The Knights of Columbus, a Catholic fraternal organization with a 143-year legacy of service and charity, is experiencing a spiritual renewal driven by its younger members.
The new Cor initiative — Latin for “heart” — brings deeper spiritual formation and authentic brotherhood to an already beloved institution for Catholic men.
Cor, a flexible framework of prayer, formation, and fraternity, is designed to help Catholic men focus on Jesus by building Christ-centered brotherhood. It reflects the initial mission of the Knights envisioned by its founder, Blessed Michael McGivney.
Hope in the next generation
“Many young faithful Catholic men are looking for what Cor provides. It can serve as a means of connecting them to the Knights of Columbus through a faith-filled fraternal experience,” said Sean Pott, senior director of evangelization and education for the Knights of Columbus.
Inspired by the phrase “cor ad cor loquitur” (“heart speaks to heart”), the episcopal motto of St. John Henry Newman, Cor brings a renewed spiritual strength to the organization's traditional focus on charitable works and social activities.
The initiative reflects a broader trend of Catholic revival among younger generations. And by setting aside time for men to pray together, learn from each other, and build relationships, Cor directly addresses the isolation so widespread in modern Western society.
A conversation about Cor
Curious to learn more? Here’s our conversation with Sean Pott.
What inspired the creation of Cor?
It was the recognition that we needed and desired to provide men with the space and time to invest in their faith, to encounter Jesus and do so with other men that inspired the question that started us down this path: “What if we really invested in the formation of Knights and men of the parish, and created the space for this to happen, how would we do this?”
We also acknowledged that many men are isolated in their faith, lacking not just the time and space, but truly lacking the community, the fraternity, and friendships, to dive deeply into their faith and share a life of faith. We needed or desired to create the space for men to encounter Jesus, and each other, and to evangelize each other.
Why is this a needed initiative for the Knights of Columbus?
Cor is an opportunity for Knights of Columbus to reconnect with the founding vision of Blessed Michael McGivney who as a priest and pastor had a zeal for souls and heart for evangelization. Through Cor we hope that every man who attends is able to encounter our Lord Jesus through their time of prayer, formation, and fraternity. This is important for the whole organization as Cor has the potential to further animate everything, all the good works that our councils already do.
How was Cor developed?
First, developing Cor required prayer and time and a willingness to learn and adapt. We truly have amazing, talented, and faithful staff who worked to build the structure and develop prayer and formation content to supplement Cor. As a team we were committed to learning from others who have done successful men’s ministry and outreach and applied these principles to the existing structure within the Knights. We have developed not just a flexible structure of prayer, formation, and fraternity, but also a leadership network to support Cor and its leadership at the parish level.
What is the most important thing you would want people to know about Cor?
Through Cor we hope to provide men with a deep and lasting encounter with Jesus Christ and a foundational brotherhood that will support them in their faith life for the rest of their lives. I hope we enable men across generations to play a pivotal role in sharpening each other “as iron sharpens iron” as we together strive to live holy lives alive in our vocation.
