigned to St. Mary’s Parish in New Haven. It was the goal of this young priest that the Catholic men of the Parish could form a society, founded on the ideals of the Catholic faith. It was important that there be an organization that could provide fellowship for Catholics who often were outlawed by other societies. He also had as his goal that this society would provide an insurance plan for members and for the widows and orphans of members. It set its sights on education, charitable and patriotic goals for the society.
It took fifteen years before the society established itself in the New England states and then began to reach out to other areas. By 1902 the order had been organized in most jurisdictions and its principles of Charity, Unity, Brotherly Love and Patriotism became the foundation of the order. In 1901, the year before, the first council was formed in Florida. It was First Florida Council #0611 in St. Augustine. In 1902 Councils were formed in Jacksonville and Tampa.
LOCAL HISTORY
In Central Florida it was these early 1900’s when the Catholic men in “mission parishes” saw the need to arm themselves with the “sword of the lay apostolate” as described in the writings of the day. Early in 1920 a group of twenty-seven men from Polk County traveled to Tampa to be knighted into the order. Three years later it was suggested that because of their activity and enthusiasm a new Council might be formed in Polk County.
On February 24, 1924 the local men received their charter from the Supreme Council. It would be called St. Joseph Council #2505, named after St. Joseph which was the name of the two churches in Lakeland and Winter Haven, from which most of the knights came. Charter members included James T Keefe, William J. Keefe, Frank Goodman, Mathew J. Smith, William J. LaLonde and Father J. Farley, pastor of St. Joseph’s Church in Lakeland.
In the early days Knights traveled from distant places in Polk County to attend meetings. Not only did the Council flourish in Polk County but the members pf St. Joseph’s Council were instrumental in helping new councils form in Fort Meyers, Bradenton, and Sarasota.
In 1928 it was decided to transfer the Charter to Winter Haven since the majority of Knights came from that area. But meetings were held in both cities for many years. When they celebrated their tenth anniversary as a Council, the membership had grown to thirty-four members. It was remarkable what they had accomplished in those ten years. The Council suffered through the depression and it was reported that they almost lost their Charter because at one time there were $3,000.00 in debt which was very big money in those days. Going through the minutes of the meetings in those early days we found that an appeal from a charity might result in a motion to send $1.00 and only once was the huge sum of $5.00 was donated.
In 1942 with an increased membership in the Lakeland area, the Charter was restored to Lakeland. Three years later the membership list revealed 91 Knights were active. In 1949 when the Council reached its Silver Jubilee year, twenty-five years of service to the Church and its membership, the St. Joseph Council was host to the Knights of Columbus State Convention in Lakeland. Bishop Thomas J. McDough, auxiliary Bishop of St. Augustine Diocese offered a Pontifical Mass at St. Joseph’s Church. Afterward there was a big parade down South Missouri Avenue to West Main and then over to Main and South Massachusetts Avenue to the New Florida Hotel. Later a Communion Breakfast was held at Florida Southern College. The next day was taken up with Convention business and later a banquet was held at the Lakeland Yacht and Country Club. Over 500 Delegates and wives attended the Convention
The night before the opening of the Convention, the local Knights celebrated their Jubilee year with a dinner at The Cadet. The speakers included Leo T. Bowles of Jacksonville who was the State Deputy. Also speaking was Carl T. Hoffman of Miami, past State Deputy and Father Patrick Nolan, State Chaplain and Pastor of St. Joseph’s Church. Walter Ellsworth was the local Grand Knight at the time and welcomed all the guests. Francis Hazel national treasurer, represented the Supreme Officers.
The Lakeland Ledger ran an editorial that said in part: “the Knights are known for strong loyalty to their Church and for substantial and extensive charitable enterprises. Thus they are a major influence in their Church and in the communities in which they reside… It is a pleasure to have the clergy, these active laymen and their wives as visitors”.
