Harrison Knights of Columbus Donate To Local Churchs

The Harrison Knights of Columbus Council 402 is approaching 110 years in the Town of Harrison.  The Knights recently made donations to three local churches, the Harrison Holy Cross Church, Our Lady of Czestochowa Roman Catholic Church (OLC)  in Harrison, and St. Anthony’s Church in East Newark.  All three churches have a connection with the Knights of Columbus Council 402 throughout its existence.

The Harrison Holy Cross Church church received a $10,000 donation to be used for the restoration of the church’s floor and pews.  The Knights donated the money to the Our Lady of Fatima Society which has been leading efforts to restore the church’s floor and pews.  The Our Lady of Fatima Society has led prior restoration efforts including the restoration of stained glass windows.

Interior of Holy Cross Church in Harrison NJ

The Our Lady of Czestochowa Roman Catholic Church (OLC) received the largest total donation of $110,000 but that amount is composed of a $100,000 donation made in 2020 for the replacement of the church's roof with a new roof.  An additional $10,000 was given this year to be used for church repairs as needed.  The donations to OLC were made in honor of the Knight of Columbus Council 402’s Chaplain Father Rudy who resided at OLC.

St. Anthony’s Church in East Newark received a total of $80,000.  The Knights did a very good deed when they assisted St. Anthony’s with acquiring three marble altars from a Kentucky Convent for $42,000.  The moving, transportation, and installation of the altars cost an additional $28,000.  The Knights had previously provided $28,000 for the installation of a new gas line and heating unit for the church. The Altars were donated in honor of past Chaplain Father Granato.

Former Knights of Columbus Council 402 Building

The Knights of Columbus Council 402 Our Lady of Grace previously occupied the building located at 14 North Frank E. Rodgers Blvd. in Harrison. The Knights sold the property to the nonprofit Centro Romeu Cascaes Portuguese American Community Center several years ago.  After the purchase, Centro Romeu Cascaes members had extensive renovations done at the building and held a Grand Opening Celebration in late January 2019.  The members and the public were pleased with the renovations. 

Grand Opening Centro Romeu Cascaes Crowd

The Board of Directors of the Centro Romeu Cascaes voted to keep the cornerstone located on the Cleveland Avenue side of the building to remain with the Knights of Columbus designation in respect to all prior present and past members of the Knight of Columbus who served Harrison in various capacity through the years.  The Centro Romeu Cascaes Portuguese American Community Center has expanded its services to the community and is continuing renovations looking to fully utilize the former Knights of Columbus building.  The Centro Romeu Cascaes has been fundraising for renovations to its community center.

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Photo Credit: Harrison Fest Committee Knights of Columbus inside Holy Cross Church