Knights of Columbus to go inactive next week

The Knights of Columbus-St. Anne’s Council 6937 officially will go inactive next week and its hall sold this month partly because of financial difficulties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

However, one of the council’s officers and a district deputy expressed optimism the Tucumcari organization would resurface in the coming months after a reorganization.

The Tucumcari council posted an announcement Thursday on social media, announcing “with a heavy heart and hopeful wishes” the council has gone into inactive status. It cited the council’s financial woes caused by state-mandated coronavirus restrictions and “irreconcilable difference” for its closure.

Christopher Arias, a Tucumcari city commissioner and a faithful navigator of the fourth degree with Council 6937, said a man from Albuquerque recently made an offer on the Knights of Columbus Hall at 203 E. Main St., and the deal will close later this month.

As for the council, it officially will go inactive Aug. 24.

Arias and Jerry Joe Lopez, grand knight with Council 6937, said during telephone interviews Friday the hall was unable to bring in revenue from bingo nights, cake walks, dances and other events because of the ongoing ban on public gatherings due to COVID-19.

“We blew through what we had saved and went as long as we could,” Arias said. “We got a decent offer, and when it came in, we knew we needed the money to take care of some bills. It does take care of our debts, and we have a little left over to set us up if we do come back.”

“We were limited in what we could do with the mass-gatherings (ban) and other restrictions,” Lopez said. “With all of these mandates, it was kind of hard for a volunteer organization. It was more of a headache than what it was worth.”

Arias and Lopez said they didn’t know what the Knights of Columbus Hall’s new owner would do with the building. Arias said the new owner at one point offered Council 6937 a chance to rent it.

Lopez explained Council 6937 was an independent nonprofit organization “like a corporation,” and the state organization was seeking to reorganize it into a parish-based council.

Arias and Lopez said neither wrote the social media post. Arias said the “irreconcilable difference” phrase was accurate but declined to elaborate.

Paul Benoit, a Knights of Columbus deputy in the 13th district who participated in a conference call Friday with Lopez with the Quay County Sun, said the phrase referred to the Rev. Johnpaul Afuecheta of St. Anne’s Catholic Church in Tucumcari but that it was “a pretty strong term” he wouldn’t have used.

“To my knowledge, there has been no public falling out. Have there been disagreements? I’m sure there have,” Benoit said. “This is not a disagreement; this is a reorganization of the council.

“We regard the status as a temporary status until we work with the parish priest to get them functioning within the parish again.”

Benoit said he was optimistic Council 6937 could rise again as a parish-based organization in as few as three months, though he acknowledged this was the first time he was presiding over such a reorganization.

“I do know him and know he’ll be open to a conversation with me. But it’s his call on the time frame and how he wants to proceed,” he said. “JohnPaul is a fourth-degree Knight of Columbus and very supportive of the mission of the Knights.”

Lopez said if the reorganization as a parish-based council occurs, it would curtail some activities, such as bingo nights, but little else.

An email to the Archdiocese of Santa Fe requesting comment on the matter was not returned.

In the meantime, Tucumcari Knights of Columbus members can transfer their memberships temporarily to other councils, including Clovis, Portales and Santa Rosa.

Arias said he preferred transfers to the Santa Rosa council.

“Santa Rosa has lower membership and has had its difficulties,” he said. “We’re going to be leaving our community and doing what Knights do — rebuild them and come back with some lessons learned.”

Lopez said Tucumcari members still would be involved in the community.

“If we go into another parish, that doesn’t mean we can’t do service in our community such as Food for Families, Coats for Kids,” he said. “Once a Knight, always a Knight.”