Alumnus Elected as Youngest Member of the Knights of Columbus’ National Board

The above photo, which recently appeared on the cover of the print edition of the St. Louis Review, features Patrick Mason (’03) introducing his three young sons to Donald Cardinal Wuerl, Archbishop of Washington, D.C. The Masons and His Eminence were both in St. Louis earlier this month for the Knights of Columbus’ Supreme Convention, where Mr. Mason was elected to the KofC’s national Board of Directors. At 36 years old, he is the board’s youngest member.

Mr. Mason’s tenure with the Knights began nearly a decade ago, when, as a freshly minted attorney, he joined his local council in Gallup, New Mexico. Much to his surprise, he soon found himself elected chancellor, the council’s third-highest position. Then, when his council’s grand knight was tragically killed by a drunk driver, and its terminally ill deputy grand knight entered hospice care, Mr. Mason — still only in his 20s — became the council’s leader.

By God’s grace, the council thrived, attracting new, younger members, and earning the prestigious Star Council Award from the Knights’ Supreme Council. Mr. Mason began representing his council at regional and national conventions and, in short order, was elected state advocate for the Knights in New Mexico. He then proceeded to work his way through the organization’s ranks, culminating in his election, just one year ago, as the Knights’ state deputy for New Mexico — the highest state-level position within the Catholic fraternal organization.

“The way I look at it, throughout history — for example, after Pearl Harbor or even 9-11 — men stood up in defense of their country,” said Mr. Mason last year. “In a lot of ways, the Knights of Columbus provides a similar kind of opportunity for men to stand up in defense of the Church and families. It allows them to stand up and be, as Pope St. John Paul II said, ‘the strong right arm of the Catholic Church.’” In his leadership of the organization, he has often found himself drawing upon his formation at the College. “Being able to pull from my knowledge of the true, the good, and the beautiful, and being able to communicate the ideas that I found and developed at Thomas Aquinas College, has really helped me,” he said. “If it weren’t for the strength and faith that the College gave me, I don’t think I would be doing this.”

In addition to being a new member of the Knights’ national board, Mr. Mason is a  partner at the law firm of Mason & Isaacson, a husband, and the father of the three boys pictured above, all under 5. May God bless him in all his good work!