Bishop Robert Reed and Massachusetts Knights of Columbus State Deputy Paul G. O'Sullivan pictured at the 2018 Lantern Award Dinner. Photo by Lew Corcoran
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FRAMINGHAM -- The Massachusetts State Council Knights of Columbus presented the organization's 2018 Lantern Award to Bishop Robert Reed during its 118th annual Patriots' Day Dinner, April 16 at the Sheraton Framingham Hotel.
Established in 1957 to honor those who reflect the religious and patriotic ideals of the Founding Fathers, the Lantern Award is named for the lanterns placed in the tower of the Old North Church in Boston to warn Paul Revere of the invading British at the outset of the Revolutionary War. It is given annually by the Massachusetts State Council at the Patriots' Day Dinner.
Bishop Robert Hennessy, auxiliary bishop of Boston and Knights of Columbus state chaplain, and Massachusetts Knights of Columbus State Deputy Paul G. O'Sullivan presented the 62nd Lantern Award -- a wood-mounted, encased candle -- to Bishop Reed.
Bishop Reed, who in addition to serving as an auxiliary bishop of Boston is also President of the CatholicTV Network and CEO of iCatholic Media, "has always been a stanch supporter of the Knights of Columbus," said Richard Guerriero, Massachusetts Knights of Columbus Executive Secretary and Former Vice Supreme Master, April 25.
Bishop Reed was chosen as an honoree "because of his work with CatholicTV and his influence on communication with the Catholic media, and for what he does for the Catholics who are shut in or sick" and rely on Catholic media, said Guerriero.
The dinner was attended by around 400 people, Guerriero said, including bishops from across the state as well as a number of state Knights of Columbus officers from the region.
Speaking to The Pilot April 24, Bishop Reed said "Honestly, I was surprised and quite honored by the award."
"I have a long standing and deep respect for the work of the Knights of Columbus locally, nationally and internationally," he continued. "I was doubly honored by the presence of Knights and their wives from Good Shepherd Parish in Wayland, Holy Ghost in Whitman and St. Catherine of Siena Parish in Norwood, all parishes where I have been privileged to serve as a priest."
Founded in 1882 as a way to provide charitable outreach and care for the financial well-being of Catholic families, the Knights of Columbus has grown to include nearly two million members throughout North and Central America, the Philippines, the Caribbean, and Europe. Last year, the international organization set a new all-time record for charitable donations worldwide with $177.5 million in donations and more than 75 million hours of service valued at $1.8 billion.
In Massachusetts, the organization boasts over 40,000 members in 284 local councils.