MONTGOMERY, Ala.—The Knights of Peter Claver and Ladies Auxiliary are planning an inspirational and fun-filled conference April 30 through May 2.
The 63rd annual Knights gathering will be held at the Montgomery Renaissance Hotel and Spa in the Convention Center. The theme is “Strengthening the Spirit of Claverism by Loving One Another,” according to a press release.
“It’s been 30 years since the Gulf Coast District Conference was held in Montgomery and we’re happy about hosting it here,” said Charlie Ester, the district’s immediate past president and chairman for the 2010 Conference. “We are urging everyone to make plans to attend.”
The conference will begin April 30 with registration followed by Vespers. Business sessions and a welcoming reception will also be held. May 1 will include business meetings, a memorial Mass, banquet and dance.
Archbishop Thomas J. Rodi, of Mobile, Ala., will celebrate the Mass. Bishop Robert J. Baker, of the Diocese of Birmingham, Ala., will be the homilist.
The Knights expect about 500 members to attend.
The Gulf Coast District is comprised of units within the U.S. archdioceses and dioceses of Mobile and Birmingham; Biloxi and Jackson, Miss.; Atlanta and Savannah, Ga.; Charleston, S.C.; Raleigh, N.C.; Pensacola-Tallahassee, Orlando, St. Augustine and St. Petersburg, Fla.; and Cartagena, Colombia, South America.
The organization is the largest African-American fraternal organization in the United States. Although it was formed as a Catholic fraternal society for black men in 1909, the organization is now racially mixed.
Presently headquartered in New Orleans, the Knights of Peter Claver is comprised of over 18,000 members, has over 700 subordinate units, and is a member of the International Alliance of Catholic Knights.