HILLSIDE, NJ — On Monday, Oct. 10, Grand Knight Patrick J. Mahon and Columbus Memorial Chairperson Andrew Wnukowski of the Rev. Thomas F. Canty Council No. 3197 of the Knights of Columbus led a contingent to commemorate Columbus Day, restoring a tradition that had been placed on hold for two years due to the pandemic.
Knights and local dignitaries gathered to lay floral wreaths at the Columbus monument in Conant Park. The monument was erected in 1992 through the collaboration of the Knights of Columbus, UNICO National and numerous local civic organizations to mark the quincentenary of the Italian explorer’s arrival in the New World.
The Hillside Knights are approaching 75 years of service to the local community. The Knights of Columbus has 2 million members worldwide. The local council is named for the Rev. Thomas F. Canty, 1883-1934, who was a native of Elizabeth and served as the Pastor of St. Catherine of Siena Roman Catholic Church in Hillside/Elizabeth from 1923 until his death due to a heart ailment at age 51. During his tenure as pastor, Canty oversaw the construction of the Romanesque church building on North Broad Street and, in 1931, founded the Mission of Christ the King, which was subsequently established as an independent parish in 1948.
Photo Courtesy of Joseph Michalik