Burlington Weekly Free Press

VT. KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS 1,507

Large Increase Past Year—Officers Elected at State Convention at Montpelier.

Montpelier, May 14.—The 12 councils of the Knights of Columbus in Vermont were fully represented at the opening of the State convention this morning, there being two delegates from each council and six State officers, with enough alternates and visiting knights from other States to make the total attendance about 50.

An escort of knights met Rt. Rev. J. J. Rice of Burlington and the Rev. W. N. Lonergan at the station on the arrival of the morning train and escorted their carriage to St. Augustine's Church, where the Rev. Father Lonergan sang a solemn high mass and the Rev. W. J. O'Sullivan of this city preached the sermon.

This afternoon the reports of the various State officers were read. The gain in membership the past year has been larger than that of the year preceding and its total membership is now 1,507. Rutland council with over 200 members leads. St. Johnsbury and Brattleboro show the largest gains during the past year. Montpelier council has a membership of 105.

The council voted a sum of money to be used in conducting a series of missions for non-Catholics during the coming year in various parts of the State. It was voted to erect a memorial to Orestes Brownson at Stockbridge.

The next State council will be held at Brattleboro the second Tuesday in May.

The officers elected were: State deputy, James Cosgrove, St. Johnsbury; secretary, C. F. Minns, Brattleboro; treasurer, Arthur C. Moore, Barre; advocate, Bernard J. Mulcahy, Hardwick; warden, J. F. Smith, Rutland; chaplain, the Rev. W. N. Lonergan, Rutland; delegates to the supreme council at Colorado Springs, James Cosgrove and P. E. McAuliffe of Burlington; alternates, J. E. Flanagan of Montpelier and J. O'Leary of Barre.

The solemn high mass this morning was impressively sung and the music well rendered by the choir. Assisting the Rev. Fr. Lonergan the celebrant, were the Rev. Arthur Griffin of Barre as deacon and the Rev. Francis Welch of Montpelier as sub-deacon. The Rev. John Kennedy of the Cathedral parish, Burlington, was master of ceremonies, and assisting the bishop at the throne were the Rev. D. C. Coffey of Waterbury and the Rev. W. J. O'Sullivan of Montpelier.

After the services at the church the knights returned to the rooms of Montpelier council on State street, and Bishop Rice addressed the gathering, telling them no order should take the place of the home and that it was the home life and the everyday life of the individual members that makes any order strong and a power for good. The bishop returned to Burlington on the noon train.

The ball to-night in city hall was attended by a gathering of knights and ladies that filled the hall to capacity. The Montpelier Military band orchestra gave a concert from eight to 9:30, which was followed by dancing until one o'clock.