09/29/2026
Knights of Columbus Council 595 Celebrates 125 Years of Faith, Brotherhood and Service
St. Thomas More Catholic Church — September 26, 2026
On Saturday, September 26, 2026, Knights of Columbus Council 595 gathered at St. Thomas More Catholic Church to celebrate an extraordinary milestone: 125 years of faith, charity, brotherhood, and service to the Catholic Church and the greater Lynchburg community.
Founded in 1901, Council 595 has witnessed enormous changes in our Church, our community, our nation, and the world. Yet throughout those 125 years, the principles upon which the Knights of Columbus was built have remained constant:
Charity. Unity. Fraternity. Patriotism.
The anniversary celebration brought together Brother Knights, clergy, families, widows of departed Knights, state and district leaders, and friends of Council 595 to honor those who came before us and to look with hope toward the Council's future.
Among the distinguished guests recognized during the evening were Worthy State Treasurer Anthony B. Hall and his wife, Earnestine; Worthy Grand Knight of Council 595 Bob Anderson and his wife, Laurel; Worthy Associate State Chaplain and Council 595 Chaplain Reverend Father Salvador Anonuevo; Reverend Father John Christian and his mother, Patricia; Worthy District Deputy and Regional Lead District Deputy Southwest Len Thompson and his wife, Kay; Worthy District Master Ben Bailey and his wife, Stephanie; Brother Jack Clark, Virtus Agent for Council 595, and his wife, Michelle; and Worthy Chancellor of Council 595 and Faithful Navigator of Assembly 1315 Ron Farringer and his wife, Gwen.
Remembering 125 Years
Each guest received a special commemorative booklet honoring the first 125 years of Council 595. Created by Knights of Columbus Council 595 with the assistance of Hannah Beyers, the booklet was intended to be more than a keepsake.
It is a piece of our history—one that has now been entrusted to another generation.
Council 595's story began in 1901, deeply rooted in Lynchburg's Catholic community and in generations of Catholic families who believed in their faith, believed in serving others, and believed that Catholic men standing together as Brothers could accomplish great things.
Those first Knights could never have imagined the world of 2026. Automobiles were still a novelty. Radio and television had not yet transformed American life, and the technology we now carry in our pockets would have seemed unimaginable.
Yet those founding Brothers understood something timeless:
What they were building was worth passing on.
Through the decades, Council 595 grew alongside Lynchburg's Catholic community. For many years, the Knights of Columbus building at Clay and 8th Streets—today associated with Lynchburg Daily Bread—served as a gathering place where Catholics came together for meetings, dinners, dances, fellowship, and community.
Following World War II, returning veterans helped strengthen the Council's membership and its commitment to charitable service. Generation after generation of Knights supported Catholic parishes, families, Catholic education, charitable organizations, veterans, and neighbors in need.
The world around Council 595 changed dramatically, but its foundation endured.
Charity called Knights to serve those in need, frequently without recognition.
Unity brought Catholic men of different ages, professions, backgrounds, and experiences together around a common faith and purpose.
Fraternity created friendships and bonds that cannot be measured in dollars or recorded in meeting minutes—the prayer, encouragement, fellowship, and simple act of one Brother standing beside another when he needs him most.
Patriotism called Knights to honor our nation, our veterans, those serving in uniform today, and those who sacrificed for the freedoms we enjoy.
These principles carried Council 595 through world wars, economic hardship, social and cultural change, and generation after generation of Catholic life.
The Real Story Is Written in People
It would be possible to measure 125 years through dollars raised, volunteer hours contributed, meals served, charitable projects completed, or awards received.
But numbers alone could never tell the full story.
The real story of Council 595 is written in people.
It is written in the family helped during a difficult time.
It is written in the parish that knew the Knights would be there when help was needed.
It is written in the neighbor who discovered that someone cared.
It is written in the young Catholic man who found mentors, friendship, and Brothers.
And it is written in the aging Knight who learned that his Brothers had not forgotten him.
That is the true measure of 125 years of service.
The celebration also remembered the thousands of Brothers who carried Council 595 through the generations. Some remain with us through photographs and stories. Others are now names carefully preserved in old Council records.
Each generation carried the torch for a time. They protected it, strengthened it, and eventually passed it to those who followed.
At the 125th Anniversary Celebration, that torch was placed firmly in our hands.
Honoring Our Wives and Families
The evening also recognized an essential part of the Council 595 story—our wives and families.
Behind generations of dedicated Knights have been families who shared their husbands, fathers, and grandfathers with the Church and community. They encouraged their service, participated in Council activities, welcomed fellow Knights into their lives, and made sacrifices of their own.
The families of our departed Brothers remain part of the Council 595 family as well.
This 125-year legacy belongs to them, too.
Their contribution to Council 595's history cannot be separated from the accomplishments of the Knights themselves, and the anniversary celebration offered an opportunity to express the Council's heartfelt gratitude.
A Tradition of Excellence
Council 595's history is not only one of longevity but also of sustained commitment. Since 1945, the Council has received 40 Council awards, including 16 Star Council Awards—recognition of generations of Knights who accepted the responsibility of membership and transformed it into action.
Today, Council 595 continues serving Catholic parishes and communities throughout Lynchburg, Forest, Bedford, Moneta, and the surrounding areas.
But the responsibility of today's Knights is not simply to preserve what previous generations created.
Our responsibility is to make it stronger.
Families still need help. Parishes still need support. Communities still need men willing to serve. Catholic men are still searching for faith, purpose, friendship, and genuine brotherhood. And Brother Knights still need other Brothers willing to stand beside them through life's joys and difficulties.
The greatest tribute we can give the Knights who came before us is not simply to remember what they accomplished.
It is to continue what they started.
The Council We Leave Behind
Perhaps the most important moment of the evening came not when Council 595 looked backward 125 years, but when it looked forward 25 years.
In 2051, another generation of Knights may gather to celebrate the 150th Anniversary of Council 595.
Someone may stand before that gathering and tell the story of the men who carried Council 595 through its 125th year.
They will be talking about us.
They will inherit the Council we leave behind.
That thought leaves today's Knights with an important question.
It is no longer simply, What did those who came before us give to us?
We already know the answer.
They gave us 125 years of Catholic faith, tradition, brotherhood, charity, and service.
The question for today's generation is:
What will we give those who come after us?
Will Council 595 be stronger because we were here?
Will our parishes and communities be better because we served?
Will the next generation of Knights receive something worthy of what was entrusted to us?
At our 125th Anniversary Celebration, Council 595 accepted that challenge.
To our founders, we offer our gratitude.
To the generations of Knights who carried Council 595 forward, we offer our respect.
To our departed Brothers, we offer our prayers.
To our wives and families, we offer our heartfelt thanks.
To our clergy and parishes, we pledge our continued faithfulness and service.
And to the Knights who will gather 25 years from now:
May we leave you a Council worthy of the legacy entrusted to us.
Our history is worth remembering.
Our brotherhood is worth protecting.
Our future is worth building.
May God bless every Brother Knight and every family who has been part of this remarkable 125-year journey. May God bless our clergy, our parishes, our communities, and all those we are privileged to serve.
September 26, 2026, was more than a celebration of Council 595's first 125 years.
It was the beginning of our next chapter.
May we be worthy of writing it.
