Knights of Columbus #486
John Paul the Great Council, Middletown, New York
Saint Joseph's Squires
The Saint Joseph's Squires is an parish based youth fraternity supported by the members of John Paul the Great Council 486 for Catholic boys between the ages of 10 and 18.
As said by our Founder - Brother Barnabas, “The supreme purpose of the Columbian Squires is character building.”
Squires have fun and share their Catholic faith, help people in need, and enjoy the company of friends in social, family, athletic, cultural, civic and spiritual activities. Through their local circle, Squires work and socialize as a group of friends, elect their own officers, and develop into Catholic leaders.
With the support of our Council, there is no goal out of a Squire’s reach. A new member of the Squires should expect to
feel a sense of fraternity with the others as soon as he has been invested into the Squires.
Their Founding
The Columbian Squires began in Atlantic City in August of 1922, at the annual Knights of Columbus Supreme Council meeting. The Most Reverend Thomas J. Walsh, the Archbishop of Newark, New Jersey, challenged the Knights of Columbus to focus on the development of young men in the Catholic Church. He said, “If the Knights of Columbus will take care of the growing boy, then the boy grown into manhood will take care not only of the Knights of Columbus, but of the Church and the nation as well.” That challenge was met by Supreme Knight, James A. Flaherty, who developed a committee, which was led by Deputy Supreme Knight, Martin H. Carmody, to focus on organizing this new youth order.
While the Knights worked on setting up their committee, Brother Barnabas McDonald, FSC, a Christian Brother, was also working on a similarproposal for the Knights of Columbus, encouraging them to develop a youth organization similar to the Knights of Columbus, with the goal of transforming young men into Catholic leaders within their respective communities. This proposal was brought forward to the Knights' special committee which recommended its application at the Board of Directors meeting in June of 1923. Its adoption was formalized at the Supreme Council meeting in Montreal in August of 1923.
On August 4, 1925, the first Columbian Squires circle – Duluth Circle 1, Duluth, Minnesota – was invested in ceremonies that were the highlight of the Knights of Columbus’ convention that year. Since that time, the Columbian Squires program has flourished, and expanded across international borders. Circles have been instituted throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Guam and the Philippines. Today, there are over 22,000 squires, as well as approximately 1,000 Columbian Squires circles.
Preparing for The Future
The Columbian Squires works in close association with the Knights of Columbus. The young men grow and learn through their years of experience being with the squires, and when they come of age, they are ready for Knighthood.
From the beginning, every Squire is surrounded by group of Knights that are there to teach and guide them, until their 18th birthday. From there, they can start a journey with the Knights, as a young council member looking to give back through commitment and hard work.
It's hard to describe how much you are ready to give after years of being a Columbian Squire, but we implore you to find out first hand.
Columbian Squires Insignia
As each Squire has learned in their investiture, the individual components of our logo has its own unique significance to the Columbian Squires.
The surrounding circle of our logo is adorned with our motto, "Esto Dignus" which means "Be Worthy". The circle itself is meant to represent the Circles that form our Order, that every Squire exists as part of something greater than themselves.
The "S" on the upper arm of the cross is representative of the spiritual development that Squires undertake throughout the course of their journeys with their Circle and their Church.
The "P" on the lower arm of the cross is representative of the physical development that is essential for every person, and that exists as the basis for good hygiene and healthy living habits.
The "I" on the left arm of the cross is representative of the intellectual development, that the journey through Squiredom is meant to nurture not just the spirit and the body, but the mind as well.
The "C" on the right arm of the cross is representative of the civic development, that no one person can on their own, and that Squires should be focused on improving their community and family as well.
The "S" on the center of the cross represents two important things: Squires, and service.
The large "C" is representative of Christ, our ultimate role model as young Christian men.
The "K" in the center of the shield stands for Knights, as the Knights of Columbus act as the sponsors and mentors for the Columbian Squires.