In 1974, twenty-five years later, as the Council celebrated their 50th Anniversary, the membership increased to 171. Three of the original charter members were present at the celebration. The affair was held on February 23. 1974. Of our present members, Simon Beuth was Grand Knight at the time and Paul Eannelli was Treasurer. One of the highlights of the following year was a massive turnout of Color Guard members as Archbishop Fulton Sheen came to Lakeland.
Knights of Columbus Hall
The lot for the Council Hall was purchased from the equity the Knights of Columbus had with the City of Lakeland on a plot of land on Memorial Boulevard. It was the site of the Second Appeals Court. The City Council approached the Knights of Columbus and offered them $11,000 in trade for one block and three-quarts of the next lot, valued at $1.10 a foot. The deal was made.
In 1964 the Building Association started plans for building a clubhouse. The architect and contractor were ready to go at a cost of $50,000. Later another member of the Council, a road builder, did the parking lot at a cost of $3,000.
In October, 1967, the building was dedicated. Fr. O’Farrell blessed the building. On hand were Faithful navigator, John O’Rielly, Grand Knight Norman Curran, District Deputy Paul Eannelli and State Deputy, T. S. Eason among many other notables. It took a lot of cooperation, time and energy of many Brother Knights to fulfill this dream.
For many years Bingo was run by the Council at the Knights Hall. This weekly activity helped in supporting and maintaining the hall. It was also a major fundraiser for the Council. In 2015 or 2016 because of a major decline in participants, the Knights decided to close Bingo down. The only source of income for the hall was solely Hall rentals. Around 2017 discussion started to sell the hall. This was due to not having enough hall rentals to sustain the hall expenses. Utilities, taxes, insurance and maintenance all had skyrocketed from the earlier days, Also, Supreme was frowning on councils owning their own buildings. In 2019, after a few votes by all council members, the building was sold. The funds of the sale of the building were placed into what is called today as “The Legacy Fund”. The fund was named to honor the past Knights who worked hard to build the Hall but more importantly to keep Council #2505 going and moving forward. In only the first three years of the Legacy Fund, the fund has provided a generous amount of money to St. Joseph’s Church and the community without touching the principle.
After the sale of the Hall the Council moved back into St. Joseph’s. The Council has an office in the Pastoral Center, storage, use of classrooms, the Parish Hall and the Kitchen. As of 2024 the Council is still going strong and growing. The Council supports many of the Parish events, runs Fish Frys for the Parish, is involved in Special Olympics, holds meetings in the Parish classrooms, and donates to many community charities. The Council is just now starting to talk about what to do if St. Joseph Church and The Knights of Columbus is ever closed down. Hopefully this never happens. St. Joseph Church in 2023 celebrated its 125 Anniversary.
In 2023 a dozen large eggs will cost you around $4.00, a pair of work boots will run about $150.00 or more and a one carat diamond ring will cost $3,500.00 or more. The president at this time is Joe Biden. Wars continue to happen and the country and the world seem more divided than ever.
Summary
In 2004 Fr. Joe Hayden wrote a letter to this Council that is as true today as it was twenty years ago.
As we celebrate the 100th Anniversary of the granting of our charter, we give thanks to God for the efforts of so many Knights who have gone before us. While the Council has grown in numbers over the years, it is not the single growth that counts, but the opening of our hearts to reach out to the numerous recipients of our charity and the example we set in private and public life.
Pope John Paul II has called the Knights the “front line defense” of the Church. In earlier days bigotry and fanatical hostility was our foe. Today it is a more sinister attack against our faith and many religious. God seems to be “out” and a relativism that allows each individual to decide what is right or wrong. We seem to see any absolutes as being against our “freedom”. So now we have to defend the right to life of babies, the true structure of marriage, the name of God in public meetings, the Pledge of Allegiance, and the determination of when life ends. What the Knights have done in the past is commendable. What we do today is the making of history and whether God can bless America. Fr. Joe Hayden