Kofc - Fondazione Cavalieri di Colombo - Knights of Columbus

Supreme Knight Virgil C. Dechant also expanded the Order’s activities to Vatican projects. In 1981, the Knights of Columbus aided in the funding for an international colloquium held in Rome - The Common Christian Roots of the European Nations, co-sponsored by the Gregorian University in Rome and the Catholic University of Lublin in Poland.In the same year the Order funded the construction of a new chapel in the Vatican Grottoes; a chapel dedicated to Saints Benedict, Cyril and Methodius, co-patrons of Europe.Another project was the enlargement of Our Lady of Czestochowa. In 1983, the Knights of Columbus established the "Vicarius Christi Fund"; the earnings from this endowment are presented to the Holy Father for his personal charities every year.Among other activities of the Knights of Columbus in Rome is their frequent assistance for the restoration of many major architectural works and works of art in St. Peter’s Basilica.

Aerial view of the Pontifical North American College.

One of the major projects was the immense two-year restoration of the facade of St. Peter’s Basilica (an area greater than three football fields). For more than 350 years no restoration work had been done on the facade.In addition to the facade project, the repair and restoration of the two heroic-sized statues of St. Peter and St. Paul located on the two sides of the entrance to the Basilica were also completed.
During restoration, two ancient rooms were discovered in the upper left side of the Basilica which were subsequently subdivided into the six stanze (rooms to be used for the display of religious and liturgical collections of the Fabbrica di San Pietro).Another major undertaking was the repair of the roof of the Blessed Sacrament Chapel in St. Peter’s Basilica including the restoration of mosaics damaged by infiltrating water. This was an outstanding example of restoration work in that the chapel had never been repaired and each and every mosaic piece had to be removed to repair the cracked ceiling and, then, placed again in its original position.

Yet another important project was the restoration of the Maderno Atrium of St. Peter’s Basilica and its massive bronze doors for the Holy Year 2000.Recently, under the neo-administration of Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson, the Order has funded restoration in the Vatican Grottoes - two ancient chapels, the Madonna della Bocciata and Madonna delle Partorienti; the Gallery (Peribolo) leading to St. Peter’s Tomb; and the Chapel with Pius XII’s Tomb. Another contribution was for the reconstruction of the choir at the Monastery of Santa Chiara in Assisi which had been damaged by an earthquake in 1997.
In January 2004, the Knights of Columbus sponsored the "Concert for Reconciliation" between faiths - Christian, Jewish and Muslim - which was held in the Vatican in the presence of the Holy Father John Paul II. More than eighty years have passed since the Knights of Columbus began activities at St. Peter’s Oratory. Since that time, the commitment of the Knights of Columbus to the Successor of Peter and to the Holy See has grown stronger. What began with a verbal promise has grown to a large variety of projects as the pastoral concern and mission of evangelization of the Church have evolved. However, one thing has remained ever constant - the steadfast devotion of the Knights of Columbus to be of service.