ABOUT IACKThe International Alliance of Catholic Knights was formed in Glasgow,
Scotland on 12 October 1979 at a meeting of the leaders of kindred Orders convened on
the occasion of the Diamond Jubilee of the Knights of St Columba.
The Orders represented were:
- Knights of Columbus
- Knights of St Columbanus
- Knights of the Southern Cross Australia
- Knights of Da Gama
- Knights of the Southern Cross New Zealand
- Knights of St Columba
The International Alliance was founded for
the purpose of working together for the mutual advantage of the individual member Orders
and the extension of Knighthood throughout the world.
The International Council is a forum in which
the leaders of member Orders discuss matters of common concern and agree the future
development of the Alliance.
Since its formation new Orders have been
welcomed into the Alliance. Today the members are:
- Knights of Columbus — USA, Canada,
Mexico, Philippines, Puerto Rico and Guatamala
- Knights of St Columbanus — Ireland
- Knights of the Southern Cross — Australia
- Knights of Da Gama — South Africa
- Knights of the Southern Cross — New Zealand
- Knights of St Columba — United Kingdom
- Knights of Marshall — Ghana, Togo and
Liberia
- Knights of Peter Claver — United States
of America
- Knights of St Mulumba — Nigeria
- Fraternal Order of Saints Peter and Paul
— The Gambia
- Knights of St Virgil — Austria
- Diplomatic Order of the Knights of St Gabriel
— United Nations
- Knights of St Thomas the Apostle —
Pakistan
- Knights of St Thomas More —
Belgium
- L'Ordre des Chevaliers de Marie Reine de la Paix —
Mauritius
By a decree dated 14 April 1992, the
International Alliance was accorded official recognition by the Vatican as an
International Association of the faithful.
The Orders within the Alliance adhere to
Catholic philosophy and have agreed to co-operate fully in:
- To bring Christ’s message to all people.
- To support in every way possible our Holy
Father, Pope John Paul II and all our bishops, priests and religious.
- To use individual and joint influence to
eliminate injustice from our society.
Meetings
Since the foundation meeting in 1979 in
Glasgow, Scotland at which Sir Tony Rouse was elected foundation President of the
Alliance, the Council has met as follows:
| 1980 East London, South Africa |
President Alan Diesel |
| 1981 Wellington, New Zealand |
President Patrick Keogh |
| 1982 Hartford, United States of
America |
President Virgil C Dechant |
| 1983 Dublin, Ireland |
President Vincent Gallagher |
| 1984 Melbourne, Australia |
President Robert Ward |
| 1985 Glasgow, Scotland |
President Walter Downey |
| 1986 Sekondi, Ghana |
President George Habib |
| 1987 New Haven, United States of
America |
President Virgil C
Dechant |
| 1988 Berg
en Dal, South Africa |
President Ray Allam |
| 1989 Dublin, Ireland and Vatican
City |
President Hugh McLaughlin |
| 1990 Auckland, New Zealand |
President Kinney Curran |
| 1991 Rome, Italy |
President Dr George Akabogu |
| 1993 New Orleans, United States
of America |
President
Paul Condoll |
| 1995 Morecombe, England |
President W Roe, Ireland |
| 1997
Accra, Ghana |
President Owusu Prempeh |
| 1998
Vatican City |
President Dr Edmund S K Kwaw |
| 1999 New
Haven, United States of America |
President Eamonn Fleming, Ireland |
| 2001 Melbourne, Australia |
President Geoffrey M. Renner, The Gambia |
| 2003 Lofer, Austria |
President Nial M. Kennedy, Ireland |
| 2005 Berg en Dal,
South Africa |
President Frank
Wightman, South Africa |
INITIATIVES
FOR LIFE
The Michael Bell
Memorial Awards
The International Alliance of
Catholic Knights brings together eleven orders of Catholic men, working in twenty-five
countries throughout the world. All share the same commitment to the service of Christ and
their fellow men, and all are deeply committed to promoting the principle of every human
being's right to life from the moment of conception until natural death.
It was in pursuance of this
commitment that in 1992 the Alliance decided to seek out and recognise outstanding
initiatives in defence of the Right to Life being taken by organisations and individuals
throughout the world, by instituting an international award for "Initiatives For
Life".
The awards were named
"The Michael Bell Memorial Awards" in honour of a man who gave heroic service to
the Right to Life movement during his lifetime and whose influence and example spread to
many parts of the world.
Michael Bell lived in Bournemouth, England.
He was a lawyer and devoted himself to the protection of human life by prayer and action.
He was a member of the secular Franciscan Order, the founder of the international
Association of Lawyers in defence of the Unborn, founder and chairman of the Life Care and
Housing Trust, founder of the Dorset Family Concern Association. and chairman of the
Bournemouth Life group.
Michael Bell was fearless in
defence of moral principles, appearing frequently on television and radio, and making
regular contributions to the press. He was also a man of prayer, and would often be seen
kneeling on the pavement outside an abortion clinic quietly reciting the Rosary. For
several years he held national office in the Knights of St Columba. In all things he
gave example and encouragement to all who knew him in many parts of the world.
It was the great number of
outstanding "Initiatives for Life" that Michael took during his lifetime that
inspired the International Alliance to institute this award scheme to identify and
recognise new initiatives which are constantly being taken in defence of all human life.
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