Sept. 28, 2016

By David Shampine
NCC Writer

Watertown – The Watertown Council 259 of the Knights of Columbus will name its new home for the late Garry T. McGivney Oct. 9, giving the local chapter a kinship to the very origins of the international society.

Mr. McGivney was a second cousin, twice-removed, of Father Michael J. McGivney, who founded the Knights of Columbus in 1882 in New Haven, Conn.

He was an active spokesman for Council 259 even before he became a philanthropist thanks to the New York State Lottery.

The day’s activities will begin as Bishop Terry R. LaValley presides at the 11 a.m. Mass at St. Anthony’s Church. Brunch will follow in the gymnasium of the former St. Anthony’s School.

A portion of the school building will become Garry T. McGivney K of C Hall. The dedication program will follow the meal.

K of C Supreme Director Arthur J. Harris, Rochester, will be guest speaker. Members of the McGivney family will be coming from New York City and Malone to attend.

Council 259 is leasing three rooms and storage space in the former school.

Grand Knight John J. Morgia said discussions began about two years ago for a need to vacate the building owned by the Knights at 312 Sherman St. 

The building had become inadequate for the needs of the group, which currently has 210 members, he said.
“Once we moved here, we decided to name our facility for the man who had done so much for the Knights of Columbus, Catholic parishes and the community.” Mr. Morgia said.

Outspoken advocate
Garry McGivney, a native of Malone, became a member of Council 259 in November 1990, and quickly became an outspoken advocate for the organization and a voice in opposition to abortion.

His activity drew the attention of the K of C national magazine Columbia, which featured him in a story in March 1993.

“If more Catholics knew about the amount of money and time we donate to charities, there would be more members joining,” he was quoted in the story. “My mission is to spread the word about that.”

He talked about the founding of K of C and of the Watertown Council, about hospitality huts supported by the organization during World War I, job programs from the Depression to later years, and deeds performed by K of C for church and community.

“Just as the order’s founder reached out to assist the widows and orphans of Catholic men, McGivney lends his voice to champion unborn children,” the magazine’s story continued.

Again quoting McGivney, “I now consider it more important than ever that what small skills I have in writing and speaking be used to change people’s minds about the sanctity of human life.”

Not optimistic about reversing Roe vs. Wade or changing abortion laws, his philosophy was, “We need to convince people that abortion is not a choice that should be made.”

‘Humble’ philanthropist
That story ran eight years before Garry McGivney turned from spokesman to “humble” philanthropist. After bringing home a $20.2 million lump-sum Lotto payment in 2005, he became a benefactor of the Catholic parishes of Watertown. His pastor at Holy Family Church, Father Steven M. Murray, told the Watertown Daily Times in July 2014 that the sudden wealth did not change the man.

“Before he even won the lottery, he was a very generous man,” Father Murray said. “He also was generous after that. He was a very quiet man and didn’t want a lot of notoriety. He hoped his generosity would spur others to be generous and to realize money is not the end-all and be-all.”

He gave Holy Family $1 million, more than erasing the parish debt, and earmarked another million dollars to be divided between St. Anthony’s, St. Patrick’s and Our Lady of the Sacred Heart parishes. Holy Family subsequently benefitted from additional dispersals, Father Murray revealed.

Another recipient was the Northern New York Community Foundation. Of a $2.5 million donation there, $1 million was designated for a North Pleasant Street Scholarship Fund – a gift for students in his neighborhood.
“The real long-term legacy of his gift is for everyone to share their blessings with others,” Rande S. Richardson, community foundation executive director, told the Times.

Funds are established “to be permanently endowed … so we spend a certain percentage each year,” he said recently. “A portion of his gift also supported the Foundation’s general community grants program.”

The McGivney family
Mr. McGivney, salutatorian of his St. Joseph’s Academy class in Malone, Summa Cum Laude graduate of SUNY Plattsburgh, Air Force veteran and a 30-year employee of the State Department of Labor died at age 75 on July 20, 2014.

His grandfather, Michael J. McGivney, was a second cousin of Father Michael McGivney. Born to Irish immigrants in 1852 in Waterbury, Conn., the priest drew from his family experiences to form an organization that would be responsive to people’s needs.

That organization, the Knights of Columbus, was founded to serve as a mutual aid and fraternal insurance organization, particularly for immigrants and their families.

Father McGivney died from pneumonia two days after his 38th birthday in 1890.

A cause for his canonization was initiated in 1996 in the Archdiocese of New Hartford, and Pope Benedict XVI declared him “Venerable” in March 2008, recognizing his “heroic virtue,” according to an account of his life in Wikipedia.