State Deputy Address

Address of the State Deputy Michael Gizewski at the 2025 Organizational Meeting on June 27, 2025

For the glory of God Open Wide the Doors for Christ
It is with deep humility, profound gratitude, and unwavering faith that I stand before you today as your new State Deputy.

I thank you for your trust, for your prayers, and for your commitment to this noble Order. I stand not alone, but with every one of you who has given his heart, his hands, and his soul in service—to God, to Church, to family, and to country.

Today, I want to talk about what we must do—not only to continue the legacy of the Knights of Columbus here in Florida, but to strengthen it. To elevate it. To spiritually renew it.

This is our call. This is our moment.

Let us begin where everything must begin—with God. This is not a social club. This is not just a volunteer group. This is a brotherhood formed in faith, led by charity, built on unity, and sustained by fraternity.

The strength of the Knights is not in our numbers—it’s in our faithfulness.

And if we are going to lead this Order forward, we must place Christ at the very center of everything we do.

“Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain.” – Psalm 127:1

Every meeting should open with prayer, but every project must begin with intention—that what we do, we do for the greater glory of God. That every coat we give to a child, every dollar we raise for the unborn, every moment we spend in adoration, is an act of love, a reflection of the face of Christ.

My brothers, the world today is starving for authentic masculinity—not bravado, not aggression, but true, Catholic manhood, and the Church is calling us to rise.

We are called to be men of strength—but also of tenderness. Men of courage—but also of compassion. Men who protect the weak, defend the truth, and serve without counting the cost.

What does that look like?

It means protecting life, from the unborn to the elderly.
It means serving our priests, our parishes, our dioceses.
It means supporting our widows and families in crisis.
And it means standing up in the public square—not with hatred, but with holy conviction.
Last year 96,000 new members into the Knights of Columbus Florida came in third place in donations with $7.2 million and fifth place in volunteer hours with 2 million hours and that's not even counting what our wives have done

Let the Knights of Columbus in Florida be known for this balance: powerful men who kneel in prayer, strong men with tear-streaked cheeks in adoration, tough men who cradle the suffering.

This is our identity. Let us claim it.

Charity is the first principle of our Order—and it is the beating heart of who we are.

But I want to challenge us today: Is our charity comfortable? Or is it costly?

Charity that doesn’t inconvenience us is easy. But charity that costs us our time, our energy, our sleep, our comfort—that’s where grace begins.

Let’s challenge our councils to go deeper.

Instead of writing a check, let’s show up in person.
Instead of hosting a dinner, let’s serve the hungry ourselves.
Instead of saying “we’ll pray,” let’s pray right then and there.

I believe in our Knights. I believe that every man here wants to be a saint. But sainthood begins with a radical love—a love that looks like the Cross.

We need to bring spirituality back to the center of every council. Brothers, if we are not praying, we are just spinning our wheels.

I want every council in Florida to be a school of holiness. That starts with:

Monthly Holy Hours
Council Rosaries
Council attendance at Sunday Mass as a group
Personal accountability in prayer, confession, and spiritual reading

Our programs should include corporal works of mercy and spiritual ones. Teach the faith. Evangelize. Be leaders in men’s formation. Be examples of Eucharistic devotion.

Let us be known as the spiritual engine of our parishes—not just men in jackets and badges, but men of deep prayer, fasting, and wisdom.

If we want the Knights to grow, we have to stop wishing and start witnessing.

A man joins because he sees something in us he wants. He sees strength, brotherhood, joy, and holiness.

We don’t need gimmicks. We need authenticity.

Let us challenge every council in Florida to grow not by marketing, but by living the Gospel with fire and joy. Make our brotherhood visible. March in public processions. Sponsor parish missions. Bring young men in with mentorship and mission—not just fish fries and bingo.

We will only grow if we are alive. And we will only be alive if we are holy.

Finally, we must rediscover the power of true fraternity. A brotherhood that laughs together, prays together, struggles together, and carries each other. Too many men today are isolated. They are hungry for real friendship—not just networking, but soul-level connection.

That’s what we offer.

Let us build a culture in our councils where men can be vulnerable. Where they can be supported in marriage, fatherhood, addiction, grief, fear, failure.

Let us make the Knights the safehaven it was always meant to be.

And let us unite—not as separate councils, not as competing districts—but as one brotherhood, one body, one mission.

My brothers, we live in difficult times—but we were born for this time.

We are Knights of Columbus. We stand on the shoulders of Blessed Michael McGivney and all those who have gone before us. We carry the sword of truth, the shield of faith, and the mantle of Our Lady.

Let us go forward together.

Let us walk in faith. Let us lead with strength. Let us love with compassion. Let us live in holiness.

Be not afraid.

So always remember open wide the door for Christ and he will enter once he is entered it is your job to bring it to our brothers, and they will receive it with open arms

I tell your brothers you are the District Deputies of the Knight of Columbus when you go to a council meeting wear a jacket wear a tie and wear your jewel which is emblematic of your authority

Ask your Grand Knight to put on a jacket at his meeting

And you will see the change right before your eyes start to happen

The men will respect you; the men will want to be you, the men will follow you wherever you lead them

Open the wide the doors for Christ that is all I can say to you and He will enter.

Thank you. Vivat Jesus!