THE FEST...NORTHEAST OHIO'S PREMIER CHRISTIAN ANNUAL EVENT
THE FEST @home
THE FEST @home
THE FEST @home
Just like on FEST day, the main event will broadcast live on “the main stage” home page the entire duration of The FEST @Home. Watch a live stream of our main presenters, MC, national Christian bands, special guest messages, The FEST Raffle winner announcements, Live Outdoor Mass online and even the fireworks!
THE FEST @home
THE FEST @home
THE FEST @home
Since its inception, the goal of The FEST has been to inspire and energize teens, young adults and families in the Northeast Ohio region – not just for one day, but for the entire year.
Father Bob Stec — who at the time was vocations director for the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland — launched the event in the year 2000 to welcome the diocesan contingent home from their trip to Rome for World Youth Day. It was called “Home from Rome.” The event attracted about 3,000 people.
Father Bob didn’t want to lose the momentum, and continued the event, which was later renamed “The FEST” and grew into the huge celebration it is today.
Over the years, The FEST has become a summer staple for many families in the region and attracts over 40,000 over the course of the day for a day full of music, community, and faith – all for free. It is made possible by support from its generous sponsors, donors, and volunteers!
Each year, The FEST Team chooses a theme to inspire the messages and activities throughout the day and the year. Take a look at all the past FEST themes!
SAINTHOOD OF FATHER MICHAEL J MCGIVNEY
10 THINGS ABOUT FR. MCGIVNEY
ROME – The Vatican today (May 27) announced that Pope Francis approved the promulgation of a decree recognizing a miracle attributed to the intercession of the founder of the Knights of Columbus, Venerable Father Michael J. McGivney, a Connecticut priest who served his flock during the pandemic of 1890, before himself becoming ill and dying of pneumonia.
The pope’s action means that Father McGivney can be declared “Blessed,” the step just prior to sainthood. An additional miracle attributed to Father McGivney’s intercession will be required for his canonization as a saint.
McGivney is best known for founding the Knights of Columbus in 1882. Nearly a century before the Second Vatican Council, his prescient vision empowered the laity to serve Church and neighbor in a new way. Today, the Knights of Columbus is one of the largest Catholic organizations in the world with 2 million members in North and Latin America, the Caribbean, Asia, and Europe.
The miracle recognized as coming through Father McGivney’s intercession involved an unborn child in the United States who in 2015 was healed in utero of a life-threatening condition after prayers by his family to Father McGivney.
A date will soon be set for the beatification Mass, which will take place in Connecticut. It will include the reading of an apostolic letter from the Holy Father and the bestowing of the title “Blessed” on Father McGivney.
Earlier this year, in an address to the Knights of Columbus Board of Directors, Pope Francis said the organization has been faithful “to the vision of your founder, Venerable Michael McGivney, who was inspired by the principles of Christian charity and fraternity to assist those most in need.”
“Father McGivney has inspired generations of Catholic men to roll up their sleeves and put their faith into action,” Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson said. “He was decades ahead of his time in giving the laity an important role within the Church. Today, his spirit continues to shape the extraordinary charitable work of Knights as they continue to serve those on the margins of society as he served widows and orphans in the 1880s. Father McGivney also remains an important role model for parish priests around the world and left us a transformative legacy of effective cooperation between the laity and clergy.
Born of Irish immigrant parents in 1852 in Waterbury, Connecticut, Father McGivney was a central figure in the dramatic growth of the Church in the United States in the late 19th century. Ordained in Baltimore in 1877, he ministered to a heavily Irish-American and immigrant community in the then-Diocese of Hartford. At a time of anti-Catholic sentiment, he worked tirelessly to keep his flock close to the faith in part by finding practical solutions to their many problems – spiritual and temporal alike. With a group of the leading Catholic men of New Haven, he founded the Knights of Columbus in 1882 at St. Mary’s Church to provide spiritual support for Catholic men and financial resources for families that had suffered the loss of their breadwinner.
The fledgling group soon became a major force in the areas of evangelization, charity, racial integration, and the defense of religious freedom.
Father McGivney spent his entire priesthood in parish ministry and died of pneumonia on August 14, 1890— two days after his 38th birthday – after falling ill amid a pandemic. Recent scientific evidence indicates that that pandemic – like the current one – may have been caused by a coronavirus.
