Flagstaff Knights of Columbus celebrate 100 years

By Catherine E. Hanley, The Catholic Sun
May 3, 2007

FLAGSTAFF — The local Knights of Columbus council commemorated a century of service in the northern region of Arizona.

“One hundred years of service, celebrated to the day on April 21, makes us humble to follow in the footsteps of the 48 men who formed the first Council 1229 in the city of Flagstaff,” said Peter Kloeber, president of the Knights of Columbus Fr. Douglas J. Nohava Council 1229.

“We are proud of our past and energized by hope for our future,” he said, while describing successful outcomes of the council’s work. Kloeber reported that the council donated more than 8,700 hours of service and over $24,000 to the local Church and community — more than twice the national average of other councils this past year.

“The proven track record, number and quality of activities in support of others and continued growth of this council is simply staggering. This year alone, the council has already reached over 230 percent of its membership goal,” he said.

In 2004 and 2005, the Flagstaff Knights received statewide recognition as Council of the Year, with Kloeber being recognized as Grand Knight of the Year.

“We have a great team,” he said. The Knights of Columbus continue to grow in both membership and service to people in need, he said, not only in Flagstaff but also in surrounding areas of northern Arizona.

Sr. Frances Vista, DC, director of the St. Jude Food Bank in Tuba City, praises the Knights for recently helping her out of a hazardous and emergency situation. Due to extraordinarily high winds and destructive sandstorms, their greenhouse was almost totally destroyed.

After contacting the Knights of Columbus and asking for help, a team donated an entire Saturday, traveling 80 miles with their tools, and fully restored the greenhouse.

Speaking on behalf of the Knights, Kloeber praised the men of Council 1229: “We are grateful to the Lord for helping us achieve this wondrous milestone. As we carry the council’s banner forward into the next 100 years, we stand united in supporting our Lord, our Church, our country and our brother Knights and their families, as we continue to practice the principles that bind us — charity, unity, fraternity and patriotism.”

Originally, there were two councils in Flagstaff: Da Silva Council 1229, formed in 1907, and the Padre Miguel Hidalgo Council 6541, formed in 1974. The two councils merged in 2000 to better serve the recently formed parish of San Francisco de Asís. The newly formed council took the name of its founding pastor, Fr. Douglas J. Nohava.