Three members of Father Perez Council Knights of Columbus Council 1444 (serving parishes in Mount Greenwood, Beverly and Morgan Park) were among the 193 men who received the 4th degree exemplification Feb. 21st at the Wyndom Hotel in Lisle.

They are John Curtin of St. Thomas Moore Parish, Michael Fielding of St. Cajetan Parish and Bob Szyman of St. Kilian Parish.

The Fourth Degree imparts a lesson on the virtue of patriotism, and its primary purpose is to foster the spirit of patriotism not only in members but the community at large and to also encourage active Catholic citizenship. Today there are some 300,000 Fourth Degree Knights out of the total 1.6 million member Knights of Columbus.

Local units, called assemblies, draw their members from Knights of Columbus councils. Father Perez Council members affiliate with the Holy Family Assembly, located in Oak Lawn. The qualifications for membership in the Fourth Degree are membership in the Knights for at least one year and achievement of the Third Degree.

A Fourth Degree Knight also may become part of the assembly's color corps, who are recognized widely by their distinctive attire of tuxedo, feathered hat (chapeau), cape and sword. Those members regularly take part in civic events such as parades and wreath-laying ceremonies as well as at ecclesial functions at Catholic churches.

The Knights of Columbus has grown from several members in one council at St. Mary’s Church in New Haven, Conn., in 1882 to more than 13,000 councils and 1.7 million members throughout the United States, Canada and nearly a dozen other nations. The Father Perez Council celebrates the 100th anniversary of its founding in 2009.

Pictured left to right are Holy Family Assembly Captain John Donovan of Queen of Martyrs Parish, John Curtin, Bob Szyman and Michael Fielding.