Known by his contemporaries for his devotion to the faith and his embodiment of the characteristics of the “Good Samaritan,” his cause for sainthood was opened in the Archdiocese of Hartford in 1997. St. John Paul II – who was pope at that time – lauded Father McGivney’s principles, stating in 2003, “In fidelity to the vision of Father McGivney, may you continue to seek new ways of being a leaven of the Gospel in the world and a spiritual force for the renewal of the Church in holiness, unity and truth.”
In March 2008, he was declared a Venerable Servant of God by Pope Benedict XVI, who during his visit to St. Patrick’s Cathedral cited the “remarkable accomplishment of that exemplary American priest, the Venerable Michael McGivney, whose vision and zeal led to the establishment of the Knights of Columbus.”.
NOVENA FOR UNITY
PRAYING TOGETHER FOR PEACE
Dear Brother Knight,
Following the pain, outrage and violence resulting from the tragic death of Mr. George Floyd, I send this message in a spirit of reconciliation, asking you to join me beginning this Sunday — the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity — in praying our Novena for National Unity & An End to Racism.
We should take to heart the words of Pope Francis. No one should “tolerate or turn a blind eye to racism.” We must all “defend the sacredness of every human life.” And we must redouble our efforts to overcome the suffering and injustice which result from the sin of racism. As we celebrate the perfect unity of the Blessed Trinity, we call upon all Knights and people of goodwill to join in prayer. Let us remember that, as Pope Francis says, “nothing is gained by violence and so much is lost.”
Our prayers are inspired by our legacy as Knights of Columbus — may we carry on in the same spirit of unity that has inspired the Order to welcome Catholic men of all backgrounds, regardless of race, from our very beginning. This is especially important as we move forward as “Knights of Columbus: Knights of Unity,” which was the theme of last year’s Supreme Convention.
As the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said, “Time is cluttered with the wreckage of broken communities which have surrendered to hatred and violence. For the salvation of our nation and the salvation of mankind, we must follow another way.”
We pray that we all can follow this other way and come to understand that injustice to a black person is injustice to all; that regardless of race or culture, all people, without exception, are made in the image and likeness of God, and are deserving of our respect and love.
Please join me in offering this prayer for national unity and an end to racism. May we pray for the strength to learn from the courageous example of Dr. King and from the leadership of our Holy Father, and continue to work to build a society that recognizes the dignity and brotherhood of all.
As men of faith, let us together confidently turn to prayer during the nine days of this novena, beginning on Sunday, June 7, and concluding on Monday, June 15.
May God, through the powerful intercession of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Mother of the Civilization of Love, hear our prayer.
Fraternally,
Carl A. Anderson
Supreme Knight
Principles
What We Do!
From the moment of our founding in 1882, charity has been the first principle of the Knights of Columbus. We are Catholic men of faith and men of charitable action.
2017 was a record-setting year for Knights of Columbus charitable work with an unprecedented $185.6 million in donations and 75.6 million hours of service provided worldwide. The monetary value of K of C’s service hours is valued at $1.9 billion based on an estimate by Independent Sector, a network for nonprofit foundations that values a 2017 volunteer hour at $24.69.The K of C’s 2017 survey of charitable giving also showed that monetary donations increased $8 million from 2016 (+4.5 percent) and service hours grew by 527,550 (+0.7 percent). Year-over-year annual growth in both categories has been consistent over the past two decades.
Our charitable activities encompass an almost infinite variety of local, national and international projects. Our own unique charities include the Christian Refugee Relief Fund, Disaster Relief, Ultrasound Initiative, and Coats for Kids. We also partner with international charities including Special Olympics, the Global Wheelchair Mission and Habitat for Humanity.
Through our Building the Domestic Church initiative, Knights and their families have greater opportunities to participate in a variety of activities that deepen their faith, promote the New Evangelization, and strengthen our parishes.
"We are answering Pope Francis’ call to go to the peripheries,” Supreme Knight Carl Anderson said. “We can reach half way around the globe to help those in need and we can reach to our neighbor next door. And we do that every day. That makes us witnesses to the faith."
If you’d like to be a part of an international organization of nearly 2 million Catholic men whose principal work involves helping others in need, we'd like to meet you and invite you to join us.