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Background
Who Are We?
The Knights of the Southern Cross is an association of Christ’s faithful that is recognised by the Australian Catholic Bishops. Members are Catholic men who pursue tasks guided by their Catholic Faith and the Cardinal and Chivalrous Virtues of prudence, justice, fortitude and temperance."
A National and International Alliance of Catholic Knights that work in 27 countries throughout the world including the United States of America and Canada, Belgium, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan South Africa, and United Kingdom, .
We are a non-political organisation, but members can belong to any Party they choose. The Knights of the Southern Cross is an Order of Catholic laymen founded in 1919; whose aim is to develop Christian fraternity and charity and to manifest in their lives loyalty to God, to Church and to country.
The Knights were founded to improve the economic well-being and standing of Catholics in the community.
The Order of the Knights of the Southern Cross works to help provide an effective voice for the church and for the broader Christian Community in the secular world. Catholic welfare and caring organisations, schools, and the Church as a whole, face continuing and increasing pressures to become more secular and to ignore what it is that makes them unique – their Catholic, Christian heritage and beliefs.
Although our members come from a broad range of backgrounds, we all have a common goal.
What Do We Stand For?
Social Issues
The Order encourages community awareness, education, and where appropriate submissions and actions on current social issues such as family, homelessness, distribution of wealth, drugs, chastity, pornography, palliative care, abortion, sex education, euthanasia.
Networking
A State-wide data base is held in Head Office from which it is possible to contact fellow members in nearly any occupation. Membership represents over 170 occupations covering the whole spectrum of society. A key object of the Order is fraternal support and service. Opportunities abound to give and receive support and serve. Members are encouraged to advertise in Order publications (e.g. Knightlife, The Round Table – E Newsletter) at Branch, State and National levels.
Church Support
The Order supports the Catholic Church in its Australia-wide works. The Order made a commitment to serve the Bishops and parish communities. We support Catholic commissions, organisations and educational institutions.
Spiritual Development
Each year the National Chaplain develops a program for the Order aimed at enhancing spiritual growth and relationship building. A personal faith Formation Program 2010 based on readings, commentary, reflection, and sharing is conducted at meetings.
Regular discussions on the program and applying the outcomes from these items assists the building of relationships because they review the common assumptions, expectations and perspectives that men bring to relationships, and skills needed to sustain and improve relationships.
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Fraternity
Fraternal activities of the Order provide a natural environment for men practicing their Catholic faith to develop friendships and acquire skills to enable all relationships to be enhanced. Learning from other men provides for real constructive growth.
The Order has many social activities involving wives, female friends and the whole family.
There are dinners, masses, picnics, retreats, golf afternoons and so on. Activities vary from one Branch to another depending on the interests of the Members and their families.
Commitment of Members
A member of the Order of the Knights of the Southern Cross is required to:
Become involved with his family in Branch activities.
Recite daily the Knight’s Prayer.
What are our Aims?
The charter of our Order is expressed in the Objects approved by the Catholic Bishops of Australia.
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To promote the Advancement of Australia.
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To foster the Christian Way of Life throughout the Nation
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To promote the Welfare of our Members and their families.
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To encourage Spiritual, Social and Intellectual activities amongst our Members
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To conduct and support Educational, Charitable, Religious and Social Welfare Work.
These are a clear and concise statement of the reasons for the existence of the Knights and of the nature of our operations.
Organisation
The State Council, which is elected by the general membership and meets every month, is the governing body of the Knights of the Southern Cross in Western Australia and controls the affairs of the Organisation in Western Australia.
The State Council is represented on the National Organisation, Order of the Knights of the Southern Cross (Australia), through its National Councillors.
Our Branches
All members belong to a particular Branch. This is where the real work of the Order is conducted. Branches maintain direct contact with members and activities organised can encompass a number of sectors of the community, e.g. Parishes, Local Government, various organizations, etc.
Branches of the Order are located in many parishes throughout Western Australia.
For further information please contact the State Executive Officer on (08) 9470 4922.